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The Value of Editing your Writing
Less is More How to Add to your Writing Recently I attended a course on Building Professional Presence at work. The course was excellent and I learned a lot. Ironically, one of the biggest lessons that I learned was the value of editing. We did an exercise where we had to prepare a 30 second [...]
See How to Convert Any Web Application into Destkop Software
Site Specific Browsers Put Web Apps on Your Desktop
OVERVIEW: You will learn how to turn your favorite web applications into standalone desktop applications using site specific browser tools.
What Is a Site Specific Browser?
A Site Specific Browser (SSB) is is an application with an embedded browser designed to work exclusively with a single web application. It doesn’t have the menus, toolbars and accoutrements of a normal web browser.
Benefits of Site Specific Browsers
OK, I know I "can" break web based apps into standalone desktop apps, but why "should" I? Well, there are a number of benefits to SSBs.
- Use just what you need. Crop the window down to just the usable part of the application. (Pandora)
- Control each application separately.
- When one application crashes (and they always do), you all of your other tabs don’t go down in flames too.
- Have One Application visible all the time.
What Sites have I Applicationized
Pandora – I like to be able to control this just like I would iTunes when it is palying. It just works well as a really tiny, really awesome little music player off in its own littl corner of my screen.
RememberTheMilk – When I want to manage or add to-do’s to my task list, it is very handy to have RTM sitting in its own little window.
Google Voice – Truth be told, I don’t use GV that much, but when I am using it, I just keep it off to the side.
Worth Considering?
Email – If you can’t make the jump from Outlook to full webmail, this may help ease you along. (Kind of like the patch for dektop junkies.)
Meebo Instant Messenger
Twitter App – There are a bunch of nice desktop Twitter apps (TweetDeck, Seesmic, Twhirl, etc.), but there are also some cool web based ones too (TwitHive, Seesmic Web App, GTwit, HootSuite, etc.). If these float your boat, you can turn them into a full desktop applicaiton.
Google Reader – Some people use Google Reader as a power tool for the web. These users may enjoy splitting it off as a standalone applicaiton.
How to Make Site Specific Browser Apps for Your Desktop
There are a few tools that make creating these standalone applications simple. You just install one of the tools listed below. These tools create a framework on your machine that allows the web sites to function as independent applicaitons. Then, you create your applications from a simple wizard.
Each tool has its own secific steps, so pick the one that is appropriate to your operating systems and get started.
Here are some of the ones that I have tried on the three major operating systems.
Windows:
Mozilla Prism - This is built by Mozilla, so it uses the Gecko (Firefox) rendering engine to run your web apps on the desktop. Bonus – you get to use Firefox extensions and Greasemonkey scripts to customize your desktop applications.
Bubbles – This Windows only tool gives you a very simple wizard to turn your favorite site into an applicaiton. It also has a small but powerful set of extensions.
Google Chrome (Browser, not OS) – To put a Chrome Application Shortcut to Gmail, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, or any other webapp you like to keep open in a separate window, open the site in Chrome. From the Page menu, choose "Create application shortcuts." From there decide to put your shortcut on the desktop, quick launch bar, and/or Start Menu.
Mac:
Fluid – This Mac only tool is built on the webkit (Safari and Chrome) rendering engine. It is very simple to use and creates stable web applications. You can also use most Greasemonkey scripts to customize your new creations.
Mozilla Prism - See Windows section above.
Linux:
Mozilla Prism - See Windows section above.
Video Walkthrough
The following video shows how to turn a Web Service into a Desktop Application using Site Specific Browser technology.
Cool Hack
Put links to the application launcher in your Bookmarks. Then, you can launch it straight out to a standalone from your browser.
What Sites Would You Put on the Desktop?
What applications do you think are best suited as standalone desktop applications?
I would love to hear what you think. Let me know what sites you have converted to a SSB in the comments below.
Writing a Blog Aritcle Using the WordPress Web Interface
Publishing Articles in Your WordPress Installation
Now that you have your WordPress Blog installed and configured, you are ready to start writing and publishing articles. WordPress has a web-based interface that allows you to write, edit, and publish articles to your blog.
I’m going to cover the steps involved in publishing your first article from your WordPress Web Interface. You will perform the following steps:
- Log In to your WordPress site
- Navigate to the Add New Post page
- Enter the information for your article
- Publish your article
- Edit and update your article (if necessary)
Accessing the WordPress Post Interface
You need to log in to your WordPress Site Administration panel to begin writing and publishing a blog post.
Click the Log In link under the Meta heading in your site’s sidebar.
Then, enter your Login and Password information on the Login page.
This will bring you to the WordPress Dashboard. You can access the Posts pages from there.
Click the Posts dropdown and select Add New Post from the sidebar.
This will open the Add New Posts page.
Enter Your Article Information
You will enter all of the information and metadata for your article on the Add New Post page. Populate all of the fields with the information for your article.
You can click the Preview button to see what your post currently looks like, before you actually post it. I highly recommend doing this to make sure you get what you expect.
The video below will show you how to use the editing options and add images to your posts.
Publish Your Article
Once you are satisfied with your article, you are ready to publish it. Click the Publish button to make your new article go live. There is also a calendar button that allows you to schedule the date and time that a post will be published.
Edit Your Article
Sometimes after you publish an article, you need to make changes or modifications. You can open the published article and edit any information. Then, you can click the Update Post button to make your changes go live instantly.
The following video tutorial will walk you through the entire process of publishing your first article on a WordPress blog.
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Complete Productivity Series
Be the Most Productive You Possible
Over the last few weeks I have written several articles focused on productivity and organization tips. I thought it might be helpful to create a page that groups, explains, and links to them in an organized manner.
I separated the articles into three general categories:
- Collecting Information
- Scheduling Activities
- Productivity on the Go
Collecting Information
Processing, recording, recalling information is a critical part of being productive and organized. These articles cover effective ways to get a grip on all of the information in your life.
How You can Take the Greatest Notes in the World
Taking good great notes is probably the best step to being more organized and productive. This article covers my personal technique for taking notes and using them to take action.
Boost Your Creativity and Productivity by Using a Simple Notebook
Trying to find ways to capture your creative bursts and brainstorms and use them effectively? One of the greatest tools ever invented is a humble notebook. Most of the creative, successful people that I see use notes as part of their creative process.
Boost Google Reader’s Productivity
There are a million different sources of information on the web that you need to check every day. Using Google Reader is the best way that I know to take in and process mountains of information in a short amount of time. Check out my favorite tips on squeezing every last drop out of it.
Never Forget Another Idea – Capture Everything with Evernote
If you want to take notes that you can use everywhere on any computer or phone, you need Evernote. This tutorial shows how to use Evernote on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones, and the web. This is one of my favorite productivity applications.
Scheduling Activities
After you capture everything you need, now it’s time to start putting it to work. You need a way to keep track of everything that needs to get done. Here are a few tips to help you get it together.
Get Things Done with RememberTheMilk
RememberTheMilk is my favorite web based task management tool. You can schedule, track, and manage all of your to do’s from the web or your phone. This is a life saver for the absent minded procrastinator. (I’m talking to you! and me.)
Getting the Most Out of Mozilla Thunderbird
If you need a tool to handle Email, Contacts, and your Calendar, then give Mozilla’s Thunderbird a shot. I’ll show you how to stretch it beyond even Mozilla’s imagination with some of these extensions.
Productivity on the Go
None of us gets to sit down in an ideal office and handle everything that needs to be done. We’re all on the go these days. Well here are some great ways to take your show on the road without missing a beat.
Create a RoboSecretary for Yourself with Dial2Do
This might be my favorite productivity tip in this series. Dial2Do allows you to take all of these productivity systems that I have covered and manage them from your phone. Dial the phone, say what you want done, and it just gets done. If you’re only going to read one article on this page, make it this one!
Create the Web Operating System Today
When you’re on the go, you never know what computer that you will be using. This article shows you how to put a full computing experience on the web and access it from any computer in the world.
Sync Files on Multiple Computers Using DropBox
If you do use multiple computers (work, home, school) you need DrobBox. This will let you sync your most important files between multiple computers with ease. Take a look at this tutorial.
Carry A Computer in your Pocket
If you insist on using desktop applications, then you should check out this article. You can load a bunch of your favorite applications on a USB drive and use them your way on any other computer.
What do you think?
If you have any other ideas or questions, please put them in the Comments below.
How You can Take the Greatest Notes in the World
Use this Simple Technique to Record, Organize, and Recall Everyting
The information age is upon us. Every day I take in or crank out so much information that it is very difficult to keep it all together. With all of the computers, PDAs, and voice recorders available, I rely on a plain old notebook as my main weapon in the battle to record, create, and organize information. Even though my notebook is simple, my method of taking notes is anything but. I’m going to show you a quick way to go take great notes that will keep you on top of everything.
My Approach to Taking Great Notes
I use a combination of a few approaches modified into my own special method. I base it mostly on the Cornell Note Taking method. Since I’m not a student, I adapted it for taking notes at business meetings and brainstorming projects.
I start out with regular lined notebook paper. I break the page into four sections:
Top
Notes
Action Items
Summary
Top Section
In Top the section I write the following:
Top Left – Attendee names (if it’s a meeting)
Top Center – Meeting or Project title
Top Right A – Page Number
Top Right B – Date
Notes Section
I use the main section of the page to taking notes or writing ideas and content.
Action Items
I use the left margin of the page for Action Items. These are typically To-Do’s or Open Questions. If there is a task for me, I draw an arrow pointing out of the Notes section (right to left). Then, I write the task name, recipient (if any), the due date. If it’s a task for someone else I draw an arrow pointing into the Notes section (left to right). Then, I write the responsible person’s name, the task name, recipient (if it’s not me), and the due date.
Summary Section
When the session is over I draw a wavy line below the Notes section. I write a brief one or two line summary at the bottom of the page.
After the Meeting
I also transfer my Action Items to my rolling To-Do list. There are many great ways to record your task list, I love RememberTheMilk. Here is a tutorial showing how use RememberTheMilk to manage your tasks.
Cataloging Notes
Having a notebook full of notes is not very helpful if you can’t find what you need. I always leave a few pages at the back each notebook to create an Index. When I’m done with a meeting I go to the back and write the Page Number, Topic, and Date. This creates a scannable Index that I can use to quickly find notes by topic or date.
Extra Credit
At a lot of meetings that I attend people write and draw important information on flip charts or white boards. At the end of these meetings I usually pull out my phone and grab a decent picture of the information. Then I upload the picture to my Evernote account. Then the picture is available back at my computer before I even get to my desk. Then I print it off and tape the page to the back of the notes from the meeting. Here is a tutorial showing how to use Evernote to capture information anywhere and recall it any time.
Conclusion
This whole process only adds a few seconds onto the basic note taking process, but provides great benefits down the road. When I need to recall something from a project meeting that happened a month ago I just open the Index, find my page and go to the notes. At a moment I can see who was there, when it happened, what was said, and who was responsible for what. That’s certainly worth 45 seconds after an hour long meeting in my opinion.
Here is an article that I wrote about the virtues of taking notes and some of the other cool things that you can do with them.
If you have any other good note taking ideas please add them in the comments section.