Dropbox Beta

I finally got my invitation to the Dropbox beta last night. I’ve set up my laptop and work PC and invited my friend and research colleague in Singapore to share a folder. Dropbox let’s me synchronize my files across multiple computers (regardless of OS) and backup files online. It’s also ideal for collaboration because you can create shared folders with other Dropbox users – almost like a CVS for knowledge work. This tool is a great step forward for CSCW. Microsoft has a competing product called Windows Live FolderShare that my dad is trying out, and there are rumors that Google may offer a cloud desktop environment type tool soon. I haven’t gotten any straight-up Dropbox invites to pass out yet, but I can invite people to share a folder with me which also invites them to join Dropbox (but I don’t know how many of these I get).

Getting Things Done by integrating SMS, gCal, RTM, & Twitter

So last night I reached a new level of integration with my online productivity tools. I’ve never had much use for text messaging, most my friends and family call or IM, but with the huge potential for using SMS to manage my daily life I’m starting to become an SMS convert.

First off, I set-up my Google calendar to recognize my mobile and now I can create events via SMS. You can also have gCal send you notifications of upcoming events and query your daily schedule via SMS. Then I imported the Remember the Milk (RTM) calendar into gCal so my task lists show up in my daily calendar. RTM is a great web-based to-do manager that also has an iGoogle widget. Finally, I became friends with RTM on Twitter. This lets me send a direct message to RTM through Twitter to create and manipulate tasks (complete, postpone, query, etc.) via SMS and IM. So now I’m able to have a fully mobile productivity management system driven by SMS. No longer will I need to write notes on the back of my hand – SMS is my new best friend.

Mind Mapping with Mindomo

In my continuing quest to find useful productivity tools (if I stopped looking for tools I’d probably increase my productivity!), I recently started using mind mapping software to help organize my thoughts for the many projects I’m working on. After exploring various options, I found Mindomo to be a good web-based free mind mapping tool with many features only available in pay-for tools. So far it has proven useful in the initial project work I’m doing at IBM and I think it should help me manage my academic research as well.

Vitalist

I’ve started using Vitalist to manage my to do list. I was looking for something that allowed me to create sub tasks and I stumbled across this interesting paradigm of time management called “Getting Things Done” or GTD based on a book by David Allen. I haven’t read the book, but the system seems interesting, especially in the task list area. To have access anywhere, anytime, I have migrated online for most of my time(life) management tools (e.g. gmail, Google homepage, RunningAhead, etc.). Vitalist is an online tool that implements the GTD method and it has some nice features such as a Google homepage widget and a mobile web version.