Nine (mostly) free tools to keep you productive
- Remember the Milk is a task manager that’ll straighten out your to-do list. Add jobs in seconds, get reminders by email and prioritise clearly, so you know what to do first.
You could also try: Toodledo. - Dropbox is an elegant way to back up your important data and share files with other people. It keeps files up-to-date on all your computers too.
You could also try: Windows Live Sync. - RescueTime tracks exactly what you do, every minute you’re on your computer. If its comprehensive reports don’t help you pinpoint and eliminate distractions, nothing will.
You could also try: ManicTime. - TimeBridge helps you schedule meetings with people who don’t have a shared calendar. Your attendees indicate their preferred times, then TimeBridge finds a good slot for everyone.
You could also try: Doodle. - Evernote lets you keep notes and interesting things you see online. You can enter text, grab images and clip information from websites. Evernote keeps it safe and organised.
You could also try: toread. - Writer is perfect when you have to get something written. It emulates an old-skool green screen text editor, with no modern distractions. For the full effect, hit F11 to go full-screen.
You could also try: Dark Room. - Picnik gives you a fast, easy way to crop, resize and edit photos. It’s ideal if you need to edit a picture before publishing it on your website or blog.
You could also try: FotoFlexer. - Basecamp helps you manage projects and coordinate work with other people. It’s really useful when several people are working on a project from different places.
You could also try: Huddle. - HP Business Answers contains dozens of articles to help you deal with business IT challenges. There’s also an interactive IT advisor and an IT Agony Aunt to answer your questions.
You could also try: Business Link
Finally, don’t forget that the equipment you work with can influence your productivity too. Using these tools with the right computer could give you even more of a boost.
Microsoft Office is now on the web
Check out Office Web Applications - you can create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and use Microsoft OneNote in your web browser thanks to a new service from Microsoft.
Steve Clayton, Microsoft's 'Geek in Disguise', reports that Microsoft Office is now available as a web application. You can create and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote documents online in your web browser. This is the latest example of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and it points towards new business models and new ways of interacting with popular software.
You don't get the full features of the desktop versions but they do a pretty good job, according to the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg. What's particularly helpful is the ability to work on the same document online and on your PC without losing 'fidelity' - the structure and details of the document that may not be editable in the online versions. You sync files with your desktop using Microsoft SkyDrive.
Right now, it's free so you can't beat the price. Head over to office.live.com and check it out.
