Productivity Hacks

iCloud Vs. MobileMe, is there any difference?

With hype surrounding cloud-based services at an all-time high, Apple has officially announced the release of the highly-anticipated iCloud. While many were thrilled to hear about the new development, Apple’s decision to shutter its MobileMe service, in favor of a more efficient and capable cloud platform, left some Mac users concerned about the future of their data and mobile services. Nevertheless, the technology company has stated that the transition should be seamless, as the new service includes many of the great benefits previously provided by MobileMe. All of which begs the question: Is Apple’s newest system any different than MobileMe?

MobileMe first became available to Mac users in January of 2000, as a subscription service that provided, among other things, an email address @mac.com. Following the release of the iPhone 3G in 2008, the service was rebranded as MobileMe, and became available to users across the operating system spectrum. One of the many features MobileMe provides includes the popular “Find My iPhone” function, that allows users to locate their mobile device via the internal GPS tracking dot. The service also offers remote storage options, and the ability to publish websites through iLife.

Apple’s announcement of its new cloud-based services means that MobileMe will be shelved, as the company’s focus shifts towards providing storage options and contact management to a larger swath of tech consumers. Though the service will no longer be available, many of the great functions MobileMe provided will be available through the new cloud platform. In fact, the new service even offers features that MobileMe users were previously unable to access.

Mail synchronisation, contact management, and Find My iPhone will all be available to MobileMe users who choose to migrate their data to the new service. Documents in the Cloud, iTunes in the Cloud, and Photo Stream are further benefits that will be available to all iCloud users. In spite of all of these great features, however, MobileMe users will lose some features previously available to them. Individuals who previously synced system preferences and applications with MobileMe will no longer be able to do so. Furthermore, iCloud does not offer an email address, nor the ability to publish web sites.

As Apple’s cloud offering gains clout in the technology world, many other companies that already provide cloud-based service have been catapulted to the spotlight. Many of these companies provide similar functionalities as those provided by Apple. Furthermore, their immediate availability is of particular interest to those who’d like to begin utilizing such services immediately.

Amazon CloudDrive vs. iCloud

One of the biggest companies to announce cloud-based services is Amazon. Better known for its massive online shopping destination, Amazon has begun expanding itself into the technology market in recent years, with such developments as the Kindle eReader. The Amazon CloudDrive is a major competitor of the Apple cloud platform, and is already available to consumers.

Just like the Apple’s new system, the Amazon CloudDrive offers 5 GB of free storage to all users, with additional storage available at the cost of $1 per GB, per year. Pricing for additional storage on the iCloud is not yet available. The iCloud offers a music-streaming application that allows users to play the audio files in their digital database, and is available on any device that supports Adobe Flash. While the Apple cloud system is available to both Mac, iOS5 and Windows users, however, functionality is limited for those using Windows.

• Both provide 5 GB of free storage and the option to upgrade for additional storage.
• Amazon CloudDrive is available for all devices that support Adobe Flash; iCloud offers fully functionality only for iOS 5 devices and Mac users
• Amazon CloudDrive is managed through a browser-based protocol, whereas the iCloud syncs with applications in the background.

Google vs. iCloud

Google has also released its own offering in the world of cloud-based services. Unlike the Amazon CloudDrive and the iCloud, Google offers different storage quotas for each area of storage available. For example, users can store up to 1 GB each of Google Documents and Picasa files. 7 GB of general storage are offered free of charge, and additional storage up to 16 TB can be purchased. The Google Music Beta allows users to upload up to 20,000 songs from their personal libraries.

• Offers 7 GB of general storage, and 1 GB each for Google Documents and Picasa files; iCloud offers 5 GB of free storage.
• The Google cloud can be accessed by any device with a web browser; Full-functionality for the iCloud is only offered to iOS 5 and Mac users.
• The Google Music Beta allows up to 20,000 songs to be uploaded; Apple iCloud offers immediate storage of all iTunes purchases, and the ability to match existing music in the cloud for a fee.

Dropbox vs. iCloud

Finally, Dropbox is another popular cloud service that has gained popularity in the past year. Dropbox offers a desktop client that can sync files with the server, or it can be managed through a web browser. Dropbox offers 2 GB of free storage, and also has a music player for audio files uploaded to the cloud. Further storage space can be purchased, for a fee.

• Dropbox offers 2 GB of free storage; iCloud offers 5 GB of free storage.
• Dropbox operates through a desktop client or a web browser; iCloud acts invisibly in the background.
• Dropbox offers a music player for uploaded audio files; iCloud automatically syncs purchased music to the cloud.

Web users have many different storage options available to them. Whether they prefer options like Amazon CloudDrive and Dropbox that act as digital storage lockers, or are looking for a service like the iCloud that invisibly syncs content as it is created or purchased is a matter of personal preference. One thing important to remember is that it can be difficult to keep all of your files organized and keep contact management under control.

One great service that allows such management is the critically acclaimed Scrubly service. This service removes duplicate files from your many different contacts and address books, allowing freelancers to be more productive and organized. Another great feature Scrubly offers is the ability to fix formating errors in contact information.

Regardless of your specific cloud needs, the plethora of options means finding something that works for you should be a piece of cake. Armed with a contact management service like Scrubly, and a cloud service that keeps your files safe and sound, you’re ready to conquer productivity in one fell swoop. Cloud services help keep you better organized and more productive, making them a freelancer’s dream.

While iCloud is useful for online storage, up Next: “Microsoft’s Newest Cloud Offering, Office 365”

Using Gist to increase productivity and consolidate your work

Gist is an extremely useful tool. It allows you to collect a lot of data from a lot of places. Gist takes your contacts from your phone, Facebook, twitter and many other places. Next, Gist brings these contacts together and displays them in an easily accessible format. When using Gist, finding information on a contact such as their phone number, address or e-mail becomes as easily as checking your Facebook page. As well as this, Gist allows you to check other things such as news reports and your email with the press of a button.

You can use Gist everywhere, whether you are on the go, or sitting at home. This is because of the simple fact that Gist is an app that is viewable on both your phone and on your computer. This allows you to do a variety of things with Gist. First of all, it allows you to use Gist solely for the purpose of storing, collecting and accessing contact information on the go. As well as this, you can use Gist for checking the news and your email as an alternative to going through various sites to do this.

Gist is available on smart phones such as blackberries or iPhones. Having the Gist app on your phone would allow you to access information on one of your contacts quickly. All you would need to do is open up your phone and connect to Gist. Then you would simply search up the contact that you want to find out about, it’s that simple. However, if you are not in a rush, there are more things that you can do on Gist on your mobile. You can check blog posts, you can send emails and you can access twitter to tweet and look at other people’s twitter pages.

Similarly, you can do all of these things on Gist on your computer. Gist is available on many different places on the computer. It is available on web browsers such as Google chrome and Firefox. As well as this, it is available on websites like Gmail and applications such as Microsoft outlook. When you use Gist on the computer, you can carry out the same functions as Gist on mobile, you can check your Facebook, twitter, blog posts and your email. However, in addition to this, you can also check news updates. Gist allows you to check news from around the world from a multitude of sources that Gist has to offer.

One of the many benefits of using Gist is that it automatically updates its information. This means that when you use Gist to access information, it is all the latest information. It is all the latest status updates, all the latest blog posts, all the latest tweets, all the latest emails and all the latest news reports. Overall, using Gist is a fast and simple way to make your life easier. Using Gist gives you easy access to information that would otherwise be scatter across the Internet. Gist saves you the time of navigating the Internet in search of information making it both practical and useful in many, many situations.

Gist is not the only answer to increasing your productivyt. Up Next: “Another 7 Ways to Increase Meeting Productivity

ZOHO Online Contact Management Software for SMB

Your business’s success depends on your customer base and your ability to communicate with them. Nothing is more important to your sales and services than being able to reach your clients. Which is why contact management is a key element to any small business’s growth.

What are contacts? Contacts are your business’s clients, its lifeblood. Whether its other businesses or vendors in a B2B capacity or straight to the consumer market with B2C, each distinct communication builds a relationship that if managed properly will your business opportunities for years.

What is contact management? In the digital age, a Rolodex simply isn’t practical. Neither is a piece of software for each aspect of dealing with clients. Zoho CRM’s Contact Management software streamlines the most important elements of client communication including basic contact information, calls, emails, meetings and even website interactions, making it all easy to access. Whether growing your contact list, creating procurement channels with vendors or maintaining ongoing sales Zoho CRM Contact Management software offers a “one stop” solution.

Contact Manager – Follow up Contact: Building relationships with clients means building trust and accountability. Knowing the details of previous communications with a client, be it by phone, email, meeting or website, makes that accountability possible for your business, allowing for follow up contacts and regular up-dating of valuable client resources.

What do I gain from Zoho CRM’s Contact Manager Software? To use client contact information to its fullest, you have to be able to access it in an easy and understandable manner that integrates client data with a management system that allows your sales force to focus on the customer’s experience. Zoho CRM’s Contact Manager Software provides you the perfect solution.

Your Benefits with Zoho CRM’s Contact Manager Software

• A common database allows a single source for client data including past client contact records, open and closed cases, and sales activity.
• The ability to establish and maintain a hierarchy of contacts allows you to prioritize future client contacts.
• Import Wizard, Web Forms or Zoho CRM API all offer opportunities to add third party business application data to your growing client contact list.
• Create assignment rules for client data that assigns contacts to specific sales individuals to insure a consistent experience for the client.
• Customizing the tools your business needs is as easy as using a drag and drop customization wizard.
• POP enabled email such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! are a snap to integrate with the Zoho Mail Add-on for CRM.
• Outlook users can easily synchronize contacts, task and calendars with Zoho CRM using the Zoho CRM Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook.
• Zoho CRM Plug-in for Microsoft Office makes mail merge and mailing labels a snap with up-to-date contact information.
• Free Edition is available for 3 users with 100,000 records storage.

Contact Manager Software Features for Small Businesses

• Web to Contact Forms
• Marketing Campaigns
• Email Marketing
• Auto-responders
• Reports & Dashboards
• Sales Opportunities
• Email Integration
• Google Apps Integration
• Microsoft Outlook Synchronization
• Mail Merge Documents with Microsoft Office

**Features List with Additional Information Available at Zoho**

Another service for contact management in addition to ZOHO is Scrubly.

Five ways to Unleash the iPhone’s Potential

Ever since the iPhone first came out, I have carried one with me wherever I go. More than just stylish or a status symbol, they are genuinely useful for getting things done. They can be used to play games or check reviews for a restaurant. I even keep all my friends and business numbers exclusively on my iPhone, allowing me to remove duplicate contacts on my computer. It’s great having one handy gadget to keep everything organized. But the iPhone can be a drain on time and productivity if you allow it. I’ve figured out 5 main ways that I get the most from the iPhone’s potential. I think they will prove useful to everyone else as well.

There’s An App For That: The App Store is one of the things that really sets the iPhone apart. There are hundreds of thousands of apps for everything I can possibly need. From connecting to client information on my work computer to finding the nearest Chinese restaurant, I can do it all if I have the right app for the job.

Keep Up To Date: Being able to connect through either the 3G network or wi-fi connection is a great feature of the iPhone. As long as I have reception, I can connect to the internet. This can be a lifesaver if I’m in a meeting or just need to know the current sports score. These days, I would feel lost if I couldn’t stay connected.

Connect Remotely: Speaking of staying connected, I can use my iPhone to connect remotely to the database of client information on my work computer. I use this all the time when I am meeting with a client or working from home. Telecommuting is a breeze when I can just pull the information into my iPhone.

Store Your Contacts In One Place: I keep nearly everything I need to know on my iPhone, from phone numbers to to-do lists. It’s great to have everything in the palm of my hand for easy access. However, the frequent uploading and downloading of information can occasionally cause multiple versions of information to stockpile on my computer. I often remove duplicate contacts from my computer to keep it streamlined and neat.

Tethering: The iPhone has a great feature which allows you to connect it wirelessly to you computer and use the iPhone just like a wireless modem to connect to the internet via the 3G phone network. Most people don’t know this feature is built in and it can be very handy when you are in an area with no wi-fi available.

Staying connected is one of the best things about the iPhone, you can always stay in contact with your friends and family. However, if I have to use my home phone, I have to search through several different numbers to find the one I want. This is why I used software to remove duplicate contacts from my Address Book and merge them all into one master list for easy reference. I recommend everyone remove duplicate contacts because it is so easy to do and saves so much time trying to find the right number.

Now that you are enjoying the iPhone’s potential for productivity, how about 7 Tips for Establishing  Positive Daily Routines!

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