Beyond Folders : technology

What the Pros Know: 5 Organizing Tips to Transform Your Space

Community Manager — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:46:00 GMT

Think a bright, airy, organized space is solely the province of glossy shelter mags or movie sets? Think again. A streamlined, clutter-free space can be yours with five simple steps from the organizing pros.

Less is More: Nothing gives a space more bang for the buck than a thorough purge. Clutter creates stress and detracts from a space's aesthetic, so commit to a ruthless edit of your belongings and watch your free space grow. Be honest; do you really need three spatulas and two whisks? Ditto all those unused toys, neglected books and out-of-style clothes? Edit, edit, edit; asking yourself three questions: Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I love it? Anything that gets a "no" gets tossed, donated or sold. Consider asking a trusted friend to help with the review to keep you honest. Click here for a before and after shot to get you motivated.

Clever Storage: Keep your space feeling open and airy by using clever storage to conceal clutter. Enlist multitasking furniture such as trunks to serve as a coffee or side table, while holding bedding or board games. You can also shop for ottomans or other upholstered pieces such as benches and even sofas and chairs, which have hinged seats to conceal needed storage. Or use a skirted table either bedside or beside a sofa to conceal a basket with remotes, books, and other small items. This link shows some wonderful storage options.

Shelf Life: Adopt the mantra "a place for everything, and everything in its place" by adding enough shelving to your home to neatly corral your belongings. While custom shelving is a fantastic option for maximizing your particular space, even inexpensive units from Ikea can do the trick. Simply measure your space, and buy as many units as will fit. Use attractive baskets or bins to hide away smaller items and to present a cohesive design. See here and here for ideas.

Skirted Tables: Don't underestimate the organizing power of a skirted table. Even if your aesthetic favors, streamlined modern pieces, a simple, skirted table can provide a wealth of organizing options. Here a skirted consoles table holds decorative accessories while concealing a full bar. And this clever homeowner had a seamstress create a skirt for her Ikea Expedit bookshelf, providing concealed storage for her TV console.

Careful Color Choices: Create a bright, airy feel by organizing your home and décor with careful color choices. By sticking to a cohesive palette, you can make your space seem bigger and brighter. Tone on tone color allows furniture to recede into walls, creating the illusion of more space. Click here for examples. This doesn't mean you need to avoid color, just use it judiciously: see how these homeowners use bright pops of color for organizing here and here.

What’s Next? A Trio of Tech Trends to Love

Community Manager — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:42:00 GMT

Now that the iPad mini is old news, tech-savvy trend spotters are in search of the next great thing to organize, entertain and generally make life easier. Tech-out this trio of trends that will have you on the cutting edge of what's next.

High-Tech Bathrooms: One of the last frontiers for technology in the home, the bathroom, is becoming increasingly high-tech. Bathrooms, once considered merely functional spaces, are increasingly designed to offer homeowners spa-like amenities. Now, high-tech products such as wireless scales and waterproof electronics, lets users customize their bathroom experiences like never before. Sync your scale with your Fitbit app to monitor your weight and fitness routines. Wave your hands near your smart faucet; sensors turn the water on for you. Hey, even singing in the shower goes state-of-the-art with the electronics featured in Tech-Out Your Bathroom.

Beauty Apps: Makeup counters are so old school. Modern beauties turn to apps to put their best face forward. Need help picking a lipstick or a foundation color? Try MatchMaker by True Match http://bit.ly/JZC1un or Make Up Forever Pocket Studio. Can't get a dermatologist appointment to deal with that zit? Check out PerSKINality for tips on getting blemish free by the weekend. We also like OPI Nail Art Studio and How to Do Your Own Cute Nails for tips on getting salon-worthy manis at home.

LED Your Life: Okay, LED lights aren't exactly new (they've been around since the 1960s) but they are booming in popularity like never before. Witness Katy Perry's multihued, LED light dress worn to the recent Met Costume Ball; the sparkling dress took 3,000 LED bulbs to create. For other eye-catching, light-up fashion, check out We're Obsessed: 10 Glowing Geek Chic Gowns. LED isn't just for celebrities, a slew of bright products in equally cheerful price points put LED décor within everyone's reach. Check out these colorful coasters and LED ice-cubes to put some bright in your bevy. Or unleash your inner DIY-diva with the ingenious projects in Light It Up! 15 Awesome LED Projects.

Top 10 Tech Tools for College

Community Manager — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:16:00 GMT

Generation Digital is heading to college. Incoming freshman, take a break from your smart phone long enough to load up on these top ten tech tools.

1. iPad: A multitasking master: read eBooks, stream music, take notes and pictures; organize class and activity schedules with time management apps. Anything else? Oh, right, studying. Major textbook publishers are now making materials available on the iPad.

2. Voice Recorder: Record lectures and class discussions; use voice-to-print software to create study guides.

3. USB Flash Drives: Store digital materials including presentations, notes and pictures on portable flash drives.

4. WiFi Directory App: In need of WiFi? Download this app which uses an iPhone or iPad's current GPS location to create a list of nearby WiFi hot spots. A bonus for broke college kids: it even tells you which ones are free.

5. Cloud Computing: Working on a group project? Or need to access files from your boyfriends computer? Savvy students store materials using software such as Dropbox, a free downloadable software program that allows users to store their files in the "cloud" and access them from anywhere.

6. Speakers: Turn your smart phone or iPad into a stereo with a set of portable speakers.

7. Headphones: Don't bug your roommate; invest in high quality headphones to listen to music or watch a movie on your laptop or iPad without broadcasting your selections room-wide.

8. Wireless Printer: Print, copy, scan and fax: all without a cord. Now if you can only get it to do your laundry, it'd be perfect.

9. Solar-Powered Backpacks: Yes, you read that right. Tap into Mother Nature to recharge devices in between classes with a solar power backpack.

10. Surge Protectors: Protect your digital devices with a surge-protection power cord; they handle multiple plug-ins with ease.

And remember, the best tool for college success is right between your ears. Have a great year!

Living Without Your Computer

Community Manager — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:54:00 GMT

In our 24/7 global world, where even our phones our smart, going without the connectivity and computing power of our laptops, PCs and tablets seems unthinkable.

Technology journalist David Lake went computer-free for 20 days and lived to tell the tale. Lake's computer-free diet taught him that the pangs of computer withdrawal are real, the absence of the Internet creates oodles of free time, and it's hard to find a typewriter repairperson.

Could You Live Without a Computer?

For many of us, work and computers are inextricably linked and going without is impractical. But could you put down your Blackberry and back away from your Facebook page for 24 or 48-weekend hours? And does taking a break from technology enhance, or compromise, one's productivity and efficiency?

Deprived of email, texting and Facebook, would you write a letter to a friend or pick up the phone to call? When You-Tube goes dim, would you head to the movies or visit the library rather than your Kindle iPad app? How about abandoning Wii Fit for a brisk walk outside?

Experts agree that downtime at work is necessary to reboot productivity. So would technology-breaks further recharge the batteries? Every individual is different but New York Times journalist Mark Bittman found that his self-imposed weekend technology-breaks over a six-month period restored a "thoughtfulness, a kind of calm" to a life that otherwise runs at breakneck speed.

Do you ever "unplug" from technology for set periods of time? How does technology-free time change you day-to-day? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

by Bradley Eggers

Refresh Your Office, Reboot Your Productivity

Community Manager — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:07:00 GMT

Office blahs got you down? Feeling ho hum at work? For a quick pick-me-up, try transforming your office space.

Whether you call home, a cubicle or the corner suite the office, we all clock many hours a day at work. Experts say your day-to-day environment can have a profound effect on your attitude. And if "familiarity breeds contempt" - or at least the blahs - then a change, even a subtle one, can create a sense of vitality and energy. A new look for your office can give you a new outlook at work!

Ready to reboot?

Create breathing room: A simple clean up may be enough to do the trick. Toss old newspapers, magazines, coffee cups, unused office accessories and clutter in the trash. Look around, the view is better already!

Let there be light: Fluorescent lights provides visibility, not atmosphere. If your office policy permits, add a task lamp to your desk. Look for one in a fun color - bright yellow, hot pink - or add a decorative lamp with a shade casting a warm, soft light.

Seek inspiration: You work for a reason: to provide for your family, for money for hobbies or travel, to further your career. Use pictures to remind you of what matters most or what inspires you. Perhaps it's a travel poster of a longed for destination or photos of your children or pet. Screensavers of nature shots or family vacation photos can also perk up your mood. Rotate these images periodically for a fresh source of smiles.

Nature's Bounty: Fresh flowers are a mood enhancer but there's no need to spring for costly bouquets. Think holly branches in the winter and daffodils in the spring. Even clear bowls of pine cones or seashells are beautifully decorative and wonderfully free. Take pains to brighten your space, you spend enough time there to make it worthwhile.

Move it!: If possible, rearrange the furniture. In a cubicle this can be difficult to do, but even within a cube, you can often shift your monitor or move your filing cabinet. In a larger office or at home, try repositioning your desk to afford a different perspective. Again, depending on where you work and what's permissible, a fresh coat of paint, new wall art or rug can also do wonders in giving an old office a new look.

Does your work space affect your productivity? How do you create a nurturing work environment? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Virtual Clutter: Get it Off Your Desktop

Community Manager — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:03:00 GMT

Clutter, even virtual clutter, has a way of taking over open spaces. Is your desktop clogged with icons? Are e-files haphazardly stored? If so, it's time to declutter your desktop.

The Urge to Purge

In past posts I've heralded the lowly waste basket as an extremely effective organizing tool. Tossing what isn't needed is Organization 101. So get ready to delete unused short cuts, icons and files. Ditto for those RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters that once seemed like must-reads and now serve as in-box dead-weight. Not sure if something should be consigned to the trash? Create a folder to store those items for a later review.

Tossing done? Now the fun!

Once you've tossed the unnecessary, it's time to streamline what remains. Be creative in tailoring a solution for your needs. You can opt to go icon free altogether (yes! it's possible!) or move to a system that uses folders delineating status to store and organize desktop functions.

In Desktop Zen: Reducing Visual Clutter on your Desktop the author advocates an icon free existence arguing that icons require minimizing and resizing that reduces productivity. Instead, users can elect to use the start menu and the quick launch toolbar for more effective navigating.

Another solution posits that a clutter-free state can be achieved by creating five "master folders" that sort items according to status. In How to Organize Your Cluttered Desktop and Regain Your Sanity the author outlines an organizing method based on principles espoused in the book Getting Things Done by productivity-guru David Allen.

Strive for Simple

Virtual clutter can be easier to deal with than physical piles (no need to worry about recycling or shredding) but taming clutter, virtual or otherwise, requires discipline. Once you've established a system to conquer clutter, set aside time to maintain it. Looking for inspiration to get started? Read the Zen of Tech: 12 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Online Life Simple and Peaceful for a reminder that hi-tech can be managed simply.

Declutter your desktop and unleash your inner Zen.

Is your desktop a clutter-free zone? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Do Communications Tools Make Us More or Less Communicative?

Community Manager — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:44:00 GMT

"The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate." So said English chemist and writer Jason Priestly, oh, about 200 years before the iPhone and the rise of social media.

What would Priestly make of the way we communicate today? Does the explosion of communications tools make us better communicators? Or does the more-is-more nature of modern communication actually devalue the information we transmit?

When India and Indiana are a Skype Call Away

We've blogged extensively about how the global nature of business is aided and abetted by technology. Global teams wouldn't be possible without the Internet and a host of tech tools. Technology also makes it easier to work as a location independent worker, free from the tethers of cubicles and commutes. Social media allows us to both keep up with the lives of friends across country and to promote our personal brand professionally.

I enjoy being in great Facebook touch with old friends whom I might otherwise be out of the loop with altogether. But what happens when you "like" the post about a friend's promotion. Does it stop you from picking up the phone to say congrats in person? Is technology helping or hurting the way you communicate?

When You're Texting Rather than Talking

We've also posted about the downside of technology. How the 24/7 nature of social media can lead to the loss of privacy or how the long arm of technology's reach can turn a beach chair into a boardroom. Technology certainly has its downside but has it eroded the quality of our communications?

We all know e-mails and texts can be misread, misconstrued. I'd argue that they can be misused; too often face-to-face or in person communication is overlooked. I'd also make the case that the increase in our communication bandwidth can verge on "oversharing." When its all-news-all-the-time, it's hard to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff.

New and creative communications tools are a never-ending parade as this fascinating article makes clear: Evolution of Communication: From Email to Twitter and Beyond. At the end of the day, how well or poorly we communicate is governed less by the technology we use, then the way we use that technology.

Let's strive to use it mindfully.

What do you think about modern communication skills? Are we more or less communicative? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

Best Old and New Project Management Tools and Techniques

Community Manager — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:04:00 GMT

From the ancient pyramids to the iPhone 4, teams of individuals have successfully banded together to produce celebrated results. While most projects don't become tourist Meccas or headline news fodder (Note to self: don't take your top secret phone prototypes into bars) all projects requiring team effort can benefit from topflight project management tools.

In past Beyond Folders blog posts we've looked at aspects of project management in The New Project Collaboration and Management Tools and in How's the Tunnel Coming? Tracking Long Term Projects.

Now we've assembled lists of resources of the best old (traditional) and new (innovative) project management tools and strategies around. Our traditional list has resources on the fundamentals of project management; the other list has resources that tweak those concepts. One list isn't better than the other, different tools or strategies fit different needs.

Traditional Resources

New Resources

No list of resources is totally comprehensive. Are you using helpful tools we didn't include here? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

Best Old and New Organization Tools

Community Manager — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:31:00 GMT

Life requires organization. Fortunately a host of tools can help. We've assembled a must-have list ranging from the simple notepad and pen to the latest iPhone app. Read on and study up, it's time to get organized.

Old School

Not all organizing tools are high-tech. Consider that lowliest of office items, the waste basket. Tossing unneeded items is Organization 101.

Other so-simple-yet-so-useful items include:

A stack of 3×5 index cards. Use for lists, notes. Easy to file or toss. Cheap and portable.
A notebook and pen. As old-fashioned as it gets. Find a size and style that works and buy in bulk.
A Filofax. Keeps your calendar and contacts close at hand.
Post-it notes. Highly visual reminders when used sparingly.
Label maker. Defines where items belong.
Shredder. Eliminates sensitive and/or unnecessary documents.

New School

Take advantage of technology. Digital note-taking, to-do lists, mind-mapping, and personal organization tools all make being organized just a click away.

PDAs. Provide calendar, address book, to-do lists, documents/applications such as Word and Excel, clock and can sync with work calendars.
Scanners. Go paperless; scan must-keep documents/biz cards then toss.
Digital note taking and to-do lists. Backpack, Task Toy, Remember the Milk, and Ta-da lists are just a few examples of mostly free, easy to use eLists.
Personal organizing tools. Again, too many options to list; Google Calendar, Ecco Pro and Time & Chaos are a few standouts.

For more information on leading digital note taking, to-do lists and time tracking tools, read Blogging Bit's comprehensive article 40 Best Personal Organization Tools To Boost Your Productivity.

Too Cool for School

Technology adds a "wow" factor to staying organized. Tools so innovative, you didn't even know you needed them, keep popping up on the technology landscape. Here are some funky (and functional!) tools:

JotNot. An iPhone app that turns your phone into a scanner.
reQall. Turn your phone into a personal assistant. Dictate your to-dos, reminders, appointments and ReQall translates your commands into actionable tasks.
do.Oh. A to-do list with a twist-a zany poll-making this web app a fun use.
RoamBi. Excel docs and phones don't mix well. RoamBi takes spreadsheet files and turns them into "visualizations" - pie charts, bar graphs, flip books and other designs made especially for a small interface.

Do you have any favorite organizing tools we overlooked? What is your must-have list? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Meeting Etiquette

Community Manager — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:13:00 GMT

Across the pond, the new English Prime Minister has set tongues wagging with his decision to ban cabinet members from using mobile phones and BlackBerries in meetings. This tempest is in an English teapot but it does bear thinking about at home. I would be lying if I didn't say that at times, I would love to ban phones, blackberries, and laptops from meetings. Technology has clearly changed the way we work and live. But has it changed the rules of what is polite and acceptable in business meetings?

Maintaining Meeting Etiquette

According to Christine Pearson, a management professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Thunderbird School of Global Management technology and its omnipresence in the workplace is eroding civility. Pearson interviewed 9,000 U.S. workers and managers for her book The Cost of Bad Behavior and concluded that texting and emailing during meetings is a serious lapse of etiquette.

"No one likes to be snubbed, of course, but the offense can take on a new edge when the winner is a machine," observed Pearson in a recent New York Times article Sending a Message that You Don't Care.

Managers work hard to plan and execute successful meetings. Don't let a meeting be derailed by texting and cell phone interruptions. Establish a protocol for managing meeting technology etiquette.

Steps could include:

Remind everyone that face-to-face meeting time is valuable.
Impose a moratorium on devices during some meetings, but allow breaks for checking e-mail, texts and networking accounts.
Work with your staff to set guidelines about what is and isn't reasonable in your particular workplace.
Hold everyone accountable to the guidelines - including yourself.

One of the first rules for life we are taught as young children is 'mind your manners.' Keep this old truism firmly in mind when next tempted to check your e-mail or send a text during a meeting. Remember, that the message you could be sending is that what is on your e-mail or cell phone is more important than interacting with the person you are with.

Do you think meeting etiquette is being executed well in your workplace? Could your office stand to improve its meeting etiquette policies? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

Home/Work: Blurring Personal and Professional Identities

Community Manager — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:21:00 GMT

Clear demarcations between work and personal life have gone the way of the three-martini lunch. Using work computers to shop online or make vacation reservations is as common as BlackBerries buzzing at school recitals or a co-worker friending you on Facebook.

Technology increasingly enables people to live a 24/7 existence, eroding the line between home and office. Today, professionals can even work while on vacation. Rather than bemoan the change (a Luddite-like finger in the dike) today's employee should embrace technology for the positive attributes it brings to creating healthy work/life synergy.

Managed appropriately, technology enhances flexibility, productivity and business and personal brand value. Social media is a case in point.

Consider that Twitter and Facebook can be set up for personal use, professional use or a hybrid model. Experiment with what works for you and your company.

For many knowledge workers, a hybrid professional/personal online presence is desirable. Social media is not only fun, it is an extremely powerful marketing tool. Used effectively, you can build a meaningful personal brand by engaging the social media channels that are right for you.

When you venture into social media be sure to manage potential pitfalls by arming yourself with tools to protect your online reputation. Equal care should be taken not to run afoul of your company's personal use standards for technology. Avid texters should take note: the Supreme Court will soon decide if a California police department violated an employee's privacy when it inspected personal text messages he sent using a work-issued pager.

Familiarize yourself with what is permissible at your job.

In the end, judgment matters. The best way to avoid violating your company's technology use standards, or with revealing too much personal information to professional contacts is to use good judgment.

The old adage applies: If you wouldn't want to see it on the front page of the New York Times, do not say it, or do it...or Tweet it!

by Candie Harris

Lose Your Paper Planner without Getting Lost

Community Manager — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:15:00 GMT

Still Tied To Your Paper Planner?

There was a time, not too long ago, when the loss of a paper planner spelled a personal organization and time management disaster of epic proportions. In fact, one Saturday a few months ago, I was panicked by the thought that I lost my paper planner. After driving into the office, I was relieved to see it, in plain view right on my desk.

Although the evolution of web-based applications has liberated many of us from total paper dependency by providing a range of online options for planning and tracking our daily tasks and activities, I had resisted letting go of my planner. During my trip back to the office on that Saturday, I decided the time had come to take advantage of the benefits of going digital.

It actually was easier than I anticipated. I entered all my contact information into my blackberry, and began to use Lotus Calendar (which is synced from our email system) for all my appointments. I used my paper planner as well, keeping both for about two months. After realizing that I hadn't needed to look at the paper planner during the entire two month period, I gave it up and went totally digital.

To help you make sense of the online personal productivity tools available today, here is a round up of recent articles and reviews. As always, we consider this a two-way conversation and invite you to share your favorite online personal organization and time management solutions with us here.

Whether you are a location independent professional or office worker, you can benefit from this post on 8 Simple online Time Management Tools for Freelancers. Included in the review are the following flexible solutions:

Calendars: Google Calendar and 30 Boxes
To-do lists: vitalist and Todoist
Project management: Backpack and Basecamp from the innovators at 37signals

Popular Web-based task manager Remember the Milk is the subject of this in-depth review. Among the notable features are:

Multiple avenues of access (via Gmail, Firefox, mobile phone, iPhone and Blackberry)
Organization of tasks by category, priority, date or tag
Single keystroke shortcuts
Free and paid professional versions (the pro version is required for the iPhone, Windows Mobile and Blackberry integration)

For a deeper look into popular online calendars, you can watch this helpful video tutorial produced by butterscotch.com.

Letting go of my paper planner has made it so much easier to organize my life (both business and personal), and with the added security of back up, it's negated the need for a Saturday trip to the office! Let us know how you have transitioned from paper to digital!

by Candie Harris

Why Learning to Prioritize Should be At the Top of Everyone’s To-Do List

Community Manager — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:09:00 GMT

It is a familiar scenario. On any given work day, multiple projects and tasks come across our desks labeled "Top priority." We then go home to the embrace of family members who need X or Y right away and the cold stare of a pile of bills that are (almost) past due. With so many contenders competing for top spot on our daily to-do list, it is no wonder that we end up feeling stressed and burned out.

To de-stress and rekindle the flame of enthusiasm for our professional and home lives, we need to learn to prioritize. While making the best use of our time and resources might seem like a tall order, prioritization is a skill we all can master a step at a time.

As this MindTools article points out, you can start prioritizing based on one of three factors:

Value or profitability - Whether it involves a sophisticated valuation or a subjective guess, this is one of the more common, and rational, approaches to prioritizing projects and tasks
Time constraints - This approach is useful when others are depending on you to complete a task, especially one that is key to an important project
Pressure to complete - Before prioritizing a task or project on this basis, you should consider just how realistic and legitimate the pressure is, regardless of its source

The P.O.S.E.C. method is another practical approach to prioritizing work-life tasks. At its core is the premise that we can better handle whatever comes our way if we first pay attention to our everyday, personal responsibilities. This informative post from project management expert Mark Phillips depicts the method's hierarchical guideline as follows:

Prioritize -Your time and define your tasks by goals.
Organize -Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (everyday administrative tasks, attendance/punctuality, workspaces)
Streamline -Things you may not like to do, but have to do (specific project-related tasks you are not keen on)
Economize -Things you should do, or may even like to do, but that are not pressingly urgent (working on projects you enjoy, longer term projects, personal development and learning new skills)
Contributing - By paying attention to the things that make a difference, but do not necessarily have an immediate measurable benefit (added detail, consideration or kindness)

One technique that works for me is at the end of each work day, I make a list of things that I want to accomplish on the next day. This simple activity makes me think about my 'priorities', and in the morning I am ready to attack my list.

We want to hear from you. If you have a practical and proven way of prioritizing, please comment on it here or at our Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Candie Harris