In the course of writing, we attempt to improve what we do and take the tedium out of it by utilizing tools that assist with the writing process. Clipboard managers work decisively to speed a long our writing, decrease errors and make the whole writing process just a little more enjoyable. In no way are they cheating or skirting good writing. That has to exist as a precursor to the writing process but there is nothing more valuable than a tool that types out words we repeatedly use, reduce mistakes and enhances flow.

The Clipboard was a Revolutionary Invention

When the clipboard capturing tool was created and deployed to assist with the writing process it was seen not just as a simple aid to enhance our flow but something which reduced errors, tedium and the overall flow in the writing process. Flow is essential to good writing. However, in order to have this, you have to be a good writer in the first place. There is no tool that will get around this first of requirements. A good writer can do without the tool, yet the tool just helps the writer write. It reduces exhaustion, enhances flow and simply makes the process at least a bit simpler by reducing errors, increasing output etc. Fortunately, for the Mac, there are a number of clipboard tools and as with anything some better than the others.

The Tools

I’m going to say, right up front, that not all tools are created equally. There really are just two sets of tools to concern ourselves with: the tools that are part of a larger application may be hampered a result. They are still better than nothing but they can also cause damage if you don’t handle them appropriately.

These tools can be add-ons to the primary purpose of the app so you basically are flying blind or close enough to it. They can be complex as they are part of a larger set full of issues specific to the app.

To put it bluntly, these apps will work but I much prefer the dedicated app for this function. If something isn’t right it’s easier to pinpoint the problem. Further, a dedicated app generally has a greater range of functions. Simply, you can do more with them.

Part of a larger Toolset

There are Clipboard Managers that are part of a larger toolset. The following are examples of these and may perfectly fit your needs:

• Lauchbar
• Alfred
• Keyboard Maestro
• Grammarian
• And I’m sure there are more

These products all work but their functionality is limited. If your limited in memory or your needs are relatively basic, these can all fill the bill fine. I particularly like Launchbar and Keyboard Maestro in the above set for providing an easy to use but very effective approach.

Clipboard Managers that are only Clipboard Managers

These are apps unto themselves. Although they range in functionality they all tend to go a step beyond the former clipboard managers. Some are, in fact, extremely robust.

The include such managers as:

• iClipboard
• CopyPaste Pro
• Copy’em Paste
• Copy Clip
• Etc (there are many clipboard managers yet the important thing is what they can do for you)

Of these I like iClipboard and Copy-em Paste. They tend to be a little more expensive than the others but provide a lot more functionality. However, if you already have something like Keyboard Maestro you might want to see if this can do the job for you.

Productivity Can be Improved via a Simple Utility

Simply by using a Clipboard Manager, be it one that is part of a toolset like Keyboard Maestro or a dedicated Clipboard Manager, you can improve your productivity. The key to doing this is to use it; to learn, remember and use your shortcuts to invoke the typing of a word or phrase or even fill in a form.

At first you need to spend some time getting onto this new routine, but the payback is rewarding as it reduces tedium, errors and gets your words out faster. Choose a manager that a suits you. If the first one feels awkward, find one that you enjoy using. This small investment in time and money comes with it positive benefits that can work for you for a long time.

Task managers and task management can be discussed for a very long time. One of the reasons for this is they are so integral to good productivity or getting things done. To be clear, most people these days have very busy lives even if they’re retired. Technology itself, once considered the holy grail of all that ills mankind is now showing itself for what it can be but doesn’t have to be; a great robber of time while adding a new, unique level of complexity to our lives.

This is not to say that we could turn back and abandon technology. It is now so embedded in societal function that the mere thought of even the Internet going down sends shivers through most. We have become very dependent on technology and for some you can liken it to an addiction with all the negative consequences that can stem from an addiction. Thus, technology has to be used properly and if it is adding complexity to our lives, there are fortunately technological methods to combat this.

Task management is merely one such method. Our brains were never designed to handle this mass of information that comes at us all the time from far too many corners. The result of this is confusion, memory impairment, forgetting, and the overall inability, in some cases, to complete a task (if you forget the task altogether or loose sight of it’s priority or many other such angles there is no question that the completion of the task will be zero to difficult at best). Task Managers though, only if used right, de-load us of much that is instilled upon us.

Task Management as Essential

For the purposes of this article and for future discussions, we will jump right to the assumption to be productive, in control or just to get on with it, we need some form of task management to assist. As David Allen says, we need that tool or system that we can trust to be our external brains and draw on that to assist in the management of getting things done.

The phrase “to get things done” has almost become an unfortunate cliche or at least it feels like a well, overused expression. However, like in math, some terms are to be considered a truism allowing us to move to different levels of understanding. So it is with just the nature of the world.

A Task Manager, in no way should be considered a panacea to enriched, healthy or successful function but unfortunately it is necessary as an aid to help manage the plethora of “stuff” we have to deal with. For some though that have a medical illness, cognitive dysfunction or something as severe as Alzheimer’s should in no way be expected to view this as their salvation to happiness. It could be helpful or just as damaging but as a general understanding Task Managers can help deal with what’s on our plates.

Cross Platform: a Liberating Reality

I.T. (information technology) is a relatively new thing. The first wave of the Information Technology Revolution began primarily just after the second world war. In a relatively short span of time we have seen the introduction of many methodologies for the management of information and tasks. I.T. has had the perennial carrot on a stick scenario in that there has always been a desire for liberated information to transcend physical boundaries.

What initially was a very complex scenario during the first wave of the I.T. revolution, started becoming a perceivable reality during the second wave, in which we are now whole-heartedly embedded.

The second wave of the I.T revolution began with the personalization of computer technologies and the serious limitations to solutions should systems continue to work as islands unto themselves. That is, as with any work, it often involved teams of people to solve the problem. That meant that people had to either work on one system that had the ability to share information or required the ability to work across platforms. The second of these scenarios is not only desirable but beneficial to outcomes as some people being individuals have preferences for the platforms they work on. They might have to work in the confines of the software solution relative to the team on a project but are free to work on the platform of their choice to tackle many things. This is far more desirable and liberating than any enforced “you must work on “xyz” system whether you like it or not.

Considering Four Task Management Systems that Cross boundaries to Some Level or Another

Ideally, cross platform is more than working within a companies ecosystem and crossing the differences between critical platforms. To be fair, if we look at Apple, transparent work between IOS and OSX systems is far better than not having this capability or a rudimentary capability. Apple has come a long way on this front and this is good news for the Apple die hard.

However, for our purposes cross platform can be this but it is also much more. It is the ability to go outside of Apple’s ecosystem and easily exchange the same information between systems. The two most important systems in this category are Android and Apple.

Yet, we can even take this a step further. BlackBerry 10 systems run Android applications and basically at native speeds. Now systems that are Apple to Android cross platform can also be considered BlackBerry 10 to Android to the Apple ecosystem as cross platform.

The one caveat that I shall make simply for the brevity of this article is that of the Windows ecosystem. However, with solutions such as Crossover, VMWare and Parallels Macs can run Windows apps,. The cross platform capability is not as clean as it is with Android as apps are actually coded to work with each other in their respective environments but the fact remains that we now see scenarios in which we are getting closer than ever to full cross platform.

There will always be some challenges to this yet the upside is so substantial that the likelihood this will not progress is slim to nil at best.

Users want cross platform. Companies want cross platform and for many a software developer they do too as it greatly expands their market with the added effect of pleasing many. Certainly there is a cost to doing this and I have heard some developers say there is no money to be made in Android but this doesn’t ring with reason. Why would there be as many Android apps as there are IOS apps if there is no money to be made. If companies and users want this and it retains their base due to its competitive nature how could it not be promising. I am not suggesting that a developer undertake such an endeavor if it is feasibly cost ineffective or not possible but this is highly unlikely. Such an argument serves Apple but it doesn’t serve the end user nor others in this wh0le paradigm.

As with many things, the reasons people want cross platform are multifaceted. As an example, Android phones are considered less expensive while being very customizable. For some if not many, this is important. The investment in learning and the outlay for the platform might already have been made and if it has the only reason an Android user might not fit into a primarily Apple group is the lack of cross platform. This only benefits Apple and not the user nor the company that would like to complete project as simply and cost effectively as possible.

The Task Management Systems to be Considered

In the balance of this article I’m going to consider some exceptional Task Management systems that are fully cross Platform, either within the Apple ecosystem (only one) or across Android and Apple (three).

There are many systems that can be chosen from but I find these to be some of the best that operate along the “Getting Things Done” model but in no case do you have to follow this verbatim. They are flexible tools that have a good track record and often the choice as to which one is a personal decision based on style and the way you like to work.

Todoist

This is probably one of the most successful cross platform apps with over 6 million users. It runs on almost everything and looks identical one platform to the next. This is important from a learning and flow perspective. It is an easy to use, highly flexible system. If there is one thing I think is missing is a start date followed by the due date. Otherwise, this is a very complete system with:

• projects
• tasks
• indented subtasks
• priorities
• reminders
• contexts
• unlimited notations
• etc

It is easy to figure out and with a bit of playing you discover the more advanced features available. The programs, if they maintain kept views based on simple searches, is especially handy. Checkout your tasks by:

• project
• timeframes
• priorities
• dates
• words and phrases
• Etc

These views makes it very easy to grasp what you need to do without getting overwhelmed by looking at hundreds of tasks. There is a quick swipe method for deferring your due dates and completing the tasks making for a very friendly system.

Alain Latour wrote a very interesting article on why he chose Todoist after Things as his system of choice. In this article “Things vs. Todoist, Or Why I Abandoned an Old Favorite GTD App of Mine” Alain discusses the reasons why he decided that Todoist would be his new application of choice and it very much had to do with ease of use and frequent updates to the program. It is well worth giving Alain’s article a detailed read if you want to know more about the ins and outs of Todoist and his decision.

Fredericco Vitucci is another who spent time with Todoist and was a quick fan. In his article ‘Why I Left iCloud Reminders for Todoist” he discusses again the advantages the package brought him, again another article well worth reading. However, Vitucci moves on to 2do one on my favourite cross platform systems and this is next in our list of high quality, cross platform apps to look at.

2do

2do has been around since 2009 and then it was considered advanced in its approach. Today however, the system is as robust as they come and is laden with features. At first glance, this system can appear somewhat complex with all its options but it quickly grows on you as something that can work for your specific style. It can be GTD or whatever you want it to be.

This system, like Todoist, is fully cross platform with just as robust an Android app that looks and operates the same as the IOS apps making it highly fluid with a great deal of flow. The app can provide Lists, Projects, Tasks and Subtasks along with Checklists providing one of the most rounded out applications on the market. If you want this app to curtail itself to GTD principles, it is more than capable. However, it can work the way you like working being very effective at helping you remember what has to be.

The app also has an easy to use yet powerful smart lists feature which is simply a search that is then saved as a smart list. You might create a Smartlist that shows you the next three days of work while another might just show you what needs to be done right now. The flexibility and capability of this program exceeds the scope of this article. At this point I’d like to refer you to Fredericco Vittuci’s article on why he switched to 2do and what keeps him with it.

In his article “Why 2Do Is My New Favorite iOS Task Manager” Fredericco Vitucci explains how 2do met his needs. Although it has nothing to with the cross platform nature of the product he demonstrates how powerful 2do is as a task manager; the versatility of the product a long with its scope.

2do as a Rich Cross Platform Solution

The trend to cross platform is happening at an ever faster rate. Cloud services is making this possible and the demand by companies and more and more individuals is proving to be substantive. Further though, the technologies are up to par to make this reality a reality. The train has well left the station and there is no turning it back. There is no reason to turn it back and every reason to continue to see this move forward.

2do is probably one of the best full featured task management systems. It is powerful, easy to use, flexible and substantive to the degree you sometimes wonder did they include the kitchen sink in this package. At one time, this app did not have much of a name but I would say that has clearly changed or most certainly is changing.

The Hit List

This program has had its ups and downs. It is only cross platform within the Apple ecosystem but I include it here as it is one of the better, less talked about programs these days than is warranted. Much like the two presented before this, the program is a charm to work with. Looking at Omnifocus and the Hit List I’ll take the Hit List any day.

The Hit List Provides a great interface on the Mac, iPhone and iPad. It is a GTD program but at no time do you feel you have to write a task for everything you do or would like to do. Since it has a rich yet easy to use interface, you could go crazy creating tasks but in no way does the program make you feel this is necessary. On all platforms it is a logical, well thought out system providing consistency of function which enhances flow. This is one of my favorite programs. In fact, all of the programs I’m writing about are really on my favorite list.

Along with all the basics you’d expect in a well written GTD application, the Hit List provides Smart Lists which are really that as they are so easy to put together. Use Smart Lists in all these programs to quickly get a variety of views on the stuff you have to do and although you’ll probably find yourself migrating to your favorite smart lists all the time, there are those times when a smart list you rarely use will still save a lot of time as you orient to what is essential at any point.

The desktop program goes one step further in that it has tabs which hold different views of your data and all you need do is click just such a tab to be immediately whisked to a view you need. In fact, jumping back and forth for comparative views of your tasks adds to your perspective of what needs to be done.

I won’t say anymore about this program other than to conclude if you don’t need to cross boundaries to Android as an example, you’ll be well served with the Hit List.

Chaos Control

I decided to throw Chaos Control into this list of programs to be considered for your task management as it’s part of a new breed of software that is popping up that is fully cross platform, is very cost effective (this stuff is starting to get rather expensive) and allows you to create your Goals, Projects, Contexts and Tasks ever so easily. What’s interesting about this program is there are aspects to it that are very simple and easily understood while there are other aspects of the IOS apps which look awful while at the same time the Android version is a gem to look at.

Mind you, this program was only released at the beginning of this year and I would expect no less than a lot of room for improvement. As an example, you could be looking at a view and shuffle the way you’re looking at your tasks in one way and easily switch to another view by dragging and dropping a task to a different position. Yet, as I say that, does the program automate much around view creation and those reference views that, in the other programs will become so essential as you evolve your thoughts while Chaos Control can drive you a bit crazy.

Yet, your data spans OSX, IOS, Android and Windows and for that matter Blackberry due to couple of neat tricks BlackBerry 10 does in and of itself. This is not a glamorous looking program but rather is fairly plain Jane but one that can make you feel in control.

Principle Concepts

Once again, Chaos Control is a GTD app with all the fundamentals to support that. However, you sometimes wonder where’s this kind of list or why can’t I just get this view automatically. Is there anything to say this can’t come with time. No! So how does it compete against the big boys. Partly because you can see how the program can be improved and partly because of their guiding light design philosophy.

As I said, Chaos Control is a GTD program with a slight spin they put on it. When you look at the “Chaos Box” this is the inbox so why this name. Chaos Control starts with the principle we have goals that we would like to reach and accomplish. The only way to do that though is by doing so we have tasks that will take us through the steps of getting there and like any good GTDr we create a project around more than one task. Some of our projects may be more direct in getting us to our goals and some not so. However, we often have to get stuff done even “if” it doesn’t appear to be taking us “directly to our goals”.

Design Principle as Differentiator”

I feel that it is this design principle, not necessarily spelled out with other programs, that is Chaos Control’s major differentiator. There is nothing in the books that says anyone of our other products can’t get us to our goals. However, if this isn’t spelled out well it will affect the way a program is implemented.

As an example, it is not unusual to see in GTD this concept of a brain dump. Here we dump all the contents of our brains; all the stuff we need to do to get to where want to go (e.g. Stay alive as an example). Yet, if we add in our desires for what we want to accomplish (goals) we only add to our focus of what needs to get done or not.

I’ve seen situations wherein someone using Omnifocus, as an example, goes so far as to create tasks for everything they do. There’s a point where this gets a touch insane not reducing chaos in our lives but enhancing that chaos. In this situation, we quickly need to bring focus before we go batty. If that something is one of our goals for our lives, this becomes a powerful delineator of what we need to do.

I think the chaos box is simply more than an inbox because although an inbox is supposed to weed out the important from the unimportant, the chaos box spells this out right up front. As we reduce chaos we’ll have more time for that which we might want more time for; family, pleasure activities, self-improvement and delivering a project on time at work just to name a few.

Can’t Go Wrong Todoist or 2Do

Assisting your efforts with a Task Manager is a wise thing. You really can’t go wrong using a product that suits you. There really isn’t a best task manager as long as what you’re using works for you.

The two though that I prefer of this set is Todoist or 2Do as I am fully cross platform. Let’s assume for arguments sake though that I only existed within the Apple ecosystem. If this were the case The Hit List might be and probably would be my system of choice. It could be but I need my system to be able to go with me to remind of what needs doing.

Finally, one last option I would have but not by any measure to do with the Omnigroup is Omnifocus. This is solely because a third party fellow made available a tool called FocusGTD which would allow me to carry my reminders with me.

As you can see, Cross Platform is becoming a highly viable option and one that holds benefits today as well as tomorrow. The key to these programs is just using them but not getting carried away with them.

HTC has announced a new phone, called the HTC Bolt, which is an exclusive to Sprint for now. This phone is not destined for Canada though.

Compared to the Pixel from Google

The phone itself is being compared to the Pixel something which HTC helped Google with. The major thing about the phone though is it too has done away with the traditional audio jack.

This does seem like an evolving trend. For many though, there remains a great choice of phones that still carry the headphone jack such as the iPhone 6s, HTC 10 and A9 and a slew of other Android phones .

Doing away with the Jack still Remains a Headache

For those well vested in expensive, corded headsets such as the Bose series, a series of headsets with cord is hard to ignore due to the extreme high quality. The jack remains irrefutably king of the hill. It must be remembered that the Bluetooth standard was not designed to carry high quality, impeccable audio.

Thus, the lack of a jack and the need for an adapter remains a great nuisance. It’s so easy to head out of your house, headphones in toe while the adapter gets forgotten at home.

Price

There is simply little question that a pair of Bose headphone priced at $129 to $149 will outperform those very premiere $300 Bose headsets. Yes, the wires are annoying but there remains nothing more annoying than to not be able to listen to inferior sound on your shiny new device with headphone adapter forgotten at home.

This video titled “Meet the HTC Bolt” is from TechnoBuffalo and can be found at https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IGe88ICWQ8

Blackberry has been testing the market for a while now to find if it can regain a foothold in handsets. It is commonly accepted that their misinterpretation of the effect the iPhone would have put BlackBerry in this position. It is also well understood that they mistimed the market over and over again and came out with handsets not on the money after all was said an done. These misteps almost knocked BlackBerry off the map.

Redefining their Mold around Software

As a result of continuous losses on the handset front BlackBerry has redefined its mold around software and most specifically security software. This has been working for them as they are seen as security leaders and this ia a tough business to be in. It isn’t simple nor inexpensive to define good security software.

Although BlackBerry said they were Out of the Handset Market Are They?

As BlackBerry was redefining themselves and telling the world they were no longer in the handset business they at the same time left the door marginally open. They outsourced the BlackBerry name for handsets while at the same time they kept their foot in the door. Somewhere in all of this, it would appear that the bb10 OS would remain with BlackBerry.

Regardless, their new software strategy seems to taking hold. They are defining themselves as world class leaders when it comes to security, no small feat.

The Handset Business and the DTEK Line

Coincidentally, as the company was withdrawing from the handset market they were seeing signs that their new DTEK line was catching on. Of all the models BlackBerry has produced in recent times, these are the only ones that seem to provide a nice look, good specs at a relatively aggressive price. To top it off, these phones come laden with the famous BlackBerry security something which everyone is looking at more seriously these days.

Might BlackBerry make a Renewed Push with their DTEK’s

Anything is possible and I don’t feel BlackBerry has lost the zeal for a strong handset presence. However, the time has arrived for the missteps to become, at least to a degree, a thing of the past. Let’s say it is the DTEK design that is showing signs of fortitude. BlackBerry instead of spreading itself thin, as it currently is, with all these models, needs to focus one or two models that shows promise.

The DTEK might be either that entity or the beginnings of that entity. They would be wise to cut themselves off from all the losers and focus on what might become a winner. In some ways, whether it is bb10 or Android, both run Android. bb10 runs Android apps very proficiently so you could have a scenario that would be better served by bb10 and another Android but with BlackBerry’s quintessential hallmark for security. Security on the phone is going to become ever the more important as there is so much that can be lost through an insecure system.

The Rising Need for Security might be BlackBerry’s Salvation

Security is only going to become more important as we shop online and really do so many things online. Without security, we are exposed to minor to catastrophic outcomes should someone get their hands on information that only belongs in ours.

As BlackBerry shows the way on this front, they could have a real winner where it comes to software. However, if say the DTEK line were a winning line with consumers, that combined with robust security could see them back in the handset business.

The speed with which this stuff changes is important. It’s probably wise to keep eyes and ears on BlackBerry. Their days of being dressed down and out on a limb might be coming to an end. This is good for an industry that sees its competition having really dwindled to IOS and Android. It doesn’t hurt to have a little more diversified competition especially when the stakes are high and the price of our gadgets keeps inching upwards.

This was not an easy decision. In the end, I was very torn between TODOist and 2Do. I was looking for a cross platform, task management system that could meet my needs to follow GTD (Getting Things Done) generally, was very robust and yet easy as opposed to overwhelming. TODOist is actually probably the overall easiest of the two but 2Do is probably the more robust.

The Hit List, which is one of my favourites, had to be ruled out as it only works IOS and although I need that I need my system to work with Android. Otherwise, this would have been an extremely hard decision and I might have chosen the Hit List if Android wasn’t as important as it is.

Omnifocus was ruled out quickly also. Even though there is a third party app in the Google Play store that runs on Android and syncs with Omnifocus, Omnifocus is one of those apps that can quickly overwhelm you with projects and tasks. Even though I believe it to be a good system, I was looking for something with power and flexibility that just got the job done.

One other thing you have to consider when working with a third party app connecting to the main app is whether it’s there for the long haul. If the Omni isn’t interested in ensuring their customers are happy except if they run Apple, this is not a company for me.

TODOist

As I said, I was really torn between this app and 2Do. They are both very powerful applications that can easily follow the rules of GTD. Todoist’s advantage, at least for me, was it’s simplicity and slightly more familiar GTD look.

It supports projects, tasks, contexts and all the other paraphernalia one expects in a good GTD application. It’s easy to set up smart lists for a variety of views that makes dealing with your information very manageable. And most of all, it runs identically in all environments.

There is a couple of last very cool features that is both functional and saves you the trouble of manually doing it. If you have a due date that is before today, what you might want to do is refresh the due date. All of this can be done in a batch mode and your new due date doesn’t fall before today but after. This is extremely handy and makes for fast housekeeping.

One more very cool feature that Todoist shares in common with today is the ability to enter an activity anywhere on your handheld. This is a real time save. No longer do you have to search for the program. Just swipe down from the top and about the last entry is a tab to create a new entry. Time savings like these make TODOist highly desirable.

2Do

In the end I settle on 2Do but as I mentioned this was not an easy decision. I could see one settling on TODOist for it’s simplicity yet power and the cohesiveness of the application. It has a clean, simple user interface which makes working program all the less confusing and ensuring the accuracy of what you need to do.

Considering 2Do, I once described 2Do as a powerhouse of an application that throws in the kitchen sink for good measure. It is a highly flexible with a boatload of options helping you manage projects fully and though at first it seems overwhelming once you’re onto it, the program is completely full featured. Once you’re onto the program it is relatively easy to use.

Probably the Best Cross Platform Task Management System

Although 2Do at one time made a big fuss about not being a GTD program per se, they have actually done a couple of things to at least say we are a GTD program. Their indicator in settings for a default folder can be the inbox, something integral to GTD.

As I initially said, my requirements for a task management program span a number of areas but at a minimum it has to be GTD capable. I simply view things this way as currently I think it’s the best model for Getting Things Done. David Allen himself I would suspect supports this program as he is big on the inbox, fluidity or flow, lists, tasks in lists and more than one task related is part of a project. 2Do is all these things.

Many programs, including Todoist, see a project as an envelope for the set of tasks that make it a GTD task manager. The lists would contain tasks and as I mentioned if the lists have two or more related items, they are suddenly part of a project.

In 2Do, anything can be turned into a project but it makes no sense to have one task a project. Rather, I call it just a One Step List that contains one task to accomplish your goal. The idea is, at the end of the day, you want to bring your inbox to zero and this can be done in 2Do extremely well.

In fact, when you look at all the above requirements of a task manager to be a system 2Do covers off all the bases.

2Do’s Structure Goes Beyond

2Do’s structure is a little unique and goes beyond that of most of the other programs. 2Do doesn’t have anything called contexts per se so you can make tags your contexts and also additional tags. Create a set of tags that are your traditional contexts. However, don’t stop there. Continue to use tags to isolate important cross information about the project. What this is doing is expanding your views of what’s been done and still needs doing

Lists

Lists are exactly that: lists. Lists can be used in more than one way and you can have any number of lists but I strictly use lists as my contexts. My tags are free to relate cross information. My lists are my contexts such as Personal, Work, Computer, Financial etc. These I keep stagnant but you could take lists another step by separating them into group lists.

Lists in this other step could be variable and when done with archived. I tend not to do this with my lists. Lists came about in this way as the company, Beehive, was working to incorporate GTD. For some, this extra level of list control is probably valuable but I prefer to define my lists strictly as contexts in 2Do.

Smart Lists: the Powerhouse of Views

Smart Lists follow their name. Based on search criteria, a Smart List is simply made up of varying items to get at an answer and thus provides fast, reusable and very powerful views. Say you want to see everything due for the next 3 days; no problem. Say you want to see all your active projects; again no problem. Let’s say you want to see all your active projects by context for whatever period of time; voila your search leads to an outcome and you just save it to be applied over and over again making it a Smartlist.

Viewing your Data is What it’s all About

The goal of task management is ultimately to help you get things done. To do this means you absolutely have to have balance between what you’re writing to get done and getting it done.

I saw some people get very carried away with writing out tasks for sometimes the most trivial stuff so that eventually they were presented with a ream of projects and tasks and they either had no time to do them or they were overwhelmed by all they had to do.

In the David Allen model he discusses the idea of a weekly review in which you take stock of what you’ve done. This is a good idea as if all you’re doing is writing out todo’s, in reality you’re not getting anything done. The faster this is pointed out, the better.

The Brain Dump

David Allen talks very early on about doing a brain dump into what he calls your trusted system. He does not believe the brain can handle much more than 8 concurrent items. We are going inclined forget a lot.

To avoid this, he fully believes that everything you need to do you get out in lists on paper. In paper, in theory, at the very beginning as you’re getting onto GTD this is probably not a bad exercize. However, this is where we part ways. I still think it’s important to write down those critical items you might forget. Further, adding structure to getting these things done isn’t a bad idea. However, if you habitually do this brain dump or write down everything involved as a task in a project (e.g. Brushing your teeth) you will have caught yourself in a very deadly trap. You’ll never get anything done till the boss starts to yell where is such and such.

The Brain Dump in it’s Place

The idea of a brain dump takes away from the power of our brains provided we don’t have an organic disease. You inevitably want your system of choice to help you get stuff done. If you are so overwhelmed by activities from the system, you won’t get anything done. A fine balance needs to be drawn between what you do just because you’ve thought of it and remembered it and those items you might not remember. In fact, even with those items you may remember, you might want to throw them in for the structure they provide around getting your project done.

However, avoid the trap of a constant brain dump. Every day write down what’s important to get done, when and how. Don’t overwhelm yourself. You can be very effective if you win the 100 million dollar system sale but not ineffective because you lost 10 ten thousand dollar system sales. It’s a matter of priority.

However, just to be clear, I think the idea of a very quick weekly and even a daily review of what has been accomplished is a good thing. It is a feedback mechanism that allows you to modify your approach if necessary. You will quickly see the pitfalls of one approach over another and that which is more effective to most effective.

2Do Gets at What’s s Important at Various Levels

2Do was an application designed to not follow a methodological paradigm. It was developed with the idea of what works best for you.

The addition of the GTD paradigm is a welcome addition as I believe a well worked out paradigm or model helps with the way you organize information. That’s why they say 2Do can be whatever you want it to be.

If you want to take a fast a simplistic approach to your tasks, no problem. However, if you want to apply the kitchen sink, that’s no problem either. There are times where you just need a simple reminder to a much more sophisticated task management approach.

Personally, I like GTD in moderation. That is, I like the structure that it brings to my endeavours but I won’t let it become the b all and end all. It is a tool. It is merely a means to an end if it’s done well.

Compared to the GTD only Systems

As I mentioned, the choice between TODOist and 2Do was a hard one. They both bring a lot to the table so I would say what works for you best is the one to go with. TODOist can be more straightforward, on the one hand but demand more as a GTD program.

2Do is a program that can be much more yet it can just be a simple reminders based task system. This demonstrates it’s flexibility. To get on to all aspects of 2Do can be a bit daunting and time consuming but you can also pick it up and begggg running with it in minutes.

2Do will meld to your way of working with all the horsepower you need to make that happen. You will eventually find your best way of working with the program and if done with conscious awareness of your style, methods and what works for you best provided there is some application of discipline 2Do will do it for you.

Task Management as a Freeing, Liberating Tool to Get things Done

The one thing I love about David Allen’s “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” is the latter part of the title. There needs to be a benefit to the model and I feel “The Art of Stress-Free Productivity“ so very well says it. Done properly, overall the method is meant to free us up to do other things such as leisure, more work, student studies etc.

By taking control of our process to enable ourselves to get things done, we feel less out of control and defined in our trusted system that it will enable or help us get our work done or whatever that may be. This taking control, not in a psychiatrically obsessed way but in a way we know that it will happen reduces dramatically stress.

Don’t get me wrong. Things don’t necessarily go according to plan. Life isn’t like that. Yet, to the degree we can adjust to life’s variances or apply a model up front to aid us, we will feel that what would feel impossible feels possible. This in and of itself manages the process so that you end up with more free time on your hands and hopefully managing a set of tasks so that they meet your desired outcome.

The Task Manager you Employ is only as good as that which works For You

One reason I had difficulty deciding between TODOist and 2Do is that both work very well for me. If I just worked with IOS, then the Hit List would have fit right in there. The challenge that is faced is ultimately picking.

Some go through a good period of time trying this task manager and that hoping their is some perfect system at the end of the day. Such does not exist. What does exist is something that works better for you than that for someone else.

Omnifocus might work extremely well for the project/task obsessed individual but work terribly for someone that finds this too overwhelming in it’s outputs. The key then is to choose even if they seem close and you think you might do better with the other and on it goes.

The faster you’re able to deploy what is the best for you with it’s supposed deficiencies the more proficient you will get; applying a methodology to your task oriented approach. Ultimately you will you will get things done faster and have more of that free time to yourself as you do.

New task managers that follow the Chaos Control model are beginning to turn up. They tend to be cross platform, GTD in orientation and often are starting on the Android side of the house and migrating to Apple. Nirvana and Chaos Control come immediately to mind.

Chaos Control

I thought I’d start my foray into task management as it stands these days by first looking at Chaos Control. GTD applications do not need to be complex to be effective and Chaos Control is a good example of a simpler application that can be very effective. Of course, there are some things to be desired about the application but overall it follows the GTD methodology simply. The other benefit of simple is its fast; fast to enter material and fast to look at what you’ve got. I am not saying this is my perfect application but it certainly has a lot that we can learn from it.

Cross Platform

The key that makes this a viable application for me is it is cross platform. Since I have Apple everything except my phone, which is an HTC m10, my apps need to be cross platform. Not every app that is but those I see as critical.

Chaos Control runs on everything. It has a very nice looking Android client, a nice Mac client but I’m not keen on the IOS clients visually. There is also a Windows client and Blackberry can run it as a Android app. This is a majorly, cross platform system. That makes it nice as you can use it with anything pretty well anywhere.

Architecture Simplified

At the end of this article, I will include a link to a video I did on Chaos Control which might help fill in some of the blanks I’m going to leave here. As I said, Chaos Control is a very simple yet effective app. Architecturally, it operates like this following the Get in Done methodology.

We have, in life, goals at the top most level which we’d like to get to. To do that we carry activities or tasks which make up a project and as we complete our projects they move us closer to the goal. Along with tasks we have contexts within the tasks which should be utilized to work most effectively. Contexts are the what, who and where about things. Combining contexts that relate allow us to get things done more efficiently as we might be able to do a few within the scope of one context.

Completion

Finally, having carried out all our tasks within the framework outlined. Inevitably we get things done and if our model is correct it should lead us a long the path of enjoying the fruits of our labour.

Chaos Control is still in its early days of development and looks rough around the edges but I have proved time and again that the application of this tool leads or helps me get things done without overwhelming me with tasks and complexity.

Further, the system, simply due to its design makes entering items very quick. Thus from the standpoint of simplicity, ease of use and speed of entry, you can accomplish your tasks, big or small relatively quickly.

Final Thoughts

Chaos Control is not going to be for everyone. It’s not a pretty looking app say the way OmniFocus is. However, is it effective. I would say very as you’re not distracted by the complexity (how do I get this to do that) instead of just writing down what needs to get done and then getting to it.

There are complex apps that can seem simple after much use just due to experience. One has to wonder though if it is anymore effective than say you’re Chaos Control. It depends on what the app leads you to. In many ways, a simpler app like Chaos Control can be more effective as it allows you to get things done directly.

On the other hand, an app like 2do is more complex as it includes so much functionality you can easily get lost in all that functionality. Yet, it too has a design that can be as simple as you want it but you can extract more views of your data. Those extra views might allow you to come to a different conclusion in getting something done which could be a major benefit as it as it could be a sounder solution.

At the end of the day, only you can decide on what you like the best and what works for you more clearly. The most important thing though in Getting Things Done is having a model, a good tool to implement the model with and which works for you the easiest and the results.

Does this move you towards your goals faster. One goal could be to live a balanced life where work and downtime are equally as important. Some task management apps can put so much overhead into managing the task management app itself that you take longer, if you ever do, arrive at your stated goal. Complexity does not equal success. No matter how you do it, if you get to your goal, you’ve been successful.

Google's Notes is basically the new kid on the block. However, it has a lot to like about it. It is fully cross platform and very easy to work with. There are Notes programs popping up everywhere but Notes (the category), in a way, is where it's at. The idea of getting your ideas down sometimes as fast as they come to you can be very beneficial as you look over material and decide it needs working on.

There are Many Styles of Note Taking Programs

You might have one kind of notes program, such as an outliner like “Outline” or NoteSmartly but this doesn't preclude the need to use a slightly more traditional note taker. As an example, you might tend to use Google's Notes to grab quick ideas or information relevant to something you're working but use Outliner or Microsoft Notes to Outline the structure of an article. In reality, a number of tools can come together to create that article, novella or Novel.

Evernote is the Big Name in Town

For Notetaking, Evernote has become the major platform by which everything is measured. I'm not sure why that is as one style of note-taker can have a certain strengths whereas another style has a completely different angle. Yet, both maybe needed.

Notes by Google resides in the menu bar. They generally consist of two side by rows of cards that expand out to allow you to jot down a variety of information, label the card so that you can group notes with a common theme together (takes the place of folders or subnotebooks and provide methods of apply tasks, colours etc.) and potentially come up with a new idea (which is the building of knowledge. Such knowledge is what allows us to reach our goals and progress forward.

Personally, of the general Notetakers, this is my favourite. It is fast but extremely intuitive. You can jot a bundle of notes to yourself around anything and label them so that they even form the makeup of a project. Memory wise they are efficient and the angle of tagging or labeling to group common notes together is fantastic. Search is fast and it’s almost so enjoyable to write your notes you write them just to write them. This shouldn’t preclude that you need to apply discipline so that you don’t have a jumble of uninformative cards of information.

An Evernote Replacement

I like Evernote. I don’t like the pricing structure. If Evernote didn’t have all the historical data it has, I wouldn’t have a problem giving up the program for Google Notes as I think it is that good. Getting your information from anywhere is more than handy but also the retrieval of something you want to read, research etc is superbe. I do foresee a day, in the not too distant future, where I’ll be retiring Evernote. I don’t like locked in a program and much prefer tranportable information regardless of where it lies.

Evernote may have made a big mistake with their new pricing model. It’s expensive and with so many going down this subscription paved road, when you start adding it all up the subscription based model can be very expensive.

Google Notes deals effectively with the Swamp without being in It

This program is a fast, clean and intuitive and provides all the power you need to store anything you’d like, make connections and track the progress you’re making on a project. Used in conjunction with your task management tools and any other tools you like using as part of a GTD exercise, it is a solid component as the storage or bucket area for your activities. Getting things done requires a good note taking repository or DB. Notes for Google is an exceptional tool to be used in this endeavour and will definitely enhance your overall productivity.

Although in a previous article I chose 2do as my Task Manager of choice, the major overriding factor for this is its cross platform capability. It has other very attractive qualities but there’s another task manager I like as long as you can just live in the Apple ecosystem and that is the Hit List.

The Hit List used to belong to what I refer to as the original GTD programs which were made up of:

• Omnifocus
• Things
• The Hit List

Although the Hit List was very successful on release, it fell into obscurity. Development ceased for a period and the iPad product, which everyone was looking for, only happened when Karelia bought the company.

The Author

The author of the Hit List seemed to drop from the scene for about two years throwing the program into this state of obscurity. People who had the Hit List were annoyed as the iPad version, which was scheduled to come out any day, seemed to wait forever. In fact, the problem only rectified when Karelia bought the Hit List.

Renewed Focus

With Karelia absorbing the Hit List, renewed focus seemed to occur in which the application came alive again. An iPad version first appeared and then an updated iPhone program emerged. They don’t have any plans to put the program on Android, an unfortunate thing to be sure but for those contented to just use it in the Apple ecosystem, it is an excellent program.

The layout of the program is very logical, intuitive and it can be fully keyboard driven making it fast if you decide to get onto that. To be sure, the Hit List is an excellent system and with this renewed focus it is now well rounded out to be a full scale, efficient and effective task manager.

Benefits over it’s Competition

The Hit List’s prime benefit would be in its quick, logical, intuitive functioning. Since it can be fully a keyboard driven app you don’t have to take your hands off of the keyboard. At first this might feel awkward until you suddenly become keyboard proficient and find yourself saving tons of time.

The application on the iPhone/Touch and iPad are extremely consistent all with each other making for an easy learning curve. It’s fast, on any of these environments, to enter a task or project and easily follow along with how things are going. The Hit List also supports fully nested tasks thus again adding to the logic.

Compared to say OmniFocus, which is discrepant between the apps and therefore hard to carry over your learning experience in anyone environment, the Hit List naturally just supports this. Once you get onto something in one environment it will likely operate the same as or similarly to the other apps. This not only speeds up learning but it speeds up a veteran user’s operation of the product.

Other Aspects

This is not the only thing that would allow the Hit List to stand out from the crowd. It supports:

• start and end dates
• Priorities up to 9 levels
• Free fast sync
• Data manipulation – full drag and drop say to a new due date, project or context
• Powerful smart lists similar to Omnifocus’ views but just easier to implement and understand
• Manual manipulation of the data is a breeze
• And more

It’s a shame that the two year hiatus of this product took it off people’s radar. Like anything, the Hit List is not necessarily for everyone but by far I would be extremely comfortable recommending the product to the non-die hard task manager oriented person as I would to a die hard who lives and breathes his task manager.

The one other thing that is problematic is it only supports the Apple environment but so too does OmniFocus and Things. This is yesterday’s approach to the world and newer products or products such as 2do, Todo etc with a rich heritage from the Apple environment have found themselves well camped out in this heterogenous environment.

In Conclusion, the Best Product for the Mac Environment Solely

If you are working solely in the homogenous environment of the Apple ecosystem, this would be my primary recommended product. Working with The Hit List you will be up to speed in no time. Delving into the product is easy to take advantages of its more powerful and unique functions.

2do remains my product of choice for a heterogenous Android/IOS environment though OmniFocus with Burger’s third party app for Android would make OmniFocus my second product of choice, for the Mac solely, simply because the app addresses a variety of needs in an underlying powerful system that meets a high degree of needs yet in a very approachable package.

OmniFocus, though a powerful app, is really intended or works best for the power user that can spend the time exploring the product and learning how to get at the meat. The Hit List is simply more approachable and thus easier to learn yet you can still take away from it incredible views due to the underlying power of the system.

There’s now a lot of great software in the heterogenous world of the Mac and Task Management but this deserves it’s own specific review. Simply said, for the purposes of task management designed solely for the Mac you can’t go wrong with The Hit List.

There’s an abundance of notes apps for the various platforms we use. Evernote though has a lot of people’s mindset due to it’s flexibility, reliability and Omnipresence. However, with its new pricing scheme, it is useful to look at options in case replacement is one of the words that comes to mind when they think of Evernote.

Microsoft’s OneNote of course Immediately comes to Mind

If you think about alternative notes approaches you might of course think of the other major Notes program that pops to mind which is Microsoft’s OneNotes. This is a very good program, but I would suggest it has a different use set than that of Evernote. It is a fantastic Outliner or Outliner wherein you can also write standard Notes.

For the purposes of this article though I wanted something more like Evernote from a theoretical perspective. In Evernote you have the standard Notebooks within the program that can have sub notebooks and then notes themselves. A program that works very similar to this, I think at least theoretically, is Nimbus Notes.

Nimbus Notes Structural View

Nimbus Notes, although it uses a subscription based model to operate, is less expensive than Evernote and as Omnipresent (here I’m referring to the variety of platforms you can run the program from such as Android, Windows, IOS and macOS).

Conceptually, you have within Nimbus Notes folders and subfolders in which you have your notes as they relate to the folder’s structure. It is a very easy program both to grasp and use and it works well.

Nimbus Notes is a fully cross platform system allowing users of all platform types to participate. It doesn’t have a native app for macOS but this can be dealt with using programs such as web2app which takes the web based app and makes it a native app. This isn’t a bad solution at all. However, the native macOS would be desirable especially if the app needs to draw on macOS components. Be that as it may, web2app (Android version) gives you the feel of a native program something which cannot be underestimated.

Hierarchical View

Nimbus Notes is not an outlining program like that of OneNote. Rather, it is an
Hierarchical View based Notes system. As an example, at the top level of an area such as Financial, all notes relating to this could be kept at this level but it soon starts feeling unwieldy. To deal with that, you have notes in the chain sub-divided into say Stocks and this in itself might have a couple folders relating stocks such as your number shares, value etc.

At a point, there is no need to go further with creating more notes to go in a folder as this representation can be accomplished with tags. As an example, you have in a subfolder described as Shares the number of shares and share value. To delineate a note that relates to the sale of a certain number of shares you have tags to deal with this aspect such as Buy, Sell, Portfolio Value and on it can go.

One has to be careful here in that the delineation makes the thing we’re looking at clearer rather than unwieldy. This though is based on one’s nature in terms of how much control you want to bring to bear over the area. Some can be very loose in terms of structure whereas others prefer more structure than not enough for them.

Full Fledged System

Nimbus Notes is a program that can be very much like Evernote. You can attach things, such as images to the notes or whatever you want to. You could have a folder related to receipts and that folder relates to the expenses folder with an explanation as to why such an expenditure is being undertaken. At this particular point in time, for most it is easy to remember why some were categorized in a certain fashion or why you bought say a Stereo. It is down the road, when we’re trying to understand if we did something and then the “why” of doing that programs like Nimbus really payoff. To some it might look like you’re being overly methodical but in hindsight the payoff is enormous as an explanation for the action reveals itself.

Cross Platform Team User’s Delight

Previously, I alluded to one of the most important aspects of Nimbus Notes. The program is fully Cross Platform. It basically runs on everything applying its power equally.

This is important especially in that a team, that uses a variety of platforms and wants to keep their notes combined together can do so easily. Nimbus looks identical from one platform to the next supporting equal functionality in each environment. The end result is enhanced productivity as each user can use the platform they prefer and in which they are likely the most efficient.

Nimbus Represents the High End of the Spectrum

There are a plethora of notes platforms from the very simple (jot it down as a reminder) to the more complex (have a research database of information). Nimbus sits at the high end of this spectrum. It is able to support both notes generated out of a Multiplatform environment and sophisticated pieces of information from PDF’s with attachments that can be annotated (done outside of Nimbus in a PDF program).

The notes can be related to each other where information needs to be cross referenced. Yet, a very simple note can be part of the mix. This is a very flexible program that can meet a range of needs. At times, all that is required is the very simple type note but it’s nice when your note-taker can handle the more complex style of notes. This prevents having to have too many applications on board. If Nimbus were difficult to use, a mixture of platforms might make sense. However, since this is a very easy yet versatile system, such a mixture isn’t necessary. Whether you have a good IT team to put your system together or not, doing it yourself is easy. Nimbus Notes is a solid solution, and can easily compete with the Evernote. If you need something with Outlining capabilities, look at Gorillized’s Outline with Microsoft’s OneNote or NoteTaker. Knowing your options based on your requirements can only prove beneficial.

It’s a long time we’ve been happy with jacked headphones. The thinking is the jack is around 70 years old. However, the Smartphone is driving the move away from the jack. It really is just a part of our technological evolution.

Driving Forces

Rather than saying Driving Forces behind the development there really is one primary driving force. Smartphone manufacturers are under increasing pressure to provide more and more functionality in a sleek, slim and Uber stylish phone.

Two things are happening that are allowing this and will allow it to continue. The first is the technologies going into the phone are becoming smaller yet with more power all the time. This allows a manufacturer to find space to put in more technology and continue driving advancement without the loss of your stylish phone.

However, as much as there is miniaturisation, it isn’t quite happening as fast as is needed. To deal with this the manufacturer is looking at the phone to find space. The removal of the jack is simply to increase available space for more advanced technology.

To do this, they are removing the jack and either replacing it (the capability) through the charging mechanism, which has its pitfalls or via USB technology.

USB: The Preferred way to Go

There are a few reasons USB technology is the preferred way to go. One of the main one’s is you can listen to your music while you are charging your phone.

Another great benefit is the freedom from all the wires that you can get wrapped in with the jack technology. How many times have you found yourself in such a tangle you don’t bother listening to your music due to the inconvenience.

Finally, although USB technology wasn’t designed with the intent of delivering high quality audio, advancements in the standard saw the direction and began building for it. The current USB 4.1 specification is advanced enough to deliver high fidelity audio.

USB Headphone Everywhere; Suddenly

There are now a number of manufacturers that are offering USB options. Of course Beats, with their Apple parent, has to deliver the technology as the iPhone was the first phone to do away with the headphone jack. Beats headphones are not to everyone’s liking though and they tend to be very expensive.

Bose has come out with their Soundsport line at around the $200 mark and these provide excellent sound. Bose has always been known for Truesound and they have replicated this capability nicely in their USB headphones. These are definitely my preference over the more expensive Beats that I find of a less build and sound quality.

Deals

At this stage, it is probably worth looking though for specials as USB headphones tend to be twice that of their brethren jacked headphones. This can be hard on anyone’s pocket book.

Simply as an example of very high quality headphones that are on sale and more or less mimic the Bose experience are Freshebud Pro that you can find on Stacksocial for $29.99 USD marked down from $119.

This kind of special is well worth considering. There are a lot of wireless headphones for not a lot of money but the old expression you get what you pay for holds very true here. If you are really into music, then you’ll want something that provides a nice quality sound and I find the Freshebud Pro does that. These headphones can be purchased at https://stacksocial.com/sales/freshebuds-pro-magnetic-bluetooth-headphones?aid=a-1y16jnjk. Although shipping is currently to Canada and the US for this unit it is well worth keeping your eye open for other good headphones that go on sale.

The Demand is Destined to Increase

We are now seeing other Smartphone manufacturers following Apples lead. They are after the same advantage of increased space for new technology. We are only at the beginning of this trend but my suspicion is the pace of the changeover will happen rapidly due to the highly competitive nature of the Smartphone market.

At first, although there was a strong negative market reaction to Apple’s move, many companies and reviewers have gotten on board with this trend. Secondly, once you’ve given a good USB set of headphones a try, unless the sound quality is terrible, which it isn’t in the above cases, you would never turn back. The convenience awarded by wireless headphones far outweighs any negative downside.



In an article I wrote back in July of 2016 I titled it: “IS JOHN CHEN ABOUT TO SHOOT BLACKBERRY IN THE FOOT; AGAIN.” as he announced Blackberry was no longer going to put anymore work into BB10 but rather concentrate on becoming a full fledged Android citizen. I wondered out loud if this might not have been a mistake from more than one angle:

1. As an Android device, Blackberry has become just another Android device with a couple of things that could differentiate it like the security aspects built into the phone.
2. The second thing that I thought was critically important was BB10 differentiated the Blackberry significantly from the competition. If BB10 was a dog of an operating system, I might have thought very differently. However, BB10 is just the opposite. It is a highly robust OS capable of doing a substantive number of things such as run Android at native speeds with next to no compatibility problems. Considering this, why would a BB10 phone need a dedicated Android OS.
3. BB10 brought to the table for Blackberry a significant market differentiator. Regardless of whether there were apps for BB10 per se, there were plenty of Android apps. However, when you take more than a cursory look at BB10 you have a highly robust OS capable of doing a lot very logically and more importantly easily. Some things about BB10 are just so logical. This can’t be said of Android and to a lesser degree IOS.
4. Competition is a good thing. Windows seemed to be going no where fast at least in the mobile space. BB10 could have allowed Blackberry to really differentiate its phones based not only on the hardware but so too the software which is very advanced. It is considered a very viable mobile OS that can do a lot and bring a lot to the table. This is important.

Slow to Market yet…

Blackberry was their own worst enemy. They were very slow to market with BB10. It was generally considered they were about two years too late to the party. BB10 was released to significant fanfare but there was still a fair amount of work to do on the OS to truly make it what it could be.

Within a short period of time I saw BB10 go from an OS with a lot of rough edges to an OS that was basically solid. With every iteration, problems were being worked through that made it more and more valuable and easy if not fun to work with.

BB10 was well armoured against security problems. This is one area that Blackberry does not have to accept much criticism but their work on this around bb10 got them into a bit of a sticky spot. However, this only required some work and time to get the system unstuck. Once this happened though it proved its mettle. Plus, now with security taking such a front and centre position it is hard to question Blackberry and the OS on this front. The thought that has gone into its security protocols are elegant and extremley workable.

John Chen is having Trouble answering the Question what does Blackberry Do

In the following article “So if BlackBerry Mobile builds phones, what does BlackBerry sell now?” and John Chen has a hard time explaining this one. On the Blackberry website, there are a slew of products listed all of which leads to a great deal of confusion. The handset, if nothing else, presented to the world an easy to understand view of a piece of the puzzle of what Blackberry sells now.

The article I wrote back in 2016 might have had something to it. People when they buy something want to feel assured that who they buy from knows what they’re doing, will be here tomorrow and are to be trusted. When Double speak gets extreme so that even Chen has trouble explaining what they do, a customer is rightly going to feel nervous.

Everyone just keeps saying hang on with Blackberry but now you are wondering what you’re hanging on to. The line, as any line, can get over used to the point it becomes meaningless. If Blackberry was going to hang on and expect their customers to hang on, they should have had a greater belief in themselves and their handsets. A lot of people not only got burned on that front but as a stock investment it has been a wild ride. Just like other aspects of Blackberry, there really is no solid proposition.

It might be there but it certainly is hard to discern. The Stock Market is dong well but what if it were to take a turn for the worse. How would people weather this and would they. Blackberry needs capital investment. Yet, for the investor this would be more nerve wracking than at any point in the past until the story plays out and people understand it so that it makes perfect personal sense.

The Blackberry Story Never Ceases to Amaze

Many people have said numerous times its over for Blackberry. This hasn’t proven true as of yet. It might never prove true. Yet, for a company wanting to define itself, they’re having one very difficult time. This in and of itself could prove to be a self fulling prophecy one that could possibly be averted.

Blackberry’s role of bringing security to the masses through software solutions might be an extremely viable proposition. They are winning bids around this very area. Yet, there is still that confusion with respect to exactly what is this company now.

Many a customer of the past loved their Blackberry. The company could have easily branched off into these other areas. However, with the handset there is a pivotal image of the company. To a large degree, this is the way the company was and likely was going to continue to press along this road. Yet, I believe Chen got impatient with the progress of the handset. They started from quite far behind so it was going to be no easy fix. Yet fix was possible. It was being proven and some were getting excited by what BB10 could really do.

Once the decision was made to abandon this part of the business though, a well formulated business proposition started to become very difficult to articulate. The fall of the handset has left the company with something very difficult to grasp.

A 20% share of the market is better than a 10% share and on it goes but a zero percent share of a product that at one time defined Blackberry seems as if the self-fullfilling prophecy played out perfectly. I cannot help but think that Blackberry could have diversified their portfolio with a well understood handset portfolio. They threw into this handset mix a grab bag of very odd phones; phones from the past that at one time were popular but that people had moved on from (virtual vs physical keyboard); phones that looked weird and those that were underpowered and overpriced.

I still feel though that the biggest mistake was the divesting or at least saying that you’re going to divest yourself of a very advanced OS; BB10 which would have remained as a core differentiator in the product portfolio. When this happened, I certainly had no interest in any further Blackberry‘s.

Is it too late to return to a handset business built on BB10; one in which the phones look normal but are encapsulated with this very powerful OS. Is it too late to invest in just a small, core set of what I would like to call normal phones utilizing the best of technologies producing a compelling argument as to why Blackberry. Probably not as Blackberry is renowned for change but this time it would have to be so well thought out with an absolute avoidance of the bizarre. A solid, good hearted endeavour might go a long way for both a software business that Blackberry wants to get off the ground and putting back into place a sorely needed strategy that can be easily articulated that meets the needs of the Blackberry diehards that made Blackberry the company it once was.

Blackberry, which has suffered no end of headaches for longer than anyone can believe, has finally had a bit of luck of late. A Royalties dispute they had with Qualcomm has netted them $815 million.

Investment in Acquiring Companies

Blackberry has decided a good use for the money is acquiring up companies of a strategic nature that supports their new direction. This is not a bad idea, as Blackberry has been doing better of late with their software strategy. Considering that they are considered the security experts and security has become such an invasive problem their advice and products are being sought after. This is another piece of nice news for Blackberry.

Now only if their Handsets would gain some Traction

The only thing that would add to Blackberry‘s view is to gain some much needed traction in their handsets. Even though this has been farmed out to a third party the phones still have the Blackberry name on them. This keeps the brand in people’s faces which is always a good thing.

Microsoft bought Wunderlist about two years ago. Their track record is one of killing a product to embed additional functionality into Microsoft Outlook and and the whole Office Suite.

In the case of Wunderlist, there might be a number of disgruntled customers who have come to rely on Wunderlist as their product of choice. For some, Wunderlist has been described as a number one product; not an OmniFocus or a Todoist or 2do but a powerful product in its own right.

To-do to Step into the Scene

When a company the likes of Microsoft buys a company, it is not to benefit the company they bought but Microsoft. Makes sense. Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s prime strategic product and they have being doing incredibly well with it. In many ways, ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar, it is a good buy if not a very good investment for either an individual, small business or a large/enterprise business.

The Office suite is very much a prominent component of what you get when you buy Office 365. Yet, if they did not keep it current and leading edge, the investment in the product may not produce the strategic value everyone is looking for.

Enter Microsoft to-do. Based on some of the best ideas of Wunderlist yet designed to work with Microsoft’s current Office offering, they are not necessarily providing the best task manager in the world but one that is more than capable and will meet many people’s needs.

Overkill with Task Managers

It can easily be argued, in the race to make task managers powerful, we’ve run into an overkill situation. Probably most of a users needs can be met with something that is something far less than an OmniFocus (e.g. break out the manual and disappear from the planet while you try to figure out how it works). The other side of this same coin, is that people become task writing obsessed and overdue to the point they have so many projects and tasks, organized so well they become paralyzed when they look at the list. All of this is incredibly self defeating.

Microsoft To-do Might Be Right on the Money

Microsoft to-do might be right on the money with respect to power, functionality and the inevitable output. Integrated with Outlook it extends Outlooks power without over extending the system so that you are doing nothing but writing projects and tasks and getting farther and farther behind.

Wunderlist is definitely being retired but not until they have a complete product line. There are some things it still doesn’t run on as noted in this article “Microsoft to shut down Wunderlist in favor of its new app, To-Do“

Once the Final Pieces are in Place

Once the final pieces of To-do are in place, Wunderlist will be retired. Microsoft wants to make sure they have the best of Wunderlist built into the product and that the product runs everywhere it should. They will have this completed over the next few months and thus that will be the end of Wunderlist but the beginning of To-do.

Android flagship phones are now reaching the same price levels as that of the iPhone. Choosing platforms, at any level, is always somewhat challenging but price plays a large factor in the decision. Yes, Android still has the midrange and low end phones but Apple iPhone SE also has a lower entry point. Thus, the decision as to whether to go Android or iPhone is for some not challenging at all and for others is starting to get murky due to the merging price points.

IOS all the way for many an Apple Loyalist

IOS is still considered easier than Android though Android is considered far more customizable at numerous levels. Yet, the ease of use of the IOS platform is a major driver. However, for many an Apple fan it will always be Apple because it’s Apple with the smoothness of the OS and the apps plus the high quality build.

Apps have often been the Key Driver

Over the years, solutions were often driven by the applications that were required or being used. In many cases, company loyalty, brand identity and quality were considered major factors.

Certainly when Android arrived on the scene many of its apps were significantly inferior to IOS apps and the driver behind Android seemed to be the price of the phones. However, much has changed and is changing rapidly now. Many of the apps that are critical are now fully cross platform and as reliable on an Android device as that of IOS. This trend to cross platform is advancing fast.

As an example, a task management system is often seen as very important to maintain or increase productivity. OmniFocus is a well known, top tier task/project manager. Although it doesn’t run on Android, a third party has built an Android app that is very good and works fine with the system. Yet, there are now a number of popular options. Todoist and 2do would be the most significant of those options but there are more making the hardware more of a commondity; a place to run the same software.

If the Applications are becoming Less of a Driver

The current crop of high end Android phones from HTC, Samsung, Motorola and LG have great brand recognition and build high quality products rivaling and in some cases surpassing that of the iPhone. As the software becomes more common in both environments it will begin to boil down to what you prefer to use etc.

If you’re the type that likes to customize their phone to make it your own, then Android is the solution for you. If you prefer a easier front end learning experience, then IOS will be your choice. However, Android is getting easier to use all the time and actually once you’ve used it for a while, Android doesn’t feel anymore complex than that of IOS but still remains much more customizable.

So now it will get down to the device. You might find you simply prefer the look of the Samsung or HTC vs the iPhone and the way you can customize it. Some will just prefer the weighting and feel of an iPhone. Yet, with time, all the major apps will likely be running in both environments and as I noted many are now. Teams can come together using varied products and still continue to work together.

Getting more Difficult to go Wrong with an Android Decision

At the moment, probably the iPhone is the safer bet. However, I do not think that is going to last for much longer if we just deal with the major vendors of  Android who are delivering high performance, well built phones. You have brand recognition, build quality and if the software doesn’t work in both environments it is soon likely to.

Thus for you, the consumer, you will have a greater range of options with respect to look, operation, build quality and style than you currently do. In essence, if you like something and its price is acceptable, you likely can’t go wrong. This is good for all as competition helps to maintain the momentum of development but control the costs.

I have spent a lot of time writing about GTD or “Getting Things Done“ task management and the tools that are available to support that. There is a tool however, that would fall outside the purview of GTD Task Management however, still having the power to make things nicer. That is, whether you use GTD as your model or not, you are better equipped at Getting Things Done if you have a tool to assist. In this case here, I want to write about Swipes, a streamlined yet powerful system for managing your tasks.

One of GTD’s Most Annoying and Time Consuming Problems

The principals of GTD are sound. However, when people go to employ the tool they often get carried away with the implementation. One problem is they get so obsessed with what they have to do and every nuance of the project they begin writing everything down.

One immediate problem is if you are constantly writing down what needs to be done how do you get to everything. The second and possibly more serious problem is the clutter it brings to one’s visual field. Where do I start; am I starting with the most significant item and the one that needs addressing now or the one that seemed to be that when I started.

Clutter is a serious problem. If you’re looking at too much not only do you have an obsessional problem with writing out your tasks, projects and contexts, when you go to look at your task manager you can easily become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of tasks. Which task is important; what needs to be done first; how do I find that first item and on it goes.

Some GTD programs have the ability to prioritize so that you are looking at that which you felt to be the most important. However, things change and in the world we’re in they can change at lightening speed. It’s almost impossibly to keep on top of it.

Enter Swipes

Swipes addresses these two problems very well plus it has the kind of functionality that can grow with you. Swipes encourages one to write down that which needs to be done. It discourages you from writing down every minutiae. This is the first thing it addresses and it addresses this well.

Secondly, Swipes allows you to move things out of your visual field till later. What you can end up with is a very clean and precise visual field. You avoid distractions as you are dealing with what you need to deal with now.

Swipes can be static if you were to make it so but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can always make adjustments to your progam. In fact, something so simple can be ever so powerful. Swipes allows you to defer items removing them from your visual field till you’ve decided you should see it again. If you need to defer the item once again you can do so. If the item just sits there, it can become distracting and if too much sits there to be done, overwhelming.

Swipe away till Later

You can easily complete an item when it’s done by swiping to the right. However, if you swipe to the left, you can defer the item till a later point in time when you can actively work on it. Reducing the amount of work in your visual field can be accomplished by a number of programs, but Swipes does it very easily.

When the item’s time has come about it reappears. Say at this point, you still decide it can wait while you take care of more pressing problems. Swipe it till a different point. You can even make the time more spot on by holding the item you’re going to Swipe and then setting the timer till that point which feels more correct.

Creating, managing and doing your tasks is a very quick when working with Swipes. One of the catch phrases in the productivity world these days is focus. Swipes inherently allows you to focus on that which you deem deserves your focus now and moving items out of the way that can wait. This reduces distraction, tension and increases focus and thus clarity.

Not for Everyone Yet it is a Good Tool

Swipes is not for everyone of course nor is it the right tool for all activities. However, given its cross platform nature and its intuitive operation, it can be an excellent tool for many. On top of that, the creation of the item is exceedingly fast.

Outline the task that needs to be done, state the steps in the task as actions and complete them accordingly and once the full task is completed mark it so.

Integration with Evernote

One of its very cool strengths is its integration with Evernote. Swipes can talk to Evernote and Evernote tasks. When creating a note in Evernote, should it require that something is done, create an Evernote task with checkbox and then in the tags area tag it as Swipes. Swipes will go out to Evernote and import these items in as tasks.

When you complete an Evernote task, you do not have to go searching around Evernote for the task. Simply complete the task in Swipes and it will mark it as done in Evernote. Here not only are you adding a note to explain something but should the note infer something needs doing you can bring easier management to this process by incorporating Swipes. Here you have a free flowing system providing structure to that of the creation of Notes in Evernote thus enhancing your productivity substantially.

A Unique tool for the Times

Swipes brings a very unique approach to the management of tasks. You get things done in a very efficient way without overwhelming yourself.

If you’re very used to GTD programs though, this may seem quite foreign. In reality, you can manage a lot with Swipes but if you’ve used say any of the major GTD programs, it will take a while to adjust to Swipes as your first inclination might be there is not enough horsepower here to manage getting the job done.

In some cases, if the project is of a very complicated nature, another tool, like OmniFocus, might be more appropriate. However, that’s if you know OmniFocus and can resist going to town writing out tasks for every little thing however, even if you do, as long as you know how to filter items carefully so that you’re not overwhelmed by a sea of todo’s, the program can be very beneficial. Knowing how to master OmniFocus in this way though is no small task.

I have seen Youtube videos in which the title might include something like OmniFocus Ninja tricks to get something done. Swipes either makes you a Ninja almost from the get go or it is just not a program that even begins to need this word to describe how to effectively use it.

Knowing that we’re in a world that requires assistance for controlling it; that requires the use of these kind of tools to Get things Done is more than half the battle. The other part though is being able to effectively use the tool to truly assist in the process. This often requires trying different things to determine what works best for you and just using it. If it’s right, the outcome will determine that. You’ll know whether Swipes fills the bill for you or whether you need to apply something different. Regardless, know that there are a slew of tools to aid in the process, use that which feels right and the rest will take care of itself.

The move to cross platform – that is, beyond the Apple ecosystem – to Android, Windows, OSX and IOS can be accomplished however, this can be either difficult or not so bad. Exchange, provided there is support for Exchange in your ecosystem, is one way to do this and it can work well. Yet, not everyone is equipped with Exchange. iCloud though and very unfortuntely, is closed to anything except iCloud. It doesn’t have to be so however, to get around this you look for bridges to cross the chasm.

There’s another service that I particularly like called Fruux and it can pretty well tie everything together. Your Android calendars, contacts and tasks can all be in perfect sync with your OSX and IOS systems. I’ll primarily address these two (Android and iCloud) as they are the major systems that need tying together. You can either use sync agents to do this but iCloud is not very amenable to this or switch to either Exchange calendars or something like Fruux. What I particularly like about Fruux is that although it is based on Caldav and Carddav, like iCloud, it has native support for a variety of platforms. Everything you run Fruux on as say your calendaring system will be identical and it runs on almost everything.

Just as an aside, Microsoft has announced a Very New Platform

Microsoft logically has decided if you can’t beat them join them. This is a very different Microsoft that only a little while ago. Is what they’re doing logical. Very. I would say Microsoft has embraced what the world wants but is not going to be a follower but a leader.

This puts them in a very unique position. You might get your Smartphone as an Android or iPhone but Microsoft will be managing the flow of your activities. Called the Fall Creators Update it is intended to follow your workflow making your life far easier but more on this later.

Everything in Sync: Fruux

The idea behind Fruux is to run it in place of say iCloud. You can still have your iCloud calendars but then you’re back to the problem of external sync. Rather, create your calendars in Fruux and run them on your various platforms.

You might have Fruux calendars for IOS, OSX and Android but in some cases you will have to run Fruux calendars right in certain products like Busycal or Fantastical. Fruux even has a plugin for the Windows version of Outlook but not the Mac version.

When configuring your Fruux calendars, the Fruux website will give you instructions for the configuration of the product in all the areas you’re going to use it. Since your settings are your settings, no matter what product or environment you run in, if you have enabled Fruux calendars those calendars will all be in sync and rapidly. This is ideal for the perfect, cross platform environment.

Fruux available at the Right Time

With so much operating in different environments, Fruux presents a good solution to pull everything together at just the right time. The iPhone is popular yet so is Android and some still like their Blackberry‘s and even though Windows phone seems to be non-existent, people when they come together don’t want to give up their devices to work on a team. Thus, cross platform solutions are very in vogue.

There are the hold outs. Who knows why. Money, ideology or what have you. As an example, if you want to use OmniFocus or DEVONthink you will have to stick to the Mac ecosystem. However, if your team is made up of a variety of platforms you will have to get a solution that spans the platforms such as Tick Tick or 2do for task management, Nimbus Notes or Evernote for Information Management and on it goes.

There may come a time when no vendor, if they really want to remain viable will be able to operate in only one environment. For now, there are enough solutions, including Fruux, that doesn’t necessitate a one environment operation. For years, I.T. has wanted to do this but it is now possible; made possible primarily by the cloud.

I have never really been a Things fan; till now. Things 3 has changed this all for me. Not only is it wonderful to look at, it is fantastic to use in either OSX or IOS. Being productive doesn’t have to be the thing of drudgery. Things 3 definitely assists you with your productivity or Getting Things Done as it just simply works so fluidly.

Culture Code describes Things 3 as a complete Rework of the System

Culture code describes Things 3 as a complete rework and rethink of the system and it shows. It’s wonderful to work with as it is so clean and looks beautiful. However, more than that it is such an improvement in the way it works.

It is one of the most fluid task management applications I have ever worked with. It works to prevent excessive changing of screens and enhances movement between operations. This kind of functionality is not easily overlooked. As a result, things flow faster. The system itself also seems faster. Here, I think you could easily say form follows function.

Efficient Use of Collapsible Windows

In the creation of a Task, Window space is used very effectively. You can quickly glance at the outline of your task to determine what is required. Getting the information into the task simply involves clicking on the task and it opens and lets you put the information in where required. Instead of bouncing around to put the information in the right spot, the spot opens before you. You are saved the time of searching. It comes to you.

The Best of the Task Managers

Things 3 has moved up a lot for me. The clean look. The fluid design. The efficiency of actions. It’s ease of use make this the perfect task management app even for the GTD’r. It can be a simple app or structured to handle a GTD project. It looks well done with a quality build and it’s there.

If this were a cross platform app that ran under Android this would be my app of choice. For now, it is the perfect app for the Apple user no matter what they want to do. If it ever does go cross platform it will be my perfect app of choice.

In my travels, I have come across a brand that doesn’t seem to get the market recognition it deserves. It seems like all there is to choose from these days is Samsung and Apple’s iPhone. Both of these are good phones there is no question. The choice of which phone, one the Samsung being an Android and the iPhone being IOS, largely depends on the applictions you intend to run. If you are heavily embedded in the Apple ecosystem and want your phone to be a part of that ecosystem, your simplest and best choice is the iPhone.

However, with cross platform, you can marry your Android phone to a large part of the Apple ecosystem. Doing this though does currently imply much could be lost. Yet, there is plenty of software that runs cross platform flawlessly, leaving you the consumer with a larger degree of choice.

HTC

With this narrative that your choices are delimited to Apple and Samsung you are potentially losing out on alternate opportunities that could prove beneficial and cost effective.

HTC is a company not as well known as Samsung but they produce extremely high quality hardware. Not only that, they produce an interesting range of phones that might fit needs more adequately with costs and outcome.

As an example, HTC’s mid range phone is definitely more than that. They are extremely high quality and you’d be hard pressed to demonstrate otherwise. Yet, as every vendor is doing these days, they are producing newer, more powerful phones at ever increasing speeds leaving you the consumer more than bewildered. To this the common answer is I have to have the best or do you. It certainly keeps companies flush with money and you the consumer somewhat tight.

iPhones are Pricey so Competition is a Positive Thing

The top of the line iPhone 7 with 128 megs of memory (we’re talking the 7 and not the plus) in Canadian dollars is going to set you back around $1000 with taxes, no small sum to reckon with. Depending on how you use your smart phone, it might either need to be tightly integrated into the Apple ecosphere, somewhat or not even. If it has to be tightly integrated, the iPhone is your smartest choice for ease of use, consistency and platform consolidation at the software level.

Yet, not all things are so cut and dry. Some fall somewhere in the middle while others use their smartphones quite independently of the ecosystem. They are looking for functionality not necessarily tied to that ecosystem which then allows them to approach things quite differently.

Three Types of Smartphone Users

I would like to suggest that there are three types of smartphone users:

• The highly integrated
• Integrated yet independent
• Smartphone stands on its own

The above users can acquire their smartphones based on how they intend to employ it. This is where HTC, as an example, can step in and step in nicely. They have a range of phones that operate to handle needs in differing yet sometimes the same way. All of the phones I’m going to discuss come in at different price points but are bar non of exceptional quality.

The phones I want to quickly look at are:

• HTC a9
• HTC 10
• HTC U11

Not are they only all excellent in their own right, they have different design qualities that will appeal to people in different ways. Is one better than the other or is one the best? It depends on how you look at it.

HTC A9

The HTC a9 is a great phone with good specs and oddly enough an iPhonesque type of look. It is 5” phone with an Amoled. The display of this phone is one of its great strengths. But there’s more. This is weighted like the iPhone but it’s not an iPhone and it is about half the price. The price has nothing to do with either its function or performance.

On Youtube, some have been so impressed they have trouble not saying its a flagship phone. It’s a performer and if you like the iPhone style you will like this phone.

The HTC 10

HTC had a bit of a slump with it HTC one m9. As such, they put a lot of effort into the the HTC 10 to come out with not only a dazzling phone but that one that was ranked at the top of phones. The difference though for you is the design symmetry of the phone. Not an iPhone look a-like, it came put together with a unique, high quality design. A little larger than the HTC A9, it’s style and design were immediately noted. It was HTC’s turnaround from a very short slump indeed.

This phone can do no more than the HTC a9 it can just do it fast with it’s Qualcom 820 processor and generous memory. This for all intents and purposes was a winner for Android and the rest of us.

HTC U11

The HTC u11 marches to the class of any of the finest Androids including the Samsung S8. In fact the specs around this device are second to none. It is the 2017 flagship but it in no way does away with the HTC 10 and for that matter the HTC a9. However, in all of these phones we are talking high quality, beautiful design but with a significant cost effectiveness edge against an iPhone.

How is this possible. Because they are all excellent in their own right.

The u11 is nothing less than a piece of art as robust as anything on the market. It is beautiful to behold and use. Does this fit into the Apple ecosystem. Absolutely, as well as the HTC a9 and the HTC 10. Really, in their own way, they are all stunners just designed for different purposes and at different price points.

Again, if your phone does not have to be a replica of the Apple ecosystem, these phones will do the job all very well and yet still let you by and large work within the Apple ecosystem just not with every piece of software.

Let’s look at your task manager. TickTick is an ahead of the game task management system that is powerful yet intuitive. It will run in all our environments.

Things 3 is the new kid on the block and it has been met with rave reviews. Currently, for the iPhone this might be the task management system to beat. However, TickTick is so similar in operation and functionality that you can have the best of both the phone you desire but a fully integrated, intuitive and powerful task manager.

Journaling

To carry this a step further journaling is probably something that you want to work on your phone but sync from there to the primary environment. This is the case for many an app. Fortunately this can be done too either with one of three very good apps.

• Day One classic on the iPhone w Narrate on the Android
• Journey
• Diario

And there are some others which bring function to a heterogenous environment which allows you choice and the ability to save you some money.

I could go On

An Android phone will work with a lot of software you’re likely using on your Mac such as:

• Evernote
• Onenote
• Outlook
• SimpleNote and other note services
• Social Media
• News Services
• Photography
• Video
• Browsers
• Planners such as Informant and Planner Pro
• Mail Apps
• Music – Apple, Google, Spotify and on it goes
• Financial Services like Quicken
• Android Wear
• Almost any cloud service
• Direct Sharing services between devices
• Weather
• and on it goes

So there isn’t currently 100% coverage but every major category is. This means teams using different devices can work together, you as a consumer have broader choice and the potential to save a few pennies but most importantly competition keeps everyone on their toes.

Even though Blackberry decided to get out of the handset business and concentrate on software, they in many ways just turned their handset business over to a third party who was interested in continuing to build the handset. There remain, to this day, devotees of the Blackberry. The major thing that keeps users coming to the Blackberry is the keyboard.

The Physical Keyboard as Prime Driver

TCL signed an exclusive deal to be the sole provider of blackberry labeled Smartphones. They were the company that built the DTEK 50 and 60 and these phones did better than their predecessors. One of the major problems for Blackberry built handsets were, in some cases, they were just late to market and in other cases they held odd designs. The DTEK 50 and 60 was more of what one would expect from modern Smartphones in the way of design and function.

The Blackberry Keyone is yet another phone that is getting good reviews. The design of the entire phone is just what the market is looking for. It is a phone that is well designed, with a solid build and an excellent keyboard. People who like the keyboard swear buy it in terms of the speeds they can get to, the reduction in mistakes and just having a nice tactile feedback system.

Initial Review of the KeyOne by Jan Ole Helmbold

In this video, Jan Ole Helmbold provides his initial review of the Keyone. In my next Blackberry article I will have an overview video of Jan Ole as he is one of the very few that still reviews Blackberry and if you’re a Blackberry fan you might want to get on his subscription list.

The video is titled “The BlackBerry KEYone WAS LAUNCHED!”

In a previous article titled “JOURNALING REMAINS A COMPELLING REASON TO USE YOUR MAC” I outlined a number of Journaling apps that most specifically related to the Mac ecosystem. However, cross platform is now becoming quite the reality so you might want to Journal on your Mac but use an Android phone for your mobile journaling all the while keeping everything in sync. This is now a reality and I have two favourite apps for doing the job. Yet, we are relatively at the beginning of this trend so it is well worth taking a look at this for various reasons.

Cross System Functionality enabled by the Cloud

The ability to be able to do this totally relates to the cloud/internet and software that leverages these services. You can have an app sitting on your Mac connected to the cloud, such as dropbox, an open platform and easily have a journal app on your Android that is identical to the one on your Mac.

The same goes for the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. In fact, all these devices can be fully in sync as long as there is a client in each that is identical or mainly identical or at least pulling the right information and you are doing full cross platform journaling.

The Benefits of Journaling

As I discussed in the article I highlighted but which is discussed at length in different contexts, journaling can be a very beneficial activity. It can lead to overall health and wellbeing and in some cases success.

In terms of health, it can be very valuable just to journal to externalize the way your thinking and feeling. Thus, it can drastically improve one’s mental health so to speak. It can allow one to not only externalize feelings but then to sit back and reflect on what has been written. The process of reflection is very healthy for putting values into context. Knowing yourself better both can be relieving but lead to self direction.

The art of good journaling can provide context in time. So it can have spatial implications. As an example, you could look over the last year of your journal and see that you have been very active or not, quiet and reflective or outgoing and jumping into knew things. Journaling can help as your guidepost and complement the way your feeling or more importantly put it in context. You might be able to see things that make sense, are part of what you need to be happy and healthy or not and allow you, like a motivator to get on with something all the while bringing potential rationality to the front.

Harnessing your emotions in a health way can have numerous rewards one being better physical health. The more destructive self thoughts are, say put in context, the better you can feel. These are all important, in the long run, for having the sense of living a full and useful/meaningful life again very valuable in both mental and physical health.

Why the Cross Platform Approach

There are both technical and logical reasons for having a journal that can go far a field with you. Your journal is just that – your journal. The more it melds into your life and the more it works with you, the more likely you will be to keep it up.

This having been said, one of the most valuable aspects of journaling is consistency. The more you journal and the longer you journal, the better you’ll get at it and the more its benefits will accrue. It’s a shame when people put their journal aside because they find it to encumbering or lacking in value. The value is there and it grows with use and time. Thus, cross platform journaling just ensures the more the tool to journal with will fit with you.

Thus, you’ll want a journal or software that does exactly the same thing. So the hardware is important as this fluxes in your life and if the software can too you’re laughing.

Two Very Good Journals for a Cross Platform Approach

There are a lot of journals on the market. Some are definitely very beneficial whereas others can be gimmicky. The key thing with a journal though is that it flows with you and simply allows you to get down your thoughts and feelings.

A journal which is fluid in this approach, allows you to easily rediscover what you‘ve written and reflect is all you need for an effective journal.

A journal that is timeline oriented makes sense as your life follows a timeline. The journal should have a reference calendar, be oriented to writing in a timeline sort of view, easy to rediscover the past and preferably be multifaceted in what it can store (text, diagrams, pictures of where you’ve been or what you see as important, flexibility in its storage and very reliable).

The Two Journals – Journey and Day One Classic with Narrate

There are numerous journals for both the Apple system and Android. However, what I want to look at here is that which is considered the best currently and how well they do what we want, their plans and potential time frames for implementing any missing links.

Day One with Narrate

Day One is considered probably the best of the Journaling programs for the Mac. However, it currently only works in the Mac ecosystem. There is a Mac, iPad and iPhone/iPod touch clients in the system. All client sync seamlessly with each other using Day One Sync (v2 and this had many users upset who used use Dropbox or iCloud in v1).

Day One is a nice looking, robust system with many tools to assist with your journaling. You can have one or many journals for different purposes. You can basically comfortably write anywhere if you have all the platforms as it can be fully mobile or stationary or a combination thereof.

Finally, the other nice thing Day One does is incorporate photos from your library or directly from your camera. This adds a nice visual touch to your journal and aesthetically it can make it very attractive and yet meaningful. Record things like tags, moods and map locations to round it out.

However, if you want to currently go cross platform there is one very effective way to do this and that’s using Day One Classic with Dropbox and on Android, Narrate a nice Material Design journal that works seamlessly with Day One. It looks different of course but is very easy to use. What you are doing here is simply ensuring your words and pictures end up equally in both places should you use an Android. An Android can be very powerful, cost effective and nice looking tool. With cross platform in the mix there is no way you have to miss anything on your devices.

Voila now you have a robust, cost effective journaling system that is fully cross platform. The one thing though you can’t do is migrate to v2. For the short term I see no problem with this. However, you may have a need for the functionality of Day One v2 and to do this Day One needs to be cross platform.

Day One is currently working on their own Android platform which will provide seamless cross platform functionality. This ensures the future growth of your system a long with the ease of use of learning one interface. The interface of Narrate and Day One classic are both very intuitive to use in their own right. Yet, there can be nothing better than when the vendor provides the complete system.

Journey

Journey is an award winning journaling app on the Google Play store. It has been designed from the ground up to run cross platform. Sync’g between devices is a breeze. This is a very nice looking Journal regardless of where it’s being run.

The Mac version, downloaded from journey.cloud, is easy to use and visually very appealing. At Journey.cloud you will see a number of platforms that the system runs on including Windows, the Mac, the Web, Android and Chrome. What you won’t see yet though is IOS native apps. However, these are being worked on and if they are anything like the Android version, they will be impressive.

For now, the way to do journal entry from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch you need to use the web. Although not as pleasant an experience as a native IOS app, it provides a concrete manner of getting your words and images down while mobile. In fact, the web version provides maximum flexibility in that you can look at your journal from any browser, on any platform and anywhere.

It will be very nice though when the makers of Journey, which is Two App Studio, have native apps for IOS. It makes a large difference in the manner in which you write and record things. All the apps will sync so your data, thoughts and reflections will equally present themselves on a platform regardless.

To Conclude

Cross Platform, not only in journaling but pretty well any significant app, is the way of the future as it is very liberating bringing people and teams together who can work on their platform of choice. It encourages innovation and both functional and cost competitiveness.

As described, Journaling, has numerous psychological and physical benefits. It can help you sort through problems by reflecting. It can lead you in the direction you were meant to go as it easily pulls from you your inner most thoughts, feelings and desires. However, journaling further goes on to describe what you like doing. When you put these two things together it is incredibly powerful.

Confusion is ameliorated, emotions are dealt with or least brought out and your goals become eventually highlighted. In many ways, Journaling helps you get to know who you are.

In some ways, we have distorted images of what journaling really is. Some of the most successful men and women journal. Those with depth are often found to be journalizers. Journal in the way it rewards you best. If that’s pen and paper go for it but don’t be dissuaded from using a computer. The benefits remain the same.