Imagine if you could turn the text and illustrations on a traditional whiteboard into digital data in real-time. That’s the premise behind the eBeam Edge Whiteboard by Luidia, Inc. The technology works with any whiteboard and most Mac or PC computers. Read More »
Aliza Sherman
The conference call services industry seems both ever-changing and overloaded, with new entries into the market popping up often, offering different features and pricing options. One free service that has been around for several years now is Rondee. Read More »
As mobile devices become more prevalent at work, the need for security continues to rise. WatchDox provides document control, tracking and security features through a web app, apps for iPad and iPhone (we covered it late last year) and now for BlackBerry. Read More »
Having reviewed web-based training and presentation app Knoodle before, I was interested in the new developments with the service, announced this week.. Its new features make presentation creation more streamlined, particularly if you are creating split-screen presentations combining slides and video. Read More »
A challenge of managing a virtual team is getting timely and thorough participation from team members. One way to ensure everyone has their say — or is at least given the opportunity to provide input — is to apply some principles of crowdsourcing to internal team … Read More »
Unified Communications (UC) is an umbrella term that covers the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging, presence information, telephony and video conferencing. So how can UC help your business, and what are the features you should look for? Read More »
Talkwheel, which positions itself as an integrated communications tool for enterprises, offers a novel way to capture, visualize and follow conversations. Conversations are displayed as threaded and nested messages on the right side of the interface, and around the “talkwheel” on the left. Read More »
Cloud file sync and backup company Soonr has now launched Soonr Teaming to add team-based collaborative features to its service. Users can form project teams to work together virtually and access and edit files from anywhere, on Mac, PC or a number of mobile devices. Read More »
Small- to mid-sized companies need the ability to edit, share and collaborate on files while keeping teams updated with the latest versions. Alfresco Team is an open-source, professional tool for content collaboration that offers enterprise-oriented social and security features not found in some Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products. Read More »
Trap.it is a new personalized search app that originally came out of a $200 million DARPA artificial intelligence project called CALO or Cognitive Assistant That Learns and Organizes. The app aims to take personalized search to new heights to become your “Pandora for content.” Read More »
I have to admit, I’m still not convinced that the iPad will be my laptop replacement. However, with the help of the Apple wireless keyboard and some other peripherals and apps, it can come close. Here are some tips to make your iPad work-worthy: Read More »
I often extol the virtues of virtual work. But no matter how much I love virtual, I’m also keenly aware that being remote isn’t always ideal. In my experience, there are four specific situations that should never be handled by phone or email. Read More »
Are virtual worlds really viable environments for work? According to a survey by Unisfair, usage of virtual environments is growing for marketing, training and collaboration. Surveying 550 marketers nationwide, the study revealed that 60 percent of respondents plan to increase spending on virtual events this year. Read More »
So far, tablet computers have been more useful as “data consuming” tools, rather than genuine work devices. One stumbling block is the inability to easily edit documents stored in the cloud. Soonr is the first service to offer integrated editing of Office documents for the iPad. Read More »
Mindjet Catalyst brings mind mapping features and functionality to the cloud. Using Catalyst, dispersed teams can co-edit mind maps in real-time, which not only lets team members share information, but can also boost understanding and stimulate more creative and critical thinking. Read More »
OfficeDrop, an application for scanning, accessing and sharing paper and digital files via the cloud has been rolling out onto a variety of platforms. OfficeDrop Paper-to-Go app for Android is now available, in addition to applications for Mac, PC and iPad. Read More »
Panorama Software has announced the release of a socially-enabled business intelligence platform, Necto, to more effectively connect team members with company data. Think of Necto as way of putting reports and insights at the heart of a company’s social interactions. Read More »
One of the problems with most cloud collaboration apps is that you need to have an Internet connection in order to do your work. LucidChart, a web-based visual communication and diagramming app that offers real-time collaboration, has announced that it is now providing offline capabilities. Read More »
Ever get that “a-ha!” moment when seeing a new app in action? That’s how I felt seeing a demo of MightyMeeting. The app allows users to store presentations in the cloud and then share them in online meetings and discussions from the web, iPad or iPhone. … Read More »
Working remotely means not having the easy access to the machines and systems you used to when you were cubicle-bound. Here’s a list of five basic categories of tools you should have at the ready, and a variety of options to consider for each category. Read More »
Do you have what it takes to be a virtual worker? In Hiring Web Workers: Is Personality as Important as Skills?, Jessica emphasized that personality plays an even bigger role in virtual work success than hard skills. So what does this mean for you? Read More »
Poor management, communications breakdowns, badly integrated team members, ill-equipped staff, personality clashes — there are many reasons why a virtual team can fail. What can you do to ensure that your team succeeds? Here are five common failings of virtual teams, and ways to avoid them. Read More »
Knoodle offers a training solution that provides a presentation with a split screen; you can have text or PowerPoint slides on one side of the screen and video on the other, then sync the video with the slides so they automatically advance at the right time. Read More »
Can social Q&A sites really help you build your professional reputation? I’ve taken a look at three sites that offer similar functionality, yet are vastly different under the surface. Here is a breakdown of how to use Quora, Focus and Namesake to enhance your reputation. Read More »
I recently interviewed Daniel Debow, the co-CEO of enterprise social software company Rypple. During our conversation, we discussed the game-like constructs built into the Rypple software, like the concept of rewarding people with “badges” for giving recognition and building reputation within a company. Read More »
When it comes to productivity, you can deploy all the software in the world you want, but it’s people, not tools, that foster productivity, says Daniel Debow, co-CEO of Rypple, a social software application that sets out to help teams work better. Read More »
There are so many project management solutions, but which one is right for you? I recently viewed a demo of Mavenlink at SXSW and was struck by how it brings together several functions: project management, collaboration, time tracking and invoicing. Read More »
I spoke with Gist founder T.A. McCann about what he calls the “New Workstyle.” It reflects the culture he has tried to create at Gist; a culture that encourages an entrepreneurial spirit, and recognizes the need “not to do things as they’ve been done before.” Read More »
Later this week, I’ll be heading to South by Southwest Interactive, and joining about 15,000 others interested in the tech portion of the music, film and interactive conference in Austin, Texas. In preparation for my trip, I have been downloading mobile apps. Read More »
Recently, I was given a free trial of iMeet from a social media friend, although I hadn’t gotten around to trying it. It suddenly dawned on me that it might meet my requirements for a collaborative meeting space, so I asked PGI for a demo. Read More »
QR code innovator Paperlinks has announced a new landing page offering called Paperlinks for Business. The new product lets businesses create printed goods with a custom QR code that will lead people to a mobile-friendly website created in the Paperlinks app. Read More »
Yesterday, Georgina wrote about how to induct new remote workers. I thought I’d take that a step further and compile a list of apps that could be useful as you bring a new team member on board, particularly if you aren’t in the same location. Read More »
In an effort to better understand the dynamics of virtual teams, I decided to interview my own virtual team members at the social media marketing agency I co-own, Conversify, to determine what helps them to work well together. Here’s what they said. Read More »
The inclination in many organizations is to put social media monitoring into marketing or public relations. But is that the right move? I recently spoke with Ross Daniels, Director of Marketing for Cisco, about the challenges of deploying social media monitoring tools inside a larger enterprise. Read More »
Today, OneForty officially announced a new direction for the site. The online community and searchable database of Twitter-related apps has grown and expanded beyond its original Twitter focus, and now aims to become a “buyer’s guide” for people looking for social media consultants. Read More »
Glasscubes, a virtual collaborative workspace provider, seems to be flying under the radar, but not for a lack of innovation. The company recently announced some new features and a shift in overall direction. I spoke with its founder to get some insight into what’s happening. Read More »
While millions of people interact daily in public-facing social media channels, there are a growing number of internal social media solutions for the enterprise, becoming modern-day intranets. But do these systems work? And why might trying to bring social tools inside your gated corporate walls fail? Read More »
Is it really possible to take a company from a physical location to a virtual space, and take a team used to face-to-face work entirely online? Here’s a breakdown of some of the things to consider before making the leap to the cloud. Read More »
The Twitter website is rich with features that may not be easily accessible (or even available) via other other tools. Here are 10 very useful features that you might be missing out on that can be found on the Twitter website. Read More »
There are many good reasons to bring on additional resources to help you manage your social media presence and outreach. Let’s take a look at some of the times when outsourcing your social media efforts makes sense, starting with the most dire — and undesirable — … Read More »
You may love social media, but even the biggest fans of the social web will find some sources of frustration. What is your social media pain point? I thought I’d explore some of the main ones I’ve identified and offer up some potential solutions. Read More »
As the social media industry matures and best practices continue to refine, I’m struck by how too many people tend to get caught up in the numbers — or at least the wrong numbers — and let those numbers dictate how and when they use social … Read More »
I’ve been looking at Quora to see if it might be valuable for web workers. I’m skeptical that sites powered by the public can provide fast and reliable information. But here are some things you can do to improve exposure for your questions. Read More »
I enjoy looking at previous “predictions” and see what actually happened. Here’s what I predicted in my 2010 post on trends in social media and the outcome as of the end of the year. I’m also providing additional thoughts on trends to watch in 2011. Read More »
Mobile can be a new platform for building brand loyalty, stimulating traffic, and enhancing interaction. Eventually, sooner than we think, mobile will drive sales. If you’re going to “go mobile,” make sure that your efforts are framed by clear and attainable goals. Read More »
- Andy Carvin on Twitter as a newsroom and being human
- Can the Web make mental-health treatment more mainstream?
- Behind the scenes of a failed Kickstarter project
- New medical spectrum will untether patients from their monitors
- How Intuit uses big data to ‘delight’ you
- BYOD didn’t kill Cisco’s tablet; it was a doomed idea
- MongoDB or MySQL? Why not both?