Why SimpleNote is Simple Yet Powerful

simplenote_logoNotes capturing have come a long way since the days of cave painting and moleskin notebook. Not only has it gone full digital, cross platforms, you can now easily search notes you created years ago!

Problem is most people aren’t aware of what is possible and aren’t really taking advantage of  the latest technologies to make their life easier.

For taking notes during meetings, at a conference or planning for an events or occasion I simply have not come across a more elegant solution than Simplenote.

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How to turbo charge content consumption on the iPad

imageFor a gadget that no one was quite sure whether we really needed it, the iPad has certainly been a huge hit and revolutionised how we consume contents on the go today.

I have been a huge fan of the iPad since day one and had taken full advantage of it to satisfy my information addiction. With it’s unique form factor, large touch screen and constant connectivity, app developers have been on a roll, with new innovative apps appearing on a daily basis. As consumers of information, it means that we can now consume more content, at more places, with a level of ease never seen before.

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Three Simple Tips to Reduce the size of your inbox

inbox_imagePeople are often surprised (or shocked) when they see or find out that I always clear my email box at the end of every single working day.

This almost religious belief in having empty inbox has allowed me to focus on what is really important and get more done throughout the day.

Regardless of how small or insignificant each individual emails are and how quickly you can scroll through them, people are often distracted (and often disheartened!)  and repeatedly waste their mental energy as they review their fully stacked inbox numerous times throughout the day. It is a big drain on productivity and simply  a BAD IDEA!

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3 Evernote Search Tips You Must Know

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Evernote is a multi-platform tools that aims to to replace your brain and helps you remember everything! Not only does it take basic things like “Taking Note” to the next level. For some people it also makes the dream of going “Paperless” a reality.

I personally am a big fan and assume that you have at least tried it if not also an active user. If you not a user currently, I highly recommend that you get started and Michael Hyatt has a a great resources page dedicated to all things Evernote related to help you on your way.

Just like that thing between your ears, a brain is only as good as its ability to retrieve information stored inside. What I want to focus on for this post is how you can take Evernote to the next level through better understanding of its search and retrieval capabilities. Here are 3 Evernote search related tips that you must know:« Continue »

Best Desktop Search Alternatives

imageNow that Google has announced they are shutting down Google Desktop search, let’s have a look at the best alternatives when it comes to the need to quickly finding that important file on your desktop.

1. Windows/Mac Built in Desktop Search

In many ways, the role of a dedicated desktop search engine has been replaced by the default, built-in operating system search capabilities.« Continue »

Tips on How to Search within a Web Page

imageI recently came across a great post on how bad the state of search skills is within the broad user base. This particular quote from the article not only caught my attention, it really highlighted how bad the problem is and how much improvement there is to be had with a little bit of education.

“90% of computer users do not know how to use CTRL + F (PC) or Command + F (Mac) to search through a document or Web page.”

Oh dear me! and here I am preaching about advanced Boolean expression and specialist search engines.

I guess we better get back to some of the basics.« Continue »

How To Search Twitter, Revisited

imageNow that Google has removed real-time search as an option, where should you go to find treasures on the twittersphere?

Well, you could always try searching on twitter.com/search which I think most people will probably fall back to. By digging into advanced search options, you can indeed be quite effective searching using the twitter.com search engine. There are however, alternatives for people who wants more capabilities and features when it comes to searching through twitterspehere.« Continue »

Are You Searching Within Your Own Personal Bubble?

imageI am a big fan of the TED’s series of seminars and recently came across a really interest talk called “Beware online “filter bubbles” By Eli Pariser.

The simple premise presented during this seminar is that search personalisation where search engines track you and try to tailor the results based on your past searching and clicking history has gone too far.

The funny things is that not that long ago, “Results tailored to you” was supposed to be a positive, now somehow its a bad thing?« Continue »

Useful Search Tips for Holiday Travellers

Old_Atlas As the holiday season nears, many people are no doubt planning for their trip away from the city, and the Internet and Search Engines are often the first port of the call when people start to research and plan their trip.

It’s no secret that the Internet is a fantastic resources to search for cheap airfares, holidays ideas and accommodation recommendations. The mix of extensive commercial contents and user supplied material means that as long as you know where to look and how to find the right information, you can really leave nothing to chances when it comes to planning for your next trip.

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