Genuine Curiosity

Xobni - a very interesting Outlook tool

I have been kicking the tires on a product called Xobni for the past week or so, and am fascinated by this useful tool. Xobni (inboX backwards) is a "plug-in" to Outlook that integrates seamlessly with Outlook, providing a real-time "dashboard" for Outlook (you can see what it looks like in the video preview at the end of this post).

Xobni provides some very cool capabilities, such as:

• Very fast email search.
  • It's limited to items in Outlook, but it provides some very robust (and visually clear) search results.
• Email analytics.
  • I'm a stat geek at heart, so I was jazzed by the reports you can get about your email habits (example graph below - click for larger view).
    

• A particularly interesting aspect of their stat function is it ranks your senders based on the volume of email sent and received (and it shows their rank along with the picture form their contact record, if you've got a picture in there).
• Discover the "network" of people related to your contacts.
  • Xobni analyzes the other people cc'd on your emails to & from others, and gives you a view of the other people in their email network.
• Quickly see good information about your contacts.
  • Xobni will pull phone numbers out of peoples signature blocks and show them prominently in its sidebar, and will call out people assistants and other useful information.
• Quick attachment summary.
  • If you can remember who sent an attachment to you, simply click on an email from them, and you'll see a time-sorted list of attachments in one of Xobni's panes - then you click on it to open.

Check out this video walk-through to Xobni - it is pretty amazing. And, in real life, it works just like the video.

Xobni is free (used to be an invite-only beta but it's wide open for a free download now) and supports Outlook 2003 and 2007 on Windows platforms.

I really like this tool, and will keep using it for a while. The only gripes I have are that occasionally slows my system down, and it doesn't fit too well on my laptop because I have a lower resolution display (1024x768) - however, it is easy to collapse or turn off the Xobni pane without impacting the other functions of the product.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Eluma: Browse, organize, and share

I do a lot of online research on a variety of topics - work, personal, etc. However, I'm not very methodical about cataloging the links I find. As a result, I have a lot of unruly bookmarks (favorites) that I've accumulated. I save some of them "just in case," others I intend to check periodically (but often forget), and still others were bookmarked for a short term need but they hang around even though I'll probably never click on them again (tracking pages for orders, for example).

I recently found a tool that seems to be helpful in taming these bookmarks while making it easier to organize and share the "finds" I unearth while online. The tool is called "Eluma," and it's free.

Organize as you browse

Eluma makes it easy to flag, file, rate, subscribe, tag, and "compartmentalize" the sites and pages I discover, by providing a user-friendly toolbar.

Additionally, you can attach notes to a page for later reference.

From a higher level organizational perspective, you can organize your information sources in a number of ways - by source type, by topic / category, you can use tags, and you can create your own Collections. The Collections aspect is very useful - more on that later.

Track and get reminders

I follow a lot of topics - some by looking at web pages, some by subscribing to RSS feeds, some through searches, etc. The challenge is remembering to look at all these things so I don't miss something I'm interested in. I have solved some of this by using things like Google news alerts and that sort of thing, but the problem is that I still have a number of things to check - email alerts, an RSS reader, manual perusal, etc.

Eluma makes it easier to bring all of these different sources together (plus a few more) and set up customized searches and alerts so I am notified when something new comes about in one of the sources I'm monitoring. I've only been using Eluma for a few weeks, but the aggregation and alerting features have already saved me some time.

Read about the topics you're following

In this area, Eluma is quite a bit like any other reader - you click on the source you want to read, and it presents you with the latest information from that source. It will track what you've read, what you haven't, and you can configure the time horizon to tell Eluma how long to keep the news items.

One thing that is nice - it collapses into a "mini" mode, which reminds me of an IM client (see screen grab of the window, at right). When you click on a topic, it creates a "sidecar" windows that contains the content associated with what you clicked on. This is a nice compromise of using minimal screen real estate when you're not actively using Eluma, but expanding to give you lots of on-screen data when you are using it.

As I've mentioned in the past, one of the criteria for a suitable feed reader for me is that it must handle offline reading so I can catch up on my feeds when I am on a plane. I'm happy to say that Eluma handles this pretty well, and I've been in touch with their developers and they have plans to make this offline functionality even more robust and flexible in the future. The added functionality will allow you to flag a feed for special treatment so that Eluma will not only cache the feed content, but will cach a certain depth of links beyind the feed items, as well.

Share what you've found

One of the cool aspects of Eluma is that it is associated with a sort of "community" of other Eluma users. As you find interesting items and information sources, you can rate them and share your ratings with the rest of the community. This can help separate the wheat from the chaff when you're diving into a new topic, and tap into the power of the community.

I mentioned Collections earlier. This is a notion that allows you to create predefined "groups," filters, and profiles of information sources. You can, of course, use these to help you organize your information flow, but you can also publish these to others - either the whole community, or to individuals you invite to share them. This is pretty nice - I'm just getting into them, but I think this could be one of the power features of Eluma, transforming it from an organizational tool to a collaboration tool.

Way more than I can cover here

My summary here is just scratching the surface - Eluma is a very feature-rich and flexible tool. It's free to try, and I rcommend it if you're someone who likes to follow a lot of online information and are tired of turning to a huge number of tools to get the job done. Find out more at Eluma's web site.

Learning from movies

At Joyful Jubilant Learning, this month's theme is Learning from the Movies. I just posted my thoughts on this topic over there.

In actuality, I didn't write about what I learned from a specific movie. It's more about some of the collective learnings I've gathered from movies, actors, and abominable 3rd movies in multi-movie sagas...

Juicy apple bites: Mac and iPhone scoop

I have a couple of interesting, Apple-related tidbits to share with you - and they might be interesting whether you use a Mac or not.

• First, Mozy has released a Mac version of their online backup product (see my earlier review of Mozy, which I use at home). In honor of this new release, they are offering a discount on new signups through May 8. Simply enter the promo code "MACMOZY" for a 15% discount, whether you use a Mac or not - a pretty sweet deal.
• After May 8, you can also use the May monthly promo codes: "MAY" is the 10% off promo code for annual signups and "MAY2" for 10% off biannual signups.
• Second, I have been Jonesing for an iPhone, but have decided to wait until later this year when they release a 3G iPhone. Since I'm chomping at the bit to get one, I sometimes dig around the internet for hints about features, pricing, etc. In the course of a search today, I ran across some really interesting reading on Apple's strategy around the iPhone, MacBook Air, and other products. This comes to us by way of an AppleInsider-posted Piper Jaffray analysis of Apple's 15 unanswered questions about Apple's product strategy. This is just excellent work (the iPhone stuff starts on page 2).
• This is apparently a follow-up to another good article AppleInsider posted, in which Piper Jaffray addressed 22 more unanswered questions about Apple's strategy.

A deal on NitroPDF Professional through May 7 (or maybe a bit longer?)

For a long time now, NitroPDF Professional has been my top recommendation for creating, editing, annotating, and combining PDF files. I reviewed NitroPDF in full a couple of years back, and I like their latest version (v5) even more than when I started using it back in the day.

I just got an email offer from V-Com/Avanquest to get NitroPDF Professional at a special price of $49 (that's the price I originally paid, as mentioned in my review). The email invited me to pass it on to my friends, so I figured I'd share the link to the offer and the promo code (NITRO30) here -- just in case you're interested in picking up a copy of this excellent tool.

Don't sit on this too long -- according to the email, this offer is only valid for one week.

Note from May 10: I just tried the link to see if it was expired, and it looks like it still gets you the same discount - pretty cool, but I don't think it will last forever...

Here are some of the feature highlights from the email (and there are more details on their site):

• Easy PDF Creation: Create PDF files from more than 300 file types and use our one-click functionality to quickly convert commonly-used file types such as Microsoft® Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, WordPerfect and more.
• Convert PDFs: Quickly convert PDF files for reuse in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, OpenOffice and more. Extract all text and images in the one process
• Edit PDF Files. Use intuitive editing tools to directly insert or edit text and images in PDF files.
• Secure Your Work. The built-in security features give you exceptional control over the PDF files you create: encrypt files to prevent unauthorized access, restrict sensitive operations, and more.
• Intuitive Commenting and Review. Add feedback in familiar and intuitive ways with sticky notes, highlighters, underlines, and more. Comments and feedback are attached directly to the material being commented on, so nothing gets lost.
• Fill In and Create PDF Forms: With its form design tools, you can easily turn flat PDF documents into fillable, interactive PDF forms that contain text fields, buttons, checkboxes, JavaScript and more

Enjoy!

Execution Revolution

Due to my prior coverage of Gary Harpst's "Six Disciplines for Excellence," I was fortunate enough to get on the pre-release book review list for his latest book "Execution Revolution."

This is a book designed to get your business to the next level. I loved this book, and I think the subtitle sums it up quite well: "Solving the one business problem that makes solving all other problems easier." What's the "one problem?" Execution.

Voice of experience

If you're unfamiliar with Gary, he was the founder of Solomon Accounting (very popular software back in the 80's and early 90's when the PC industry was very young). He grew his business form startup to achieve great success, finally selling the company to Great Plains Software (since purchased by Microsoft) for a hefty sum.

One of the things I love about Gary's methods and style is that he incorporates his own lessons learned, successes, and experiences into his books - and that makes his guidance seem much more actionable and achievable.

More than a memoir

Don't worry, though - this book is not about hyping up Gary's past. Instead, he presents stories we can learn from (like when he had to layoff half his company) and provides structure and techniques so other small-to-medium businesses (SMB's) can avoid some of the problems he encountered. The other thing I noticed very early in the book is that Gary uses tons of data to support his ideas (but I guess that makes sense from a guy who started an accounting software company).

The stories Harpst relates (his own and specially selected vignettes from other companies) rang true for me - whether he was talking about the problem with communication as an organization grows, the tendency to refrain from action even when you know the right thing to do, or problems that occur when you don't factor human nature into the difficulty of making business changes.

A book of action

This book is centered on a methodology designed to guide you through actionable steps to become better at execution within the business, with the goal of taking your business to the next level. Just as his first book focused on Six Disciplines, Harpst has focused Execution Revolution on a 6-phase system to address problems with execution:

1. Decide what's important (Strategy)
2. Set goals that lead (Plan)
3. Align systems (Organize)
4. Work the plan (Execute)
5. Innovate purposefully (Innovate)
6. Step back (Learn)

And the whole thing repeats.

Knowing vs. doing

Now, at a glance, you might think "OK - that all sounds obvious or familiar..." but I encourage you to see what Harpst has to say. After all, how many business have a pretty good idea what they should be doing, but are falling short on delivery and execution? Harpst has obviously been there along with the rest of us, and has devoted his attention to helping organizations break through this obstacle to become high performers.

Harpst's book goes beyond platitudes, and his recommendations are meaty and actionable.

This is not a 'getting started' business book. It's a 'getting better' or 'getting results' book that is well-suited for established SMB's who are in the mids of (or in fear of) a plateu or decline in performance. If you want to jump the curve and get better results in leading an SMB, this book is one you should read.

Tools for connecting in business

I've been a little quiet this week due to a hectic schedule, but wanted to let you know that I posted about LinkedIn and Plaxo on the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog yesterday. If you haven't already seen it, and are interested in tools that can help you with your business and (to some degree) social connections, check out the post.

I have a backlog of book reviews to be written - look for them to start showing up in the next few days, carrying through to next week.

A few for Friday (18-April-08)

Here are a few of the good links and fun items I've run across this past week.

The "Now Defunct Museum"

The Now Defunct Museum is a Squidoo lens dedicated to remembering some of the things that once seemed everywhere, but now have vanished from our everyday lives. Very entertaining - I like the picture of the old-school NBA uniforms (at right), for example.

How to Create a 15 minute Presentation in 1 Hour or Less

Cliff Atkinson, author of Beyond Bullet Points, has posted an excellent walk-through post showing how to create a 15 minute presentation very efficiently.

i-Lighter now has a Mac version

A few weeks back, I wrote about i-Lighter as a wonder tool. Good news - they now have a Mac version available! Check it out at the i-Lighter home page and download a free copy.

Can you hear me now?

I was thumbing through the SkyMall catalog on a flight home this week, and saw something I just had to tear out and post here. It's a hearing aid disguised as a Bluetooth headset - I love the way they spin the value in the ad (click the thumbnail at left to read it yourself).

I just wonder what people will think when you have this in one ear and are holding your phone up to the other ear when someone calls you?

If you want one, head over to SkyMall.

The business of time auditing

I was in an intersting discussion the other day about time auditing since I've written a good bit about this topic (see "Related items" at the end of this post). The gist of the discussion was, "Time auditing seems like a lot of work and I end up thinking a lot about minutiae - why should I do it?" I can see why folks might feel that way. After all, time audits require an investment from you - of time, attention, and effort.

I'm a certified IT auditor, and I tried to explain the value using analogies from business audits.I'm not sure I entirely succeeded, but wanted to share some of my thinking here to get your thoughts on the concepts. They're very rough, but may be useful.

Don't audit everything equally

• In a business audit, not every control or process is equally important. You tend to start with a top-down, risk based audit to identify your most important processes and most significant risks. You then spend your audit efforts on things that have the most risk / potential to screw up the important results.
• In time audits, not all your activities are equally important. Try to think about the important activities (those most closely tied to your success), or your most risky activities (those activities most likely to chew up too much time on the clock, those most likely to sabotage your results, etc). Then, you can audit / scrutinize those areas most since they'll be where you get ROI from the time spent on your audits.

Keep records of the evidence you've gathered

• In business audits, you keep "work papers" to record what you've observed, what people have told you, what metrics are in place, what controls are in place, reports to substantiate control effectiveness, etc. These are crucial so your findings are fact-based, specific, and accurate.
• In time audits, you should keep "evidence" of what you've done and try to make the details accurate enough so your findings are based on data and not your fuzzy memory. This is also where some of the best a-ha's come from, like "Oh - if I leave at 6:55 instead of 7:15 in the morning, that cuts 40 minutes off my morning commute..."

Write up your findings

• In business audits, audit reports are your means of communicating what you've seen, what's effective, and where the organization is deficient in its controls or practices. This forms the backbone of how you communicate the issues to others and formulate an action plan. You can also review the findings from previous audits to find out if any of the old problems have improved or worsened.
• In time audits, you need not be so formal, but I have found it helpful to write up a "report" at the end of your time audit with key themes, problems, and good things you've learned from analyzing your evidence. You can keep these as a record of your progres for comparison in future time audits.

Create a follow-up plan

• In a business audit, you work with management to come up with a plan to address deficiencies, and track to that plan. This process ensures that management takes responsibility for the controls and their effectiveness and helps set explanations for the timely resolution of significant issues.
• In a time audit, you can do something similar by identifying your most significant issues and creating a written plan (with targets) to improve them. This gives you something you can track against to help drive improvements. Part of the plan should be to review your progress against the plan at some point in the future.

These are just a few ideas to help apply some of the principles of business auditing to your time audits. What do you think? Does this thinking hold up for you? Why or why not? And what other principles do you propose for more effective time audits?

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Related items

• Go audit yourself (8/4/2007)
• Keeping a running tab of what you've done (5/6/2007)
• Audit time! (2/28/2006)
• Fresh Gear: Where does all the time go? (7/29/2006)
• Dusting off a classic procrastinator's toolkit (4/4/2005)