I've been using a Blackberry with a full keyboard for quite a while, and have always been frustrated about dialing letters or words since the Blackberry doesn't have any kind of indicator what letters go with which numbers. For example, when I want to dial by name on a company phone system, I have resorted to doing the mapping in my head: something like "Let's see...ABC is 2, DEF is 3... dangit!"
Well, I just found out there is a much easier way: When you have to dial by name, wait for the prompt and simply press and hold down the "Alt" key on the Blackberry and use the keyboard to type the name you are trying to dial. The Blackberry will automagically send the right tone to match what you've typed. Awesome time saver.
When dialing 1-800-Whatever, the same technique applies - just punch that into the dialing field in the Blackberry's phone screen, and it will do the math for you.
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Bonus feature:
If you work for a company that uses a main number with an automated menu where you can dial individual extensions, try this. Type an extension into the phone screen (such as "x123") and the Blackberry will prompt you to set up your phone for automatic enterprise dialing.
After this is set up, you can simply type the extension number for anyone in your company into your Blackberry. The Blackberry will then dial your main number, pause for the specified number of seconds, then punch in the extension number. |
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I've written about Yapta a couple of times in the past (see "Related items" following this post) and how it's useful for today's airfare climate. As a refresher, you use Yapta's browser add-on to track airfares by "tagging" (or "bookmarking") the exact flight itineraries that you want while searching on airline websites. Once a trip is tagged, all key flight information - including price, airline and travel dates - is automatically stored on the traveler's "My Trips" page at Yapta.com and users are subsequently notified via email when prices drop.
If prices drop after you've purchased the ticket, you are notified when you're eligible for a travel voucher or refund from their airline.
What's new?
In the past, Yapta only worked with Internet Explorer. Well, good news to you Firefox (Windows and Mac) users: Yapta released their Firefox plug-in today. It's free if you want to give it a shot. You can get more info or download the Yapta plug-in for Firefox.
Yapta can be used to tag flights on the following sites:
http://www.Alaskaair.com
http://www.aa.com
http://www.Continental.com
http://www.Delta.com
http://www.JetBlue.com
http://www.united.com
http://www.usairways.com
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What the heck does the title of this post mean? Well, I'm referring to the TruckingAccident.org Blog where I found a great resource for the road warrior in a post called "The Mobile Productivity Toolbox: 100 Resources to Keep You Productive When on the Move."
Some of the new finds (for me, anyway) from this list include:
- #4: Mobivox: Get cheap Skype calls even when you're away from your computer and WiFi with Mobivox's service.
- #7: ProjectStat.us: If you're traveling, you may not be able to field lots of calls and emails about progress on projects. Keep everyone out of your hair by letting them find out with ProjectStat.us. [Note: ProjectStat.us is awesome - and I love their logo]
- #61: oh don't forget: Get reminders sent to you via SMS with this service. You don't even need an account to do it.
And, as the name of the post implies, there are 97 others. Go check it out!
Oh - and if you are a blogger, you might find some gems in another one of their articles: "Travel Blogging: 100 Resources To Help You Post on The Road."
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Read MoreIt's been a good year for good business books. I just finished Michael Stallard's Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity, and liked it very much.
The concepts in this book are sound, but the reason I liked it so much is that it contains a lot of stories that help illustrate how the concepts work in real life. For example, one of the concepts discussed in this book is about how to establish and maintain "Connection" in the workplace.
Great coaching
Stallard goes on to tell the story of John Wooden, a basketball coach, and how Wooden fostered a sense of family and commitment within his basketball teams (it's a great story) and went on to become one of the great basketball coaches of the game. Wooden coached some truly great players like Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during their college years, and made quite an impact. For example, Abdul-Jabbar wrote of Coach Wooden:
"[He] had a profound influence on me as an athlete, but even greater influence on me as a human being. He is responsible, in part, for the person I am today."
The foundation of Wooden's philosophy was to bring together Values, Vision, and Voice and the impact was extremely powerful. He fostered Connection in everyone on the team - not just the stars, and believed in dealing with issues, challenges, fears and disagreements out in the open. I can't do the story justice here, but it's an inspiring example of connecting individuals into a powerful team.
Not-so-great coaching
Stallard follows this with the story of Howell Raines of the New York Times, who had a disastrous reign due to politics, favoritism, and inconsistent application of policies and values. He fostered Connection in the stars of the organization, but alienated everyone else.
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Want a quick and easy way to keep track of what's in your wallet in case it gets lost or stolen?
I've scanned my credit cards, drivers license, etc. (front and back) into a PDF file that I have encrypted into a self-extracting ZIP file (with 256-bit AES encryption and a complex passphrase). I have this ZIP file stored electronically so that I can get to it anywhere in the world. That way, if I lose my wallet I can quickly get a list of what was in it, including the contact numbers on the back of the cards.
The ZIP file also contains a scan of my passport in case I lose it while traveling abroad.
I've added a recurring reminder in my calendar prompting me to update the scan from time to time.
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