Dan Hall

P.S. Why on earth would you create an iPhone app where I can’t add notes or clip while browsing? Sometimes, I feel like we are miles apart. That whole hacking together a JavaScript bookmark makes me feel dirty.

I tried using Evernote over a year ago for that purpose. Maybe I didn’t give it enough time but it didn’t do it for me.

However, I am giving it another shot and am liking what I see so far. The web clipping tool they have it quite useful. It is quite easy to clip whole web pages or highlighted text to Evernote and tag it accordingly.

I do a lot of browsing on my iPhone so I downloaded the Evernote app and assumed it would have a similiar capability. I was quite surprised to find out they don’t have this feature.

After some searching on the web (it appears this is a feature a lot of people are looking / wishing for), there are two ways to get this basic functionality on your iPhone.

The first is to simply use your personalized Evernote email address to mail the link from your iPhone Safari browser. Of course, the problem with this is that you can’t clip the whole page or tag notes requiring you to duplicate efforts in Evernote Web or your desktop version. I am not of fan of doing something twice.

Larry Keltto over at The Solopreneur Life has instructions.

The second (and better albeit not perfect due to the UI) is to create a bookmark in your iPhone Safari bookmarks with the web clipping JavaScript bookmarklet.  Thanks to Chris Bray for the JavaScript (he also has the JavaScript for a number of other tools). Just copy and email it to yourself. Open the email on your iPhone and copy the code. Go safari and add a new bookmark. Go into your bookmarks and edit the recent addition. Paste the JavaScript into the URL and name it something you can remember like ‘Evernote Clipper” and there you go. All set. You will need to login to Evernote just like using the web clipper normally and the UI will only KIND OF fit holding the iPhone horizontally but on the plus side you can add tags, notes, and clip the whole page. NICE!

The Mergy Notes also has some general instructions: the mergy notes » Use the Evernote Clipper With Safari On iPad and iPhone.

via $150 Book Saver turns a 200 page book into eReader format in 15 minutes.

This is another option to research in the quest for digitizing books.

More information is available on the Ion Audio website. It looks like it supports pdf, epub, and doc formats as well. Does not specify camera resolution. One minor downside is that it can only scan 8.5″ x 11.”

I also wonder if the included software will address difference document sizes so a novel wouldn’t the extra whitespace (filling the 8.5″ x 11″ frame).

Also, the software doesn’t appear to include OCR. Not a big deal but OCR is definitely a feature some will want, including me but this is easily worked around using Adobe Create PDF.

Books are cut to sheets for the scan.

Scanned data are converted to PDF.

PDF files are sent to online storage for your retrieval.

Book remnants are sent to local recycle center.

(Book remnants can also be shipped back to you.)

via Welcome to Book Scan US – Home.

Could be a nice option to add to tools to help in personal data management and productivity.

The files could be stored in Evernote. Might have to try this out.

You know those greats conversations you are having with a friend or co-worker that goes something like this:

“I read this great article about X, I think it was on web site Y, the title was something like Z. I’ll have to find it and email it to you.”

Finding that article again can sometimes be a near impossible task. Multiply that by 1,000 and that is how much useful information that can’t be easily recalled and shared.

I am going to start using “Press This” by WordPress on this blog as a tool to help me store information. It is mostly a personal endeavor so if you are reading this, that will be the reason why I am posting random links.

Apparently this can be done using the iPhone as well as seen here:

WordPress 2.6 “Press This” Bookmarklet Works Great on iPhone | Josh Bancroft’s TinyScreenfuls.com.

I find myself on a regular basis telling my friends and colleagues to use DocuSign. Why? Well, it is simple. I detest the process of receiving a document, reviewing it, sending back proposed changes, getting the final version, printing it, signing it, scanning it, reattaching the document to an email, sending, and have the other party do the same process until they finally send the executed document back.

DocuSign streamlines this whole process. Their console is easy to use and is intuitive. I love services where I don’t have to muck around trying to figure how to use them. I have used DocuSign for dozens of contracts and agreements. It literally has saved me hours of time each month – which I appreciate as a Startup CEO. And best of all, they are mobile friendly. I have signed some very important documents on my iPhone (no app required) while on the move. DocuSign is well worth the monthly cost – go and check them out if you also detest the manual paper signing / scanning process.

I am always intrigued with companies using technology to improve processes so I decided to take a deeper look at Qworky’s website to see if they had a demo or more information about how they actually plan on help me have better meetings. Here’s what I found out:

1. “Easy to access agendas ensures your meeting tells for years to come. ” Mmm. Okay.

2. “A shared central location for meeting information means Qworky reduces email overhead, all while integrating email for clients and colleagues who live and breathe their inbox. ” Gotcha, central meeting location online.

3. “By incorporating positive cues proven to increase collaborative participation, Qworky Meetings is your ultimate brainstorm companion. Bring Qworky to the Table and the Ideas will follow.”  Apparently, you haven’t met some of the people I sit with in meetings.

And that’s all they’re sharing. Fortunately, the meeting preview they used at NWEN is still available here. You can also go to their preview site and register to set up your own test meeting. It was pretty straight forward. Below is the end result.

So, here the problem. You are asking me to use another artificial process (Qworky) to better another artificial process (the meeting). I assume, eventually, you will even ask me to pay for it. It looks much like a B2C play which is a difficult play when tackling processes within organizations. You may get some adopters here or there but more than likely there will be significant obstacles for widespread use.

I like startups, I like them a lot. I also like to see them tackling cool issues like making meetings better. For that, I wish Qworky luck.

Dan Hall

Meanwhile, check out ActiveWords. If you are like me and do a lot of organization of files into folders or a lot of repeative actions (like sourcing candidates from LinkedIn), this simple program is a must have. 

Dan Hall

Re-engineering involves looking at the entire organization to simplify or eliminate unnecessary processes with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction though improvements in efficiency.

This got me to thinking about the sometimes bad reputation Human Resources has in organizations and led to think about the following questions:

1. When have you as a professional engaged in your own re-engineering? When was the last time you took a hard look at how to improve your customer satisfaction through the elimination of unneccesary processes? What actions did you take and what was the outcome?

2. If Human Resources does have a bad reputation for customer service (i.e. to our Employees and Managers) what can we do as a profession to re-engineer ourselves to improve this?

I would love to hear your answers. I’ll even tell you what, I will buy the person with the best answers coffee at Zeitgeist Coffee in Seattle if they are in the local area (this should get the recruiting agencies attention).

Dan Hall

Seattle Human Resources Manager