Chanatown

Long time, no blog.  Yep, now that that's out of the way, let's dig into why I chose to write after a nearly two year hiatus. I pride myself on being responsive via email. My colleagues probably get sick of me talking about Inbox Zero, and my family probably despise me for keeping a mobile device nearby too often, but it's how I work. Until recently, my workflow has pretty much involved GMail, GCal, GTasks, and GDrive. I have given workshops and presentations on "Striving Towards Inbox Zero", and I haven't had much reason to change. However, Google's increasing attention to Reminders and their lack of love for GTasks have gotten me thinking about alternatives and not holding my breath that they will magically merge the two applications. Add to that the resurrecting buzz that Google Keep is generating in the edtech circles, and you've got a perfect time and opportunity for a change. That and it's spring break, which also explains my back ...

Many people often ask how I manage to juggle so many different responsibilities and still be able to stay on top of it all.  I'll admit that since the little one came along in mid-November, things may not be quite as tidy and organized (especially around the house).  However, I'm hoping that the systems and routines that I have worked so hard to start and maintain will continue to exist during fatherhood.  I've been meaning to read up on David Allen as he seems to be the guru on Getting Things Done (GTD) , but in the meantime, I've managed to develop some processes that help me out.  Here are a few examples of what I do and how I use technology to keep everything straight:

Image by Régis Gaidot via Flickr Anyone else noticing a ton of changes to your favorite Google products?  Every day I open Gmail, Calendar , Docs , Blogger , Images or anything Google, there seems to be something new in store. While I usually welcome and embrace change, I can imagine how the casual user may get overwhelmed with the "new" icon flashing everywhere. For your convenience, here are some of the new features you'll find in your favorite Google products.

Yes, I have a Push addiction. But, that's for a later conversation. I just tested GPush for the iPhone, a much anticipated app that gives you push notifications when you receive a new Gmail. Funny thing is, I just couldn't wait anymore for this app, so I plunked down the $4.99 for Pushmail 2 days ago. Well, turns out I may get my money's worth after all. GPush does not send you any part of the email itself, just the sender and the subject line. This makes for a cleaner look than Pushmail, but I like the fact that I can decipher more of the message in Pushmail and this allows me to make a better decision as to whether I need to open my mail app or not. This is one of the main reasons why I want Push for my emails, so it is at this time a dealbreaker for GPush. Still, for $0.99 vs. $4.99, GPush is a good deal. It has a better icon than GPush and it offers a badge icon update. Plus, it seems more intuitive since it doesn't use the email forwarding go-around as do...