Toshiba Launches New Convertible Notebook for Students and Small Business Professionals
In the next upcoming months many students will ask me which notebook or Tablet PC is right for them. It's probably the most difficult question I get asked as it a questions that often requires several other questions before it can be answered. No Tablet PC is perfect for everyone so you have to go through several options and figure out what features they really need. Only then can this notorious question be resolved.
I was recently disappointing
when I read news about the Lenovo X60 Tablet PC not coming out till next year. As many of you might now I own a
Lenovo X41 Tablet PC and am very fond of it as I found it to be a perfect companion in my busy college life. I was hoping to be able to recommend the new X60 to other students as it seems to take many of the features that make my X41 so great and combines them with some new great upgrades like an Intel Duo chip and faster hardrive. I guess we will have to wait on this one.
However you won't have to wait on
Toshiba's Satellite R25 Tablet PC! It also has Core Duo and a faster hard drive along with some other great features. I have not had time to check it out myself but wanted to make sure any student in the market looking for a new Tablet PC was aware of this one as on first glance it seems to really pack a punch and could end up being another great machine for students!
Toshiba Launches New Convertible Notebook for Students and Small Business Professionals via Tablet PC Talk
Windows Vista in Healthcare Web Cast: On-demand recording now available
I didn't get a chance to see the video myself but do plan to set some time aside to watch it tomorrow. I couldn't get in the live viewing because you had to be a registered member but this
On-demand recording seems to be available to anyone with a valid e-mail address.
The demonstration is on Vista in the healthcare and I am anxious to see what Vista is able to bring to the healthcare system. I am sure upgrading to Vista in almost any healthcare organization would require some work and money so I am interested to see if the new OS can generate any real benefits. I may comment on it later after I get a chance to view it.
Windows Vista in Healthcare Web Cast: On-demand recording now availablefrom Microsoft HealthBlog
More Great Mind Mapping Resources
Chuck Frey sent me an e-mail the other day with links to some great Mind Mapping Resources. Lately I have found myself struggling to discover new resources as my time is continually stretched to the limit, but he was nice enough to do much of the work for me! I would like to pass the links on to everyone else as I feel many of you will find them both interesting and informative.
I should also note I plan to work on making a
MindManager map of all the great
MindManager and Mind Mapping resources I have discovered thus far. I am also thinking of adding a page dedicated to
MindManager soon since I don't use categories (maybe I should switch blog services?) but would like to have all my
MindManager topics in one easy to find place. Any recommendations?
The Mind Mapping Software Blog - http://mindmapping.typepad.com/
The Mind Mapping Resource Center - http://www.innovationtools.com/resources/mindmapping.asp
Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software (e-book) - http://www.mindmap-ebook.com/
Thanks Chuck for the e-mail!
ResultsManager Update: Day 2
I received my keys for ResultsManager
on Monday and right away tried to start applying it to many of my MindManager
maps. I had a previous encounter with ResultsManager a few months back so although I am still making my way through the manual and online lessons, I still have a sense of familiarity with it.
Since setting it up wasn’t much of a challenge I immediately jumped into the ResultsManager Dashboards. A few hours playing around with these and it quickly became obvious that this is where much of the power for ResultsManager lies. These templates are what sweep through all your maps finding all your actions and organizing them into a single map that allows you to view the tasks all together that must be completed. The templates that they provide do a pretty good job but I am still finding myself having to update and change them quite a bit to fit within my personal GTD methods.
The first thing I really have to edit is the context aspect of it all. For whatever reason contexts are pretty invaluable at this moment. Most of my work is done at home, on my computer, or near my workstation. I do occasionally work or study at the library but almost anything I normally do there can also be done at home and vice versa. This leaves me with very few individual contexts at this moment. I know this is probably going to change greatly next year, when I hopefully enter the sales and business world, but for now leaving those context blank is most beneficial. Because of this I am finding the need to remove this filter from almost all my dashboard templates while still trying to get the hang of editing and customizing these dashboards. My feeling is I will really have to play around with them quite a bit before I discover the template design that is most suitable.
Currently my greatest challenge with ResultsManager is using it to gather all those little tasks that don’t belong to any real dedicated or complex project. These include things like iron pants in morning, run after work, buy dinner for Tuesday night. Normally these items would go on a general next actions list or map right on my central desktop. It was essentially a very basic To-Do List where I really didn’t have to organize, sort, or categorize it. It was usually something that would remain there for a few days and then I would be done with it and never have to look at it again so I would just delete it and make room for something else. What I feel ResultsManager wants me to do is turn these simple tasks into projects or next actions. Spending extra time thinking about these tasks, placing them in separate maps or categorizing them by filling in extra details seems like a waste of my time. However if I don’t add them as tasks they won’t end up in any of my dashboards and if I truly want to take advantage of ResultsManager, I must be positive that my system will collect every task I need to complete that day, even if it’s as simple as charging the cell phone in the morning.
My last difficulty is with appointments and meetings. It’s actually not entirely ResultsManager ‘s fault as I was often having similar difficulties using MindManager in similar scenarios. My ideal situation would have a program tell me everything that is on my plate for any particular day. To perform this magical move would require it to looks through all my maps for tasks and my calendar for appointments. MindManager and ResultsManager do a pretty good job of this, and I am sure this will improve as I gain more experience, but what they fail to track are my scheduled appointments and calendar items. I would love to run a daily ResultsManager dashboard and have it search through all my maps, my Outlook calendar for appointments and organize them into a weekly or daily map. MindManager does a very poor job of trying to manage scheduled tasks and because of this I must rely on programs like Outlook much more than I prefer. I understand why this is not an important issue for MindJet, as I really am stretching the program’s abilities sometimes, but if MindManager could somehow keep track of appointments, classes and inform me when these activities are taking place by creating the appropriate topic in a pre-assigned spot (for example a topic that has a particular date or time attached to it) it would really help me get all my tasks and activities into one spot instead of sea-sawing back and forth constantly throughout the day.
It’s really only been two days with ResultsManager and am really making an effort to incorporate into my routine. However, I still ask myself if this extra effort is really worth it? It’s a question I asked when I first started playing with ResultsManager a few months back and until I can answer with a definite YES I will continue to ponder its abilities and worth.
The Stalwart: Is Creativity Overrated?
I often proclaim myself as an innovative and creative individual but is this a good thing? I always felt claustrophobic in school and although there were a few teachers that really understood the importance of going beyond just the facts this was very rare occurence. I feel the system rewards those that can memorize numerous facts and regurgitate them back on a test. I say give everyone a laptop or book and ask them to use those facts to solve a common problem. I
nformation is not hard to find these days. My 13 year old cousin can go to
answers.com or
Wikipedia and tell me what a chemolithotroph is but would they be able to understand it or be able to use this knowledge in some way beyond marking the correct answer on a test?
With that said it seems there is another twist to the story in that creativity is turning into this pop culture like motif. Everyone wants to be a creative thinker and come up with the next big thing. Can we be successful as a society if everyone just wants to sit and think and not be bothered with busy work in an effort to allow our brain's "to breath"? It's an interesting notion and this article takes a look at whether creativity is indeed overrated.
I especially found this snip a bit interesting as it's something I relate to pretty well and one of the reasons I refocused my attention and career goals after pursuing a career in dentistry and investment towards graduate school for 4 years.
"To succeed in academia, my graduate students and I had to learn to be less creative than we were initially inclined to be. Critics complain that schools squelch creativity, but most people are inclined to be more creative on the job than would be truly productive. So schooling is mostly about selecting the smarter and more diligent, and learning to show up day after day to somewhat boring jobs with ambiguous instructions."
I found the article at least a bit enticing so maybe you will too!
Is Creativity Overrated?via The Stalwart
ResultsManager: Here we go again…
I’ve had an interesting relationship with ResultsManager. We met a few months ago after someone left a comment and suggested that I take a closer look into it as well as suggesting a possible Dorko Demo. Always listening to those that leave comments and send me e-mail I decided to see what ResultsManager was all about. A little research showed me that it’s renowned by many in the business world but I actually never heard much talk about it from a student’s perspective. My first encounter with the add-in was mediocre at best. It’s lavish price tag was a deterrent for my college budget and most of my initial impressions were muddied by this fact.
Soon after I met with Kyle McFarlin who was gracious enough to donate his time to help me sort through many of these initial feelings. He walked me through how he used ResultsManager throughout college and was able to reveal a side to the add-in that was overlooked my first time through. After the meeting I was able to conceive the possibility that ResultsManager did in fact deserve much of its hype but from a student’s perspective never could give it my full backing.
Recently I have been blessed with the opportunity to once again take another look. This time is different though. I have read about and implemented the GTD methodology and am at a point in my life where I can take a look at new tools and not worry about falling behind in school. I also am currently in this transition state between college student and business professional which allows me to look at things from a unique perspectives. These pieces will now serve as my foundation as I embark on a new journey with ResultsManager.
Eric Mack is also starting his own summer project with ResultsManager and I look forward to following his progress as he takes some coaching lesson from Nick Duffill. He plans to document as much as his journey as he can and has started off with in style with his first podcast. I know I personally look forward to his posts and hope to learn from his experience as well as mine!
As a student we must weigh the pros and cons of any situation. For most students I feel the price tag, initial time investment, and required devotion to the themes ResultsManager promotes does not produce results worthy of such time and money. This of course does not apply to every student, as there are always exceptions, but from what I’ve seen and experienced, I can’t see too many of them being successful with it. The situation does transpose if they are willing to severely change the way they do things; and this includes not only the way they handle school related matters but all events and tasks encountered on a daily basis. Unfortunately this transformation takes a lot of work, and although great results can be achieved, the initial investment may not be a realistic expectation for your average student.
With that said I will soon embark on a journey with ResultsManager. I must be going crazy right? I just said I wouldn’t recommend the add-in to most students. Well I won’t disagree on the crazy aspect but my situation is a bit different than the average student, thus I can venture off into those uncharted waters with ResultsManager without fear of drowning.
The first thing I must illustrate is that I don’t think or act like most ordinary students. This has always been my nature and it’s something I am actually quite proud of. I don’t like to conform to the norm (although I do when it is required) as I feel approaching obstacles from a creative approach allows you to learn and discover many more things along the entire journey. This is one of the reasons I always try to be on the cutting edge and am so passionate about the use of technology to solve so many of my everyday challenges. For this reason I don’t get frustrated when new things don’t work out as expected or when I realize a great deal of effort is required to see greater results later on. ResultsManager fits into this category as I feel it’s not the easiest program to pick up. In addition, MindManager is still very new for many students and I feel this adds another level of complexity to an already unfamiliar situation. You don’t have to be a MindManager guru, but having a good handle on it helps tremendously when you’re starting out. As gifted and devoted as students are I feel many would not be able to overcome this first step.
My current situation is also not like most students but a few will sympathize with my position. Approaching my final year of college I find myself in this transition state, entrenched between a college student and business professional entering the world of pharmaceutical/medical sales. I have learned a lot throughout the years but I think one of the most important skills acquired is the establishment of a core set of methods that assist in the classroom and my studies. One could argue that ResultsManager could offer a new way and possible solution to those still seeking these skills but I feel there exists methods that are better suited for school. I feel MindManager alone can be one of these solutions. My current position allows me to explore new tools for the future yet rely on current methods if things don’t work out.
ResultsManager shines when you start to have 30 or more project maps going on at any one time. Although almost anyone has the potential to collect such a large number, many including students, won’t use MindManager is this fashion. This severely stunts ResultsManager’s powers and no longer makes the required investment worthwhile.
I think I may be an exception to this as I use MindManager to organize so many different aspects of my life. I also predict more “project maps” in the future as I start to reach the end of one journey and make my way onto a new path. I have also explored many tools of the trade and am ready to investigate new techniques that may be more valuable in my future. I feel there is not better time than now to test out some of these new techniques and tools since if they do end up blowing up in my face I can revert back to the old methods that I know work so well. However, if I can successfully apply ResultsManager to my current situation then I will no doubt find success and be able to reap its total value later on.
I also have changed the way I approach tasks and activities that must be completement with the implementation of David Allen’s GTD methods. Reflecting back, I now realize that not reading David Allen’s book before working with ResultsManager was probably my biggest mistake. After reading the book (at least two times now) and incorporating many of the themes laid out in the book, I feel there is a much greater opportunity for success this time around. Having deployed these core GTD concepts or at least reading the book once, is crucial to one’s success with ResultsManager. I highly recommend you read Getting Things Done, by David Allen, if you have any intention of trying ResultsManager.
The last thing I have going for me is that I really have nothing to lose in terms of my financial situation. Recently winning the Note Talkers Contest I will soon be receiving my key for ResultsManager. My initial feelings were that if I did find a friend within ResultsManager I would have to surrender my wallet to Gyronix or be forced to lose out on all the benefits ResultsManager offers. I knew I didn’t have the money to throw at a potential new tool and thus was always reluctant to ever allow myself to become attached. I also feel that the time required to fully utilize the add-in extends beyond the allotted trial period. I always worried whether it would continue to deliver if I did eventually give in. If I later found a better tool in 3 months my $285 investment would have gone the drain and that was be incredibly upsetting. I just didn’t have the capital to take this kind of risk. Winning the contest now allows me to play and experiment with the program and dive deep into it without fear of having to invest a large sum of money. It also avoids the feeling of disappointment and regret if after investing the money it later lets me down.
I think we all know ResultsManager works great as a tool for project management but can your everyday college student or young business professional benefit as well? This is what I hope to reveal as take a closer look at ResultsManager. I plan to share as much as my experience with all of you as I can but I get busy like everyone else and can’t make any promises. I hope to make at least one Dorko Demo of ResultsManager as I had a request for such a demo quite some time ago but failed to deliver.
I should also note that Eric Mack is starting his own summer project with ResultsManager. Taking it one step further and going beyond the self discovering of ResultsManager, he is actually being coached by Nick Duffill, of Gyronix. He too plans to share his experience with ResultsManager and even has a podcast from his first lesson. I am anxious to hear about his adventures and compare them to my own.
Between the two of us I am sure there will be a plethora of information that should help anyone with questions regarding ResultsManager. Gyronix has a terrific website with lots of information but hearing actual results from real people means a lot more to me than what comes directly from the company itself. I am sure most of you can concur with this.
I can’t wait to start using ResultsManager with fresh eyes and hope to shine new light on this add-in that seems to work wonders for so many. If you have questions or a particular aspects you would like me to investigate please let me know and I’ll make sure to pay extra attention to those details.
Wish me luck!
MindJet MindManager Map Explorer
One of the greatest things I love about MindJet MindManager is the ability for add-ins. Although most of the time these are hardly anything spectacular they do keep power users like myself entertained until the next major software release. I’ve fallen victim many times to the newest and greatest application and often forget about the applications that are still quite powerful but sometimes are forgotten by the flash of the next big thing. Such is the case with OneNote lately. Almost mesmerized by some of OneNote’s hypnotic new features I find myself often trying to do things in OneNote that really are best left for MindManager.
A new add-in is great at slapping my attention back, even if it’s only for a few hours…and MindManager has once again reminded that it can still play ball even with the new kid of the block!
Thanks to Robin Capper’s blog (RobiNZ CAD blog) I discovered this Map Explorer add-in for MindManager. You can read a bit more about it on his blog here!
Basically it ads that famous windows explorer task pane to MindManager. Allowing you to navigate and walk through your maps in yet another fashion. It’s definitely worth the download and although it not on my list of things MindJet should add it is a nice thing to have. My biggest complaint though is that it doesn’t even try to recognize ink! So all my maps that have ink as topics makes the map explorer basically useless, which is kind of disappointing.
Below you can see the MindManager map that the map explorer is refering to. You can see how the topics that are text do show up but the topics that are in ink are blank in the explorer.
I know it’s just an add-in and nothing big but it’s sad to see that the Tablet PC guys are once again forgotten. Other than that it’s a nice little extra tool.
MindJet MindManager Map Explorer Add-In
via RobiNZ CAD
Microsoft Announces 2006 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Award Winners
Microsoft has released the winners of the
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards for 2006. The Award goes to those making significant contributions and bringing innovating thinking to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry including the sales and marketing sector.
This award was incredibly exciting for me as it rewards those perusing the fundamental concepts that are so strongly embedded within me. The idea of using technology, especially Tablet PCs, in an effort to improve the pharmaceutical sales experience for both the pharmaceutical representatives and doctors is a theme I hope to one day be a part of. It's not the most lucrative position out there and competition right now is at it's worse. Pharmaceutical representatives are also getting a bad reputation themselves these days and too often it seems "Big Pharma" is spending more time and money on advertising campaigns than research.
I hope I can make a significant impact and change some of these ideas as well as inform both doctors and their patients of new and improved drugs. I've taken advantage of the Tablet PC and its capabillites during my college journey and have personally witnessed first hand its abilities to streamline and handle many complex situations. Creative problem solving, innovative thinking and a Tablet PC has allowed me to overcome many daunting tasks and I feel these skills will carry on in my work in pharmaceutical sales. Maybe one day I can proudly say I work for a company being honored with this award but for now am happy to see my thoughts and dreams of a world where doctors, patients, pharmaceutical reps and technology like Tablet PCs are slowly uniting with one another.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Inc is the company that won this prestigious award for their utilization of Tablet PCs in their marketing and pharmaceutical sales efforts. I hope to post a little bit more about GSK at a latter time as their involvement with Tablet PCs really deserves its own post. For now let me just say I am incredibly excited about this company and plan to research its products and use of technology as it would be a dream to be a part of a team that shares so many of my own core values and uses technology, like Tablet PCs, to provide and share their excellent resources and products.
Microsoft Announces 2006 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Award Winners
via CNNMoney.com
Contest Updates!
I think we all love a contest and there has been a fair share of them these past few weeks! Here is a short run down of a few that just ended as well as those that are still in progress.
The
jkOnTheRun contest ended yesterday and quickly scrolling through some of the comments I saw a lot of good productivity tips. I hope they compile them into one easy download as I think it would be an excellent resource. Congratulations to the winners and enjoy your copy of
MindJet MindManager as it truly is a great productivity tool in its own right!
Productivity contest winners announced on jkOnTheRunThe
Banner Contest is still going on at
Student Tablet PC and you have till June 26th to submit your entry. If I was a bit more artistic I would consider it myself but as you can probably tell from this website my ability to create dynamic graphics and web art is a feat best left for the gifted. A
$200 award towards any software or hardware of the winner's choice is up for grabs so start designing away and good luck!
CONTEST: Design the new Student Tablet PC HeaderThere is
another contest going on over at
GottaBeMobile.com! All you have to do is watch
MTVs Pimp My Ride and watch for the VW that gets tricked out with Tablet PCs! Be the first to email them the number and type of Tablet PC used and you could find yourself with
$250 in accessories from
Buy.com to trick out your own Tablet PC!
MTVs Pimp My Ride and Tablet PCs - a GBM contestThe
Note Talkers Contest Results were also posted today and I was incredibly excited and shocked to see my own name! To my bewilderment, I seem to have won the best screencast category! Although I feel my submission was not my greatest work and really needed some polishing it did manage to squeak through and take the top spot.
I am sure they will post it on the
Note Talkers site and I too may post a few comments later on about the screencast and its concept. I'd actually like to go back and redo parts of the video but I feel there may be better uses of my time at the moment.
I'd like to offer my congratulations to the other winners as well as offer my thanks to
Note Talkers,
MindJet,
TechSmith,
Gyronix,
VisualBubble,
MindSystems and
MindManuals for putting on such a great contest. It takes a lot of work to get such a great selection of companies together to offer this kind of package and organize the entire ordeal. I think
Note Talkers did an excellent job and I hope everyone that participated enjoyed playing around with
MindManager.Note Talkers MindManager Contest Winners
MindManager Contest at jkOnTheRun
Wow I really must have fallen asleep on this one! I know I have been busy lately but I really let my guard on this
contest at jkOnTheRun offering a copy of one my favoroite programs,
MindJet's MindManager! All you have to do is submit a productivity tip and you have a chance at this awesome prize! Maybe I should take some of the advice listed since I clearly was not productive in my discovery of this contest. My tip...buy
MindManager and keep up with your RSS feeds so you don't miss cool contests like this!
The contest runs till the end of today so go ahead and add your tip...NOW!
Calling all productivity gurus- enter our new contest and win a full copy of MindManager 6!
The Fight Against Diabetes
It's a topic that I think everyone is touched by. With over 20 million Americans with diabetes there is no doubt everyone has a family member, friend, or associate that is burdened with this debilitating disease. Therefore when any strides are made in finding a possible cure everyone tends to listen. Although I am sure diabetes reaches the news everyday I recently found a few articles and news headlines that I found especially interesting and informative. A lot of them bring much excitment to thosing battling the diesease and I am sure many are anxious about some of these new findings.
2 Diabetes Drugs May Lower Blood Sugarvia CBS
New Data From Two Large Phase III Trials Reinforce Exubera's Long-Term Efficacy and Safety in Adults with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetesvia PfizerNew Exubera Data to Be Presented at American Diabetes Association Meetingvia Pfizer
Dorko Demo: Tablet PCs and Camtasia Studio Help Students
It's been awhile since my last Dorko Demo! I've been pretty busy researching the pharmaceutical sales business and creating Dorko Demos has not been a major priority. However it was only a matter of time before I was up and rolling again recording my screen in an effort to help others. This time the inspiration came from a friend that was studying for his DAT. He im’ed me online and asked about a chemistry problem he was having difficulty solving. After he did his best to type the whole thing out I finally tried to respond back with my own frantic text. However typing was like trying to describe a picture in 10 words. I think we all know that a picture or diagram tells its own story and thus was the case here. Despite cell phones, e-mail and instant messengers there is still this communication barrier where activities like helping a friend work through a chemistry problem is still a difficult task. It's one of those activities that need a visual perspective to get a handle on the problem. Now if he had a Tablet PC and OneNote (not a lousy Mac) we could have set up a live shared notebook session and could walk through it as these tools would translate each others thoughts and words to other. However he turned his nose up at the Tablet PC idea so
Camtasia Studio was the next tool I turned to!
I think we can all agree that
Camtasia Studio is great for teachers and professors in that it allows them to capture PowerPoint lectures and share it with their students for viewing later. It’s a great concept but
Camtasia Studio can also assist students with homework problems or information they don’t quite understand. This was my approach I deployed with my friend. I took the problem, opened up journal, started
Camtasia Studio and hit record. I was then working my way through the problem, explaining my steps and reasoning as I went along. I ended the presentation and then sent it to him. He was amazed!
Equipped with a Tablet PC and Camtasia Studio in hand I was able to help him in a way traditional methods just don’t permit. A live session where he would be able to interact with one another along the way would be even better but this method got the job done. He was able to view the recording, pause it, work on the problem and rewind if he got confused. Most students meet in the library and work through difficult problems together but this is no longer an option for some. For example; my school is mostly commuter based and many of us live 30 minutes or more away from each other. With complex schedules getting everyone together is often difficult. However if everyone had a Tablet PC and a copy of Camtasia Studio a student could ask how to solve problem #32 and another would be able to send them a screencast of the entire procedure. This also provides an effective way for professors and students enrolled in online classes a means of communicating and interacting. Often these classes leave students feeling separated from one another. Camtasia Studio, Tablet PCs and a web cam would allow student to collaborate together and benefit from group studying like everyone else!
This same method could help professors and teachers address students questions as well. There are many times that I have questions but have classes all day with no time in between in addition to class during the professor’s office hours. My schedule is also crazy sometimes and setting up an appointment is a tricky task. I often resort to e-mail but I can’t tell you the number of times I had a question but was frustrated with the response and felt like I had to convert the e-mail into a new language to actually solve the problem. Again can you imagine trying to show a student how to solve an Organic Chemistry problem without a Tablet PC? Again a Tablet PC and Camtasia Studio would allow the teacher to use the Tablet PC as a whiteboard and demonstrate how to work out the problem just like they would in class.
In this Dorko Demo I tried to show exactly how one would go about completing this task and use of a Tablet PC as a digital whiteboard. I work through a typical chemistry problem and explain it while I use my Tablet PC to solve it. Camtasia Studio records the whole thing!
I also used a webcam for the very first time. I have been trying to set it up with my Tablet PC for the past week. I had no problem with the desktop but my Lenovo X41 Tablet PC already has a hard time recording a screencast without dropped frames. Adding a webcam and PIP to the process was even more stressful! Despite the downside of an increased file size and download, I feel the webcam added a personal tough to the whole Dorko Demo. This is especially important when I was walking through my friend’s problem as it allowed me to virtually be there with him as he worked through it.
I also tried to use an unusual angle with the webcam where it would capture not only myself talking and rambling away but also my Tablet PC. My goal was to capture the joy and ease of writing on the screen for everyone lacking the opportunity to see the dance of pen and tablet. My Dorko Demo now allows viewers to see both my actual screen as well as the direct interaction with the Tablet PC. Let me know if you like this angle or if you would rather see just me in the picture. Also any comments on the use of the webcam would be appreciated. Would you like me to use it again in future Dorko Demos? I also know I had a hard time looking at the camera directly and sometimes found myself looking into space. I apologize for that and assure you that if I do keep the webcam I will try to resolve this issue
I hope you enjoy this Dorko Demo and as always would love to hear your thoughts!Dorko Demo: Tablet PCs and Camtasia Studio Help Students20:51 58.5 MB
MindManager and Microsoft World Cup Toys
I am a huge World Cup fan! Playing soccer for most of my youth I have incredible respect for the game and all it represents. I was always small for my age but soccer provided the perfect opportunity for me to capitalize on my small and quick stature and I played for many years! I even hope to one day start playing again for fun as I really do miss the game!
Despite the USA's lack of respect for the game the rest of the world understands the beauty behind the sport. Basketball, football, hockey and baseball are fun to watch every now and then but soccer will always hold a special place in my heart as an activity that allowed my self confidence to grow.
The USA's loss yesterday was very disappointing but maybe these two toys from
Microsoft and
MindJet MindManager will help shine some light on your day!
Microsoft has a free
Microsoft Soccer Scorecard (also called the Microsoft Football Scorecard) that allows you to keep live stats of you favorite teams. It's a plugin that sits on your desktop and resembles the gadgets that I now have scattered around with Vista. I really love those gadgets and makes me feel like I now have something to compare to my apple friends and their widgets. I also like that you can make the plug-in transparent so it sits there all time but not intrusive my any means. Thumbs up from me! You can find the download
here.
MindJet has also joined the party with their own World Cup toy/map. I'm glad to see that they too have taken the time and effort to show their support.
MindJet has a
great MindManager Map that has up-to-date RSS feeds, information on group standings, and the world cup schedule all within a click away. Maybe I should set this map as my active desktop? Remember if you don't own
MindManager you can download the free
MindManager Viewer.
Microsoft Soccer ScorecardMindManager World Cup Soccer Map
Warner goes Mobile!
As most of you Tablet Geeks might be aware of, Warner Crocker and his site
Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 2 are pretty much a household name in the Tablet PC community. I was very excited when I heard that
Warner is now joining the GottaBeMobile team with Rob Bushway and Dennis Rice. I think Warner will bring even more great content to
GottaBeMobile and I'm excited and look forward to his contributions.
I'd like to offer my congratulations to both Warner Crocker as he begins his new adventure with
GottaBeMoible as well as the entire
GottaBeMobile team as they continue to grow, expand, and offter some of the most premium mobile content around!
Pfizer and Partners for a Healthier World
Pfizer is one pharmaceutical company that captures a lot of my interest lately. Responsible for popular products like Lipitor, Viagra and Zoloft they continue to discover solutions to some of the world's most challenging healthcare problems. They are also actively involved in the fight against AIDs, have made a profound effect in the prevention of diseases like Trachoma and are always working hard to get medicine in the hands of people that need it most. They continue to impress as I dive deeper into the company and its products everyday, I am also anxious to read about all their future developments. They are a wonderful company and excitement continues to perspire as I hope I can one day be a part of this process when I become involved in pharmaceutical sales. My life mission has always been to help people and when I read of so many great success stories from companies like Pfizer I am reassured that my dreams are shared by many others!
They have recently released a new video on their continued involvement, along with their partners to, uncover answers to numerous healthcare problems that plague so many. It’s about 6 minutes long and does an excellent job of demonstrating why Pfizer is such a great company. I feel that many individuals believe pharmaceutical companies are just out there to make money but let me reassure you that anyone involved in the medical community has a great desire to help others. Money is needed to provide this continued research and help but at the heart of it all is the fact that many people are receiving medications that allow longer, healthier and more joyful lives! I feel this video does a pretty good job of showing this so check it out!
Partners for a Healthier World (6:03 minutes)
“Pfizer is working with a wide variety of partners to find solutions to some of the world's biggest healthcare challenges. This video highlights some of these partnerships and programs in action”
Cafepharma: A Great Site for Pharmaceutical Sales
Just because I have not been very active on this blog lately doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy. Actually it’s quite the contrary. A lot of my time has been devoted towards investigating pharmaceutical and medical sales companies and their products. I’ve learned that obtaining a job in these fields will be quite difficult next year so learning as much as I can now about these topics I feel will really help in getting my foot in the door.
One of my favorite resources lately for pharmaceutical sales is cafepharma, a website for pharmaceutical sales professionals. What I really like about this site is the news sections as it allows quick access to numerous news topics related to the pharmaceutical sales and it’s a very valuable resource for me lately so. There is also a pretty good forum with quite a large base. I figured I would share just in case there are others interested in this same field.
As I find more great resources you can be sure I will post them!
Carfepharma
Windows Vista Beta 2 Customer Preview Now Available
Well I saw
this late tonight from DailyTech but won't probably
start downloading for at least a couple of days as I am sure the Microsoft servers are going to be flooded. I probably won't even install it on my Tablet PC right away but a reformat is due soon so I may install it for fun to check out some of the new Tablet PC featuresthat may be available. Anyways for all us that are not MSDN members or IT professionals, we can now get our hands on the Vista Beta to see what it is all about. It's a 3.13 GB download and it's going to take awhile these first few days so you may want to wait a bit before jumping on ship. Also I plan on installing it on my desktop/play computer since it has no important information on it. Remember this is just a Beta so please don't install it on your everyday computer as like all Betas (especially those from Microsoft) it's due to have many bugs still!
Good Luck with the Download!
Windows Vista Beta 2 Available for Public Downloadvia DailyTech
Mind Mapping: Great for Students with ADD
Although I mentioned this link in my previous post I think this article, as short as it is, deserves some special attention. For one it mentions why Mind Mapping is such a great technique for those with ADD. I also think the first line nails down in one sentence why I love Mind Mapping and MindJet MindManager so much! Michael Sander puts it beautifully when he says, “This remarkable technique is a great way to generate ideas, organize your notes, and take charge of papers and tests.” In fact I hope the title of this post didn’t scare away all those student without ADD, as the same concepts mentioned in the article can be applied to every student! The article even goes through a very nice beginning tutorial on how to take notes using a program like MindJet MindManager .
Sander mentions a scenario that is reminiscent to many of my own experiences with notes and note taking. As a student with ADD I always had notes that were all over the place. I almost always had to reorganize and sort through them to decode this hidden concepts and facts. I also had to draw out the notes by converting the written words into flow charts, and Mind Maps ( I called them mind webs at the time) so I could see the concepts displayed visually. I think Mind Mapping is a great technique for all students but especially those with ADD since it allows us to organize information in a way that works very similar to the way our brain files and stores material.
If you’re new to the concept of Mind Mapping check out this info from Answers.com. It is a great overview of what Mind Mapping is and why it is such a great technique.
MindJet MindManager is also not the only mapping program out there. Although it is my personal favorite you may also want to check out Inspiration or the FREE tool, FreeMind! Whichever tool you use I hope you at least take a look at Mind Mapping as just about everyone can benefit from its use in some way!
Mind Mapping
via additudemag.com
ADD and MindManager
When it comes to ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder) it really is no joking mater for me. Too many times I hear students complain "ohh I have ADD and can't study" or use the phrase "I am so ADD right now", but the truth is the majority have no idea of the challenges that exist for those living with ADD. I also hear horrific stories of college students popping Ritalin or Adderall pills during finals week as many believe it’s the magic solution for hardcore studying. Personally, prescription drugs that assist in the management of ADD (there is no cure) not only help me study, they help me live and function!
I've learned to manage my ADD over the years and continue to learn new methods of minimizing the negative and distracting characteristics while embarking on the use of the creative and spontaneous abilities it provides. Because I've invested much time and energy into my ADD awareness I often try to share my lessons with others in hopes that they too can learn and find new ways to overcome and manage this very real disorder. MindManager is the latest weapon added to my arsenal and I hope by sharing my story it will help and encourage others to look at products like MindJet MindManager to help in the never ending battle with ADD.
I've researched, written, and made presentations on ADD throughout the years to help in the distinction between what many like to call "pseudo ADD" and those that really battle with it every day. I've also worked with therapists to find tools, study methods, and tricks to help manage my ADD during college. Although ADD touches and affects every aspect of my life its greatest impact is on college related tasks like note-taking and studying.Unfortunately I was not diagnosed until I was a junior in high school. Not your typical ADD/hyper individual in school I did not stick out like many other ADD individuals. I often sat in class drawing pictures, day dreaming, and even was once caught counting holes in ceiling panels. At home I was a bit more off the wall but everyone assumed it was just your typical kid stuff. Despite never really studying or paying attention my grades were always excellent up until junior year of high school. My doctors say my intelligence served as a shroud hiding my disorder from others for many years. With no discipline problems and excellent grades school never revealed any of these internal wars to stay on task. Because of my late diagnosis all those years where you learn how to study, take notes in class, and find your particular learning style passed by and when I reached the point where the material no longer presented itself with ease I greatly struggled to hang on.
I went into college with a nice scholarship to a school that I really did not give much credit too. I assumed those methods of just going to class would be enough and I would never have to learn how to study, take notes or pay attention. I quickly realized that no matter what college you are at or how smart you are there comes a point in life where things are no longer easy. Faced with the task of discovering methods that allowed me to take in and learn new information as well as deal with my ADD was an incredibly over bearing ordeal. The last four years I have tried it all! There were a few successes but many more disappointments. Just when I thought I had one that worked I quickly found out what works in one class does not always work in another. Anyone that looks at my college transcript will think they are viewing the rise and fall of the stock market. There would be semesters where I would earn 3.7 and 3.8s but follow it up with a semester of 2.5s. I was so inconsistent (another characteristic of ADDers) but now try to sit back and laugh at it with humor. Nonetheless it was a difficult and challenging time.
Overcoming these challenges and experiencing both the joy of success and pain of failure helped sculpt me into the person I am today. My attitude towards ADD has also evolved as I now exploit my ADD instead of trying to conceal it. I also try to help others with ADD so when I do find something that works I can share it in hope that they too can benefit from my new enlightenment.MindJet MindManager is my most recent discovery in the struggle against ADD. How does it do this? Well it does so in much the same way it helps in managing my classes, schedule, and files. I could write about all of that again but instead will just include this excerpt from an email I wrote to MindJet a few weeks back.
On a very personal level my battle with ADD has been a true struggle at times, often leading to confusion from reading the book and sometimes even my own notes! I constantly found myself tossing back pages or rummaging back through my notes to discover the overall theme. If you have read my blog I even posted pictures of the many whiteboards and printouts that decorate my room. These were often tricks employed to keep me on track and not venture off course. The ability to expand, collapse, and easily navigate through enormous amounts of material with such fluidity will reduce the need to dress my walls with pictures of topics like glycolysis and proton motor force.MindManger is going be my central hub and Swiss-Army knife for displaying and organizing all my notes and projects. It will be truly invaluable to my studies and can honestly say it has been added to the list of programs a student must consider when purchasing a new notebook or Tablet PC.
To help you see how terrific a product MindJet MindManager is for individuals with ADD you should really check out these two links from additudemag!
MindMapping
via www.attitudemag.com
To-Do Lists That Really Work
via www.attitudemag.com
Paperless Charts and Offices
The most exciting thing for me is when technology, Tablet PCs and the medical industry collide together! Such is the trend with many offices now going paperless. I had the privilege at working at Tyler | Dumas | Reyes, an orthodontist practice near my home, and the coolest thing next to working with kids was observing how almost all of the charts were electronic and the variety of technologies they utilized in their office. The front staff was even using a Tablet PC and adopting to electronic forms for insurance companies. They used a digital x-ray machine and patients received appointment reminders, news, and access to parts of their records including early pictures to see their progress throughout the treatment all from online and via e-mail. They even had an online database for referring dentists and I was always captivated by how efficient and smoothly the office ran. At that time I was perusing a dental career and had decided that this was the ideal environment and wanted to replicate and integrate many of their efforts and practices into my own business. Unfortunately things didn’t work out but starting my own dental technology consultant business has always been one of those business dreams to look into after I have a secure job and a little money to play around with.
Dental Informatics was also a direction I often considered as actively participating in the transformation of dental and medical offices into paperless, smooth running, efficient operations was always appealing. Not only could I help doctors and dentists decrease the costs of operations but also help in the improvement of quality and care offered to patients.
Whenever I read posts like these from medicaltabletpc I become incredibly jealous but still the excitement rushes over me when I see the paperless concept gaining momentum! If you’re an upcoming or future doctor or just interested in technological advances in the medical field you should definitely take a look at these posts!
Going Paperless: Mini Tablet PC Could Eliminate Paper Charts For Hospitals And Physician Practices
via medicaltabletpc.com
Local doctors remedy the ills of paper records Medical centers: Benefits of electronic files worth the costs
via heraldonline
A Chartless Office
via medicaltabletpc.com
DorkoTech, Pharmaceutical Sales and New Changes
It’s been awhile since I last reported on news in the medical community and I’ve recently concluded I need to devote a bit more attention to this area. After all, I hope to have a job in the healthcare system this time next year! (unless something else come up…I’ve learned that life is unpredictable so never expect things to go perfectly as planned) Hopefully my involvement in the healthcare system will be as a pharmaceutical sales rep. I believe an opportunity such as this will allow the combination of my science background , the love I share for business and the passion I have towards technology to dance together in harmony. These qualities, along with my compassion to work with and help others I feel will propagate into a very successful career. I also enjoy interacting with new people and creating long term relationships where both parties can share the ultimate goal of helping others. I know a career such as this is not for the weak and will require a lot of work, but I think a profession that combines many personal interests will be more than enough to supply the energy required to carry on each day.
Many pharmaceutical reps use Tablet PCs during their sales pitch as well as take advantage of numerous software applications specifically designed for this business. I look forward to researching, sharing, and using these tools in a new environment that will once again challenge and stimulate the mind to derive new solutions. I am positive my current knowledge and use of Tablet PCs will assist in these new situations but look forward to discovering and expanding my knowledge into an entirely new world.
Why am I sharing all of this with you? It’s because I want you to know the reasoning behind the increase in posts related to the medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical fields that may soon follow. I know it’s probably not best practice to cover such a variety of topics but this blog was designed to have a personal touch and revolve around the activities and problems I face every day. Although I do share a lot of tips, news, and demos on Tablet PCs, student software, note taking applications and so on, my posts and this blog were never designed to serve as your ultimate source for these kind of technologies and topics. I merely wanted to provide additional information and links for people to complement the already many terrific resources out there.
Technology, Tablet PCs, and software are just part of the story that makes up Jason Dorko. In upcoming months I will get a job to provide the income to support my love for technology and I look forward to sharing information on all the new gadgets that make their way into my life in addition to sharing news related to my career. I hope you stick along as I start to complete the end of one journey and make the transition to face an entirely new set of challenges. I am not exactly sure what this blog will turn into but wanted to give everyone a heads up on some of the new changes that can be expected. Thanks for the support!
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