31 March, 2009

Top 10 Most Useful Project Management Tools


In our effort to automate project management scenario, ten top applications needed in synergizing user requirements capture, output assessment, quality criteria evaluation, work breakdown structuring, milestones, risk and dependencies analysis, were congregated to provide intelligent solutions to freelancers especially those who doesn't have the full luxury of staff to lean on. These applications open a doorway to what would seem to be an exponential proponent of managing broad projects without the lavishly elaborate number of staff working for you. Brace yourself for the tools that would pave way to an efficient project execution and measure, the top ten applications expedient to the critical chain involving all levels of project programming.




This is probably the most worn out expended application when it comes to developing projects. It is probably because Microsoft occupied 95% of the entire software user population. With that
being said, all applications sprouting in the market implicitly hinged on the Microsoft platform.
With Microsoft Project, you can create slots for resources and assign them to tasks as simply as entering data in a spreadsheet. The latest round of project management software is able to consolidate multiple projects, do comprehensive calendaring with schedule conflict analysis, support multiple work calendar formats, manage product life cycles, and integrate it all into the existing software base. 




One of the hardest part of project initiation is the imposition of form operations, data entries, proposal reviews, and document consolidation. This is where Project Management Bundle comes in handy, to deliver the most scalable, easy to use document templates, featuring an automatic table of contents, page headers and footers, and interoperable pre-defined sections, tables,
charts, an approvals page, and much more.

Bundles feature the following contents: Project Standards Policy Kit, Statement of Work Process Kit, Project Planning Roadmap, Project Planning Checklist, Risk Management Process Kit, Troubled Project, Project Review Survey Kit, and Project Communication Process Kit.




One of the hurdles of every undertaking, whether big league corporate objective or a simple project, is the illustration of the of the conceptual framework, idea imaging, and task abstraction, Mindmapping software plays an essential role in transcending these ideas into visual diagram.
Openmind 2 Business functioned as a designer application to mirror the brain’s natural thinking process. This resorted to stir creativity and critical thinking, and speed up decision-making expedient to business urgency.




With an intuitive user interface to boot, Mindmapper 2008 continues to be one of the most dependable, formidable software that aids any enterprising professional handling big projects.

Unlike some of the mindmapping applications out in the market, the Mindmapper 2008 works a wonder by making use of keyboard shortcuts. The colored tabs were a welcome addition to an already array of features it has. Plus it comes with instructional videos all splattered with animation and frills for a visually captivating demo video.




Primavera has continued to be the leading trailblazer when it comes to the industry-level, edge-of-your-seat project portfolio management application including: (Primavera P6), Portfolio Selection and Management (Primavera ProSight), Enterprise Resource Management (Primavera Evolve), Document management, job cost and project controls (Primavera Contract Manager), Project Analytics and Risk Management (Primavera Pertmaster) and Cost versus schedule performance (Primavera Cost Manager).

A Project Control Specialist can tap its superlative feature in leveraging Primavera's more advanced tool capabilities to manage documentation, communication, contracts and to implement process standardization and automation.




Probably the best Java based report and analytics tool, Reportmill 8 provides powerful developer framework to create dynamically generated, well-formatted content for internet application servers. ReportMill is currently being used at many large scale corporations and customer sites, delivering comprehensive content kits such as: business forms, financial statements, itineraries, invoices, and product catalogs.

Easy to access, faster, and in Java engine-only form, making it less resource-starved application available to provide and integrate completely new 3D graphing application for project analysis and measures.



Project Managers require data in real-time, comprehensive, and drawn from an easy-to-acquire business intelligence server. Journyx provides information-on-demand projects scheduling and mapping tools that would provide billable time reporting, repository data management, and a whole slew of cost accounting system. Analyst and executioners would definitely love to have this especially that this one comes in freeware version as well. It’s a must have tool to expedite expense approval processes and accurately handle employee schedules and accruals.



This will serve as your concierge cum personal information management software in a box. If you are embroiled on a complicated task of keeping aligned with your contacts, prospects, and devious projects, you may want to get this. You can use it to enter every last thing on your to-do list, as well as upcoming appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, or other commitments or important events.

Coined as a database software at your fingertips, it continues to serve project managers to record notes, send letters, send e-mail, schedule and track events. Or even retrieve the letters that you have sent before. You can also create reports or contact charts for your next client presentation.



‘Forget it not’, that will be the new buzzword of the project manager who is always on the go, but has his smartphone as a tool he can’t leave home without. Managing contacts has never been easy with few taps and clicks, Agendus ratchets up the PIM capabilities of your Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and Blackberry devices to make it easier to schedule and organize your life in a way that intuitively makes sense. It offers a plurality of customization options to choose from, from color coding to icon cropping, it seamlessly dazzle and untangle complex contact index into a
simplified order and categorization.




With Microsoft’s immense popularity when it comes to software development, resisting an indulgence to the MS Office 2007 like a denial to civility. It’s by far the best selling productivity suites, for professional and personal use, for project management and for lifestyle mainprise. Office 2007 is quite a new interface, highly customizable contextual tabs and style
galleries and the almost-top-of-the-line Enterprise edition includes all five main applications under one bundle- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Groove, OneNote, and Access, all of them are geared towards easy collaborative features handy for project implementation.


/JRC



My Top 10 Tutorial Videos

1. Google Adsense Tips


2. SEO Tutorial for Newbies



3. HTML and CSS for Beginners



4. Newbie Photoshop Tutorial



5. Ruby on Rails Demo



6. Drupal Tutorial - Ubertcart Intro



7. Excel Tutorial - Pivot Tables



8. MS Word 2007 - How to Track Changes



9. MS Project Tutorial



10. How to Edit and Enhance Audio Using Audacity


30 March, 2009

My Top 10 Freelancer Gadgets for 2009


To say that herding together the top ten gadgets for 2009 freelancers used is a break-sweat job is an underestimation. For one, the difference between a freelancer and a regular waged earner employee is nothing sort of the regularity of the pay, although an over-the-edge industrious freelancer may contest otherwise.

Essentially, both artisans perform similar role, the full-timer, chartered by the company he works for in a regular pay out, while the freelancer is contracted by companies of varying scale and remuneration clauses. And since both may share the same purpose, I would rather compile the ensembles of these gadgets out of the adjunct of mobility, all and sundry.

It would be so, because freelancers solely rely on the spry impositions of their handiworks, often
achieved by the handy assimilation of their tools and technology. They are the road warriors of today, the shapers of tomorrow, and a stickler to anything light, compact, and versatile.

Let’s see the gears that move their dexterity:

1. Apple MacBook Pro
While the MacBook Pro lacks score cards in the minuscule department, its sheer computing power is sure to wow the freelance graphic artist, photographer, and multimedia artists.

Sporting an Intel Core 2 Duo, ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB memory on 16-lane PCI Express, and a fast SATA technology, it prevailed to be one of the “must have toys” of the performance imperious graphic artists. And not only does it perform well, it also has the following output to boot: ExpressCard/34 slot, Dual-link DVI, VGA adapter, FireWire 400 port,
two USB 2.0 ports, optical digital and analogue audio I/O. Not compact enough, but still portable, MacBook Pro redefines mobility without compromise in its performance.


2. Samsung NC110

This is a top notch technology for mobile mavericks, all because of its outstanding mobile feature, a high-capacity battery that could stand the entire day of computing use.

The one-upmanship of having practically 10hours(9.3hours, to be exact) of battery usage is claimed by Samsung amidst the whole slew of low-powered netbooks in the market. This 10.1 inch screen wonder continued to enthrall freelance writers due to its 93%sized-keyboard, dodging off the gripe of most compact sized netbooks.

Samsung NC110 is powered by Intel Atom CPU and incorporated with 1.3megapixel webcam for you to have video conversations-cum-brain storming with the entire editorial board, while you are away and have a comforting sip of coffee at a Starbucks corner.

And you needn’t worry about battery life after, you still have an ample of them for you to revise, over haul, or rewrite your article before the juice runs out.












3. Olympus E-420

Coined as the small wonder in the family of digital SLR’s, the Olympus E-420 is sure to stun heavy wallop in terms of performance delivery. This is probably one of the smallest, if not the smallest, dSLR in the world, yet despite its frugal size, it manages to yield a 2.7inch LCD into the
camera. Having a professionally aristocratic, textured finished build quality, it provides exorbitant of comfort to the hands of freelance photographers.

Rafts of features includes 10.0 megapixel sensor, True Pic III processor, face detection and shadow adjustment technologies, a Live View monitor function that permits composing and capturing images, manual controls as well as auto and 18 pre-programmed scene modes, and a 100-1600 ISO sensitivity range.


Whoever thinks size is a trade off of decent professional camera should think again.


4. Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive


Toshiba, an indomitable, powerhouse name in the field of computing once again brought us the finest of its array of products. This time it’s an external portable drive with a rugged antishock aluminum casing to withstand normal wear and tear in the life of a freelance multimedia or content management specialist.

Available in capacity variants such as 100GB, 120GB, 160GB, and 200GB, it can already support OS’s Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.3.9.

Ideal for those freelancers stern in archiving their works while constantly on the go, the Toshiba USB 2.0 External Portable Drive is housed in a semiruggedized casing, with internal air-filled bladders cushioning the drive mechanism and isolating it from the outer metal casing, taking the beating of a daily run and use.

5. Nokia E71


Nokia has the uncanny ability to churn out model after model every quarter or two, getting us snowed under an avalanche of their newest after the newer offerings. But who could ignore such a lovely, professional looking QWERTY thumboard phone. With an arresting metallic seduction slapped into its slim body, this is probably one of the thinnest and sexiest Nokia phone to date.

Notable features include320x240 QVGA display for a sharp-splendid view even in outdoors, a 3.2megapixel camera if you’re taking random shots on moving subjects, in cases of cursory moments.

It also has a GPS, WiFi, and A2DP Bluetooth, for every connectivity access that you need, whether connecting directly through the web or wirelessly synchronizing to your workstation. And being a business centric device that it is, it also comes with the whole gamut of PIM(personal information management) functions such as office application and email. Indeed, this phone has got all the superlatives of features needed for all types of freelancers.


6. Planon Docupen RC805


This nifty device would probably make James Bond spy gadgets a
run for their lives.

This latest breakthrough from Planon is a second iteration of their
first monochrome handheld scanner, this time offering the public
with full colors.

Accordingly, RC800 is capable of storing 100's of pages into its memory and it takes just seconds to scan a page with different scan modes to choose from: black and white, standard color or high 24bit color and the resolution from 400 to 600 dpi.

Now you need not bring the entire newpaper and crop the needed material/article at home, you can easily scan it and just download the scanner’s memory to your laptop through USB port. You can easily scan color documents, pictures and import them into Paperport software, included in the software.

How cool and neat, isn’t it?


7. Canon PIXMA iP90v

Coffeemate to your coffee, milk to your cereals, and a Canon PIXMA iP90v to your laptop, wirelessly bound to each other.

This printer is compact and lightweight for you to tuck it into your laptop bag’s divider pocket. This PictBridge compliant printer has the ability to instantaneously print while being connected to your digital camera on a USB cable. But if you prefer wireless method, it also is IrDA and bluetooth-enabled.

Apart from the compact, handy exterior ideal for freelancers who are always mobile, it will also produce amazing print out results: pleasing color saturation, smooth gradients, and impressive details in the
photo elements.

With Canon PIXMA iP90v, not only you’ll be taking your specimens with you, you’ll also be bringing the convenience of your darkroom as well.


8. Swiss Army SwissFlash USB

MacGyver move over, will lyeah.

This is a freelance electronic technician’s best friend. It’s a pretty much straightforward multi- purpose tool that has the auxiliary premium for saving schematic diagram and any data through its USB drive.

This is a proliferation of technology, practicality, materials, and quality design, rolled into one.
What’s worth mentioning is the skillful integration of the high-output white LED light which is extremely bright, and due to redundant LED design does not generate any heat.

Now you don’t need to grope and rumple your way to the dark spots of your working area just to look for that missing screw, just flash the light, seek and you shall find.

9. Garmin nüvifone M20

There’s more than meets the eye of this snazzy device.

The powerhouse union of the two of the best devices in their respective worlds
now brought us the powerful device of tomorrow. Asus, known for their excellent
rudiments of pocketpc phones espoused Garmin, the pioneer trailblazer of the
best GPS navigational systems in town, bringing this equally formidable force to reckon with.

It’s a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone that has a dual-band 3.5G/tri-band GSM phone with Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11 b/g) and Bluetooth. Coursing in a 2.8 inch display with VGA (640x480) resolution, built-in microphone and speakers, built-in 4G/8G My Storage, and ActiveSync for Outlook, Microsoft Office, and multi-media synchronization, this is a perfect mate of those freelancer whose office is practically wherever that leads him.

Lost? Can’t get your way to your client? Worry no more, it comes with preloaded maps and points of interest (POIs): hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, malls, bars, fuel stations.
It’s a concierge, albeit digitally at your fingertips.


10. SmartBro USB Kit

Station locally, but operate globally.

That would be the favorite motive and a guiding principle of today’s
freelancers, as they can virtual propose their service portfolio to the other
parts of the world via SmartBro 3G/HSDPA/GPRS Modem kit. It comes with post paid and prepaid plan, what good is a laptop with the seamless
connection to the world wide web.

What’s laudable with this tool is that it isn’t geographically dependent to the
location of the access point. As long as there is a Smart signal, there is a channel for data packets available for you to use. The USB modem itself has read-only storage, so the drivers for Windows and OS X (Tiger and Leopard) are included. Just plug it to your USB port and run the SmartBro software in your laptop and you’re good to go.

It’s an on-demand broadband service, wherever, whenever.
/JRC