douglasmkelly's posterous

This post is meant as a followup to last week's post on having too many things pulling at my time. I discussed that I really wanted to see more of ArtPrize, but had conflicting time constraints not allowing me to experience as much as I'd like. Since that last post I've had even more requests of my day. I had to turn down invitations to political fund raisers and networking events as they just couldn't fit into my schedule.

So how have I started to better manage my time in the last week? For starters, I added Mozilla's Sunbird Calendar Thunderbird extension. It's called Lightening and it allows you to accept calendar invites in your email. Next, I synced up all my calendars including my iPad, iPhone, iCal, GCal and Lightening on the laptop. There's a great article for how on LifeHacker. I love LifeHacker. If you have a spare hour, just go peruse all the cool time saving, computer tweeking, and awesome apps out there that will help your life.

So allowing all my calendars to automatically sync themselves, cuts about 1/2 hour out of my day as I only need to sync the iPad with my laptop, or use google's calendar from the app, and make changes there.

Next I started using DropBox more. If I need to work on a particular file remotely or am delivering a look I drop the file in a DropBox folder and it's accessible from anywhere. That way I don't need to haul around the laptop for every little thing like my last AimWest Board Meeting. I could access to all my agendas right on the iPad. Google Docs works for most all docs, spreadsheets, images and PDFs. Those are all accessible on the iPad as well, and just as easily shared with groups and individuals. I don't need to pull out the lappy, wait for boot, get out a hard drive and locate the file. Instant access on the iPad! No Internet connection? No Problem! iPhone to the rescue with Google Docs and DropBox I can view all the files loaded there. This means that I don't need to perform an aRsync as I'm tring to run ou the door, late, to a client meeting. Next I need to locate some technology that automagically syncs my NAS, an attached HD and DropBox. Any suggestions?

One thing I could really use is a teleportation device, so that I don't have to spend so much time driving downtown, to the soccer fields, home, clients... Ooo ooo, and if Google Goggles was actually something you wore, where you could drive and access your documents, maps, contacts and other files.

Also as a followup - I was able to make it downtown to view some more of the ArtPrize pieces. I took in about 20 pieces at the B.O.B., outside the GRPM and on the Blue Bridge. That was only about 3 of the top-10, but 3 more than I had to that point. If you have a chance to do it with kids, you'll find out what's cool and what's not - if you need help with that.

Look for my next post on more technologies and tricks I'm implementing to help me better manage my time, tasks, thoughts, projects and overall life.

Last week 250 West Michiganians and I attended the AimWest Google Lunch at the Devos Place. I won't get into what a cool venue Devos Place is, or that the Devos-Provided WiFi didn't work for most of the day, or that I took 3/4s of a day off to go. I won't get into the price for AimWest Members being only $10 less than non-members... Ok I guess I just did... I just couldn't believe for the price of the event, that the WiFi wasn't adequate.

Was it cool to go to a great venue to listen to The Almighty Google speak? Oh Yeah! Was it cool that a local organization can pull in a Google Rep? You betcha. I will start with saying, that I knew most everything presented by all 3 speakers I listened to, and if I didn't, I could've Googled It. I also made up a half dozen people's mind on what they were going to attend – solely because they believe I know what I'm doing. I picked events based on packaging and name instead of really asking what the product contained. To all of you that decided to attend the break out sessions based on my going: I am sorry.

I did come away with some minor notes. Google's John Black (I'd so change my name to Jack!) was the Keynote speaker. Google's retail online sales manager didn't have all the techie info I had hoped to glean. John briefly talked about Google's association with Dish Network for TV ads. That was cool to hear. They have set-top boxes helping to manage ad integration. The ad supplier is only charged for when someone actually views an ad – local or national. That was pretty much it. The coolest take away.

Some of the other areas Black touched on were:

• Based on customer feedback they are also working to make it easier to use Google Adwords.
• In 3 years Google's seen a 300% growth in mobile search, with 50 times more search on mobile devices than regular cell phones.
• Google believes more and more computing will be done on the Cloud than on your C: drive. (This is not news)
• Google.org tracks flu trends world wide
• Some of what's next: Consumer Internet, Smart Grid Technology, and Green Energy

You know what? I could have Googled all of that. It was cool to see the Flu graphs and how Google is predicting breakouts around the globe on similar numbers with the CDC. Some of the other numbers were slightly noteable. But John Black didn't come with anything new – seriously new. 25 minutes after his key note finished Google released a statement that they were rolling out Font API and Font Directories. No one in the room knew about that! It could have been the Steve Jobs-esque end to an address. Then on Friday (or Monday, I don't exactly remember), Google released a notice that Google TV was coming to a provider near you. Ok, I get it: Google's a HUGE company and all, but come on! The GR Press was there. One of the local TV news outlets had a camera going. Grand Rapids is number 1 or 2 (depending on the poll) to get Google Fiber. John made a comment about GRGoogleFiber initiative, but that was it. No major announcements. No major un-Google-able points.

I'll back off Google for a minute. The best thing I've enjoyed about AimWest events, even when I could have given the talk my self, has been the Q and A. Even if I know most of what the speaker discusses, the questions fired and the answers given help me with my potential clients. I ended up walking out of the Mobile break out session, when the guy went long, and we never had any question period. For one thing the guy was extremely boring, wasn't used to giving speeches, was visibly unprepared, and spoke above many people's heads. Part of what he talked about was essentially Business 101 – but for iphone apps. I attended the mobile session because I believed it was going to be about new trends, or how Google and iPhone/Android were going to revolutionize the world. I didn't really want to hear about the steps to rolling out an app. I only jotted down a couple things during his session:

• Launch your App with friending to gain stickyness
• Plan for Participation
• Support Social Networking and Location
• and expect emergent uses because you may have envisioned it being used one way, but the marketplace may find another way.

I only noted these because they cemented what I already knew and spoke to Social Media. The guy talked about who you need to have buy in, from Legal to IT. Any department that wants a new site, app, marketing expenditure or corporate direction knows and lives by this. It's called “Red Tape”. I almost walked out to find another session, not caring who I offended or what I missed, because I made the terrible assumption that it would get better – or end soon and the Q&A could begin.

So ok – 1). the food was good. 2).I saw 40-50 people I know. And, 3).I met someone that I've only talked to on Twitter. I set up 2 meetings from this event. Those are good things and if I close any business out of it, will probably change my tune – but even the last breakout was google-able. Pete Brand was a much better speaker than either Mobile Guy or Google Guy. But he only read a list of Google Apps, that anyone can find on Google's App Site. He did give one sentence describing each... (psst, you can also read that from Google Apps), what I really wanted to know was how his company helped organizations save money. How he helped them migrate from Microsoft to the free Google Apps. How much money did his clients save? How easy was it? I only tweeted a couple things from Brand's talk:

• Use forms to easily roll out marketing questionnaires with out needing IT support.
• The other was that I already knew all of this.

There was some Q&A, like “How did you migrate your clients from MS to Google. Brand deferred to the audience. The Grand Public Library rep tried to answer that going Open Office was pretty easy. Does it sound like I'm griping here? It should. For $40 I got to have a Google Search recited on 2 different topics, and some guy review Business classes. I can believe that, in the West Michigan area, there are many knowledgeable individuals. Having the audience answer other's questions isn't really as bad as you might think. I attend a local Social Media Free Lunch where the group founders have asked me to answer some questions. It really shows that there are several topic savvy individuals locally. The difference between a lunch/learn and a conference, however, is that the speaker is supposed to be an expert.

Am I asking too much?

I know that the AimWest Board works really hard to pull these things off. I respect all and know many  board members. I also bet that they don't review presentations pre-event. After this one, I hope they start. If any of you attended the AimWest Google Lunch and took some good things away, please for the love of all things Google, comment. I love Google. I love AimWest. I'd like AW to get better. I think all comments here could be reviewed by the board. Google, on the other hand, is getting too big - in my assumption. They'll not be reading this blog. But if you're from Google, change my mind!

I went to a conference Thursday November the 19th. Yes, I'm finally posting 11 days later, but in my defense: I've been hunting. Hunting deer - hunting clients - hunting new opportunities. I did get a new client. I did get a meeting to discuss new opportunities (in old media - more on that later) and I have seen a lot of deer. None of the deer had horns when I was able to shoot one. The day of the conference, I watched a 4-point chase some does, making me 1/2 hour late for the start of the conference... more on that later too.

The conference was put on by the AimWest Interactive Association of West Michigan. I've been to a few of their events in the past but didn't join the organization until a couple months ago. I'm pretty impressed with the association's management and the amount of buy-in from the local community. AimWest has a good reach too: I met individuals from as far away as Chicago and Detroit. Pretty darn good for a Grand Rapids Based non-profit. This particular conference was called The Social Media ConFab. A confab was not really what this conference was, in the truest sense of the word. There were some great discussions, and there were some good networking opportunities, but this was definitely more of a fabulous conference. So if they were going for the play on words, it worked.

Google was there, or at least a rep was. She talked briefly about Google Analytics. I really wished she'd have brought a bunch of Google Wave invites. That would really have helped collaboration. We could all have benefited from that event. It would have completely overshadowed Cindy Droog's talk on Analytics however. Ms Droog, from Amway, gave a great review of how Social Media has gained traction at Amway and how they manage Analytics. She also gave me a shout out for design work on Amway's Opportunity Zone Blogs, and help with consulting on Social Media for Amway.

Facebook also made an appearance and received many questions including one from Yours Truly that garnered some laughs and actually was posted on YouTube (but not by me). People really seemed to want Facebook to do more with the app. Personally I could do with less. I would like to use it more, and assist my clients more with regards to mining clients' posts and driving revenue. But from personal use, I like Twitter more in the Social Media arena.

The author of Twitter for Dummies was the keynote speaker. Laura Fitton did not unimpress as an expert on Twitter. I found her inviting, interesting, facetious, vivacious and intelligent speaker. I learned much in her hour lecture at the ConFab. My favorite quote from Laura was "Twitter is the stream running along side and with the internet" (paraphrased). Essentially Twitter is the internet in brief. It's the running dialog that we, the users, have about what is going on everywhere. She also reviewed options for business so for me, how I can assist my clients in using Social Media and Twitter specifically. She brought insights in to benefits of using Twitter for more than just Social Media, but for research, content generation and SEO.

Even better than the brief Twitter for Dummies Author hour spent with 240+ other listeners, was the pre-ConFab Tweetup the night before. I was able to meet Laura and 50 others that were to attend the next day's conference. The conversation at Wednesday Night's Tweetup was more stimulating than the actual conference on Thursday. It was also a better networking opportunity, garnering more business cards than 7 hours the following day.

Laura Fitton was also a little inspiring with regards to social media. Fitton also reminded us of how we should approach business by listening first, learning from our clients, taking the time to care and then serving. She explained that we can do all of that from Twitter.

I don't know yet where I will take social media, but I hope to broaden it's appeal in some manner, as Laura has. I've already signed up to be a "Champion" of Tweetdeck, my Twitter application of choice. I was actually able to assist 3 others at the conference to load twitter on their laptop or iPhone. Next I need to draft a plan on how to enable my clients to use Social Media to Confabulate, collaborate, communicate and enumerate.

Google Android phones have held my attention over the last year+. An open source cell phone and a rival to Apple and Windows intrigues me. I've been greatly dismayed with how cellphone makers haven't really embraced the Google Operating System, built on Linux. There haven't been many provider options in the US either. This week, though, a couple Android phones hit Verizon.

I used to have Alltel for years. Alltel's service in the Great Lakes Region of the US was better than outstanding. Their EVDO (3G) service out on the beach up in Ludington or in my basement, or traveling down the highway was superb. I purchased a 3G wireless card from Alltel and saw better than ISDN speeds, which was good because I could only get dial-up to the house in the country.

An early adopter of the iPhone, I was not. I played with my friends' phones and saw the appeal, but couldn't see paying the Alltel termination fee on top of the device's high price, nor could I see using the terrible AT&T network in Michigan. I ended up purchasing a Blackberry from Alltel. Even though it wasn't touch screen, Alltel had left it open to download apps. The problem was there weren't many free apps and the storage was abysmal. You could add a micro-SD card, but couldn't load it with apps, only pics and music. I started hoping that Alltel (then owned by Goldman Sachs) would pick up an Android phone so I could get a really good device.

When Verizon bought Alltel last year I was angered, to say the least. At first they started dropping calls. Then I started getting bad reception. Finally they dropped support for my Air-card, meaning no internet at the home office. That was a last straw! I started in talks with AT&T. I figured if I was going to have to live with terrible coverage it might as well be on a device I loved. I looked at T-Mobile's HTC Android phone when it came out, but it was bulky, had little app support and the interface was a little kludgy. T-Mobile's network in MI was worse than AT&T. I decided I couldn't wait for more providers to roll out a Google phone and grabbed a new iPhone 3GS. I love it. And now I finally have decent Edge service, since the leaves have fallen off the trees.

This week I was intrigued to learn about this new Motorola Droid that Verizon is offering running Google Android. I have read some reviews that definitely sing it's praises. It's price tag of $200 rivals the iPhone. It sports a micro-SD slot, separate camera button and slide out keyboard. There are mixed reviews on the keyboard, but I'm sure it would take getting used to, if you are moving from the iPhone. I speculate that Verizon is going to lock down the Operating System as much as they can, as it's more than a reputation - its a business model. I am happy to see Motorola running away from Windows Mobile and embracing Android, perhaps driving further innovation in the Cell Phone World. www.androphones.com

Today I read about a new inexpensive Android phone that is coming out on VZ's network: The HTC Eris. I am happy to see any provider offer multiple phones with Android. It would seem, however, that it's worse than HTC's T-Mobil phone: www.wired.com. I'd probably pay the extra $100 for a better phone. The biggest draw backs for me are switching networks AGAIN and the termination fee. I've 3 lines on AT&T. So, for this writer, I'll be sticking with my iPhone.