Walk on Water by Daniel Hoang » travel http://www.danielhoang.com Making the impossible possible, one step at a time... Thu, 20 May 2010 00:44:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Traveling Consultant? There’s an App for that. 10 apps for business productivity. http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/07/08/traveling-consultant-theres-an-app-for-that-10-apps-for-business-productivity/ http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/07/08/traveling-consultant-theres-an-app-for-that-10-apps-for-business-productivity/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:17:45 +0000 Daniel Hoang http://www.danielhoang.com/?p=432 Post image for Traveling Consultant? There’s an App for that. 10 apps for business productivity.



There’s an app for everything. As a traveling business consultant, I rely on my iPhone more than most people. I depend on a core set of apps that help me remain productive during down times: waiting at the airport, waiting for a meeting to start, and “shhhh…” while commuting home. My upgrade to the iPhone 3GS include new features that make working offsite much more pleasant, specifically faster connectivity, faster processor, more storage space, GPS, and a camera that can focus. That last feature, a focusing camera, is by far, the most useful function in my opinion. It allows for easier capture of notes and brainstorming sessions.
Below is a list of 10 (technically more than 10 but I grouped them) apps that I rely on a daily basis.
  1. Mail/Calendar/Contacts. The core apps built into the iPhone for mail, calendar, and contacts is a traveling consultant’s dream. The recent 3.0 software update allows for subscribing to CalDav calendars (like Google Calendar), as well as initiate meeting invites in Exchange using ActiveSync. At any given moment, my iPhone provides the same data that I get from my laptop connected to the network. In fact, during this post, I responded to five client emails while at StarBucks.
  2. Maps. Another core app that just functions really well. With the addition of the GPS unit in the newer iPhone 3G and 3GS, Google Maps is essential to finding your way around a strange new town. Street view gives you a graphical view of the location before arriving so you can orient yourself before arriving on site. The routing option also gives you the opportunity to route based on driving or walking/transit.
  3. Evernote. I originally delete this app because the original iPhone’s camera couldn’t focus and made taking photos of documents impossible. With the new iPhone 3GS, I’m back to using Evernote to capture whiteboards, business cards, and anything I run across. It syncs up information I grab from the iPhone to my other computers, as well as making it available online. Also check out Drop Box for syncing files between your computers and having it accessible via the mobile site.
  4. Tweetie/Tweetdeck. Two different apps, one purpose: build relationships and meet new interesting people via Twitter. I use Tweetie for quick tweets, search keywords, and view trending topics. I use Tweetdeck to sync my “groups” between my desktop app and my iPhone app. In other words, I follow hundreds of people, but group them into interest groups to filter out the noise.
  5. Facebook. Use this much less for business and more for personal relationships. Monica Guzman (@moniguzman) said it best, ”Facebook is for people you already know, Twitter is for people you will know.” The Facebook app is useful for me to keep in touch with people I already know, mostly on a personal level.
  6. Beejive IM. Although one of the more “expensive” apps on the app store ($15.99 original, on sale for $9.99), Beejive consolidates all your IM accounts (AIM, GTalk, MSN, Yahoo, Jabber) into one. The new push notification lets you stay logged in but still receive messages when your phone is on standby.
  7. Flip Clock. A much more simplistic app but incredibly useful for meetings. It displays a simple classic flip clock. This is especially useful when I’m doing an interview with a limited time. It lets my interviewee know that I’m conscious of their valuable time.
  8. WB Capture. Although the new iPhone 3GS camera captures much better images, I still use this app to filter the scribbles on the whiteboard. The app runs a filter that sharpens and clarifies the writing. Clients love it when I take an image of the board and send it right to them during the meeting.
  9. Google Reader. Google doesn’t have very many real apps, instead, their applications are web-based and access via Safari. I created an icon on my home screen to access Reader to keep up with my subscriptions when I’m waiting in line, waiting for a meeting to start, etc.
  10. FlightTrack, Yelp, OpenTable. Not really one app, but a few of my favorite apps on my “travel” page. I use FlightTrack to monitor my flight status, Yelp to look up places to eat, and OpenTable to reserve a table once I find a place to eat.

One more bonus tip: I use Google 411 by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411 to do the voice directory search. It’s free and fairly accurate, useful when you’re driving (use a headset).

]]> http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/07/08/traveling-consultant-theres-an-app-for-that-10-apps-for-business-productivity/feed/ 0 Visit Local Coffee Shops for a Break From Chain Stores http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/06/07/visit-local-coffee-shops-for-a-break-from-chain-stores/ http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/06/07/visit-local-coffee-shops-for-a-break-from-chain-stores/#comments Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:02:36 +0000 Daniel Hoang http://www.danielhoang.com/?p=382



When traveling, I always prefer to visit the local coffee shops to get a sense of the local community and the uniqueness of each city. While the national chains, such as Starbucks, offers consistency no matter where you go, the local mom & pop shops offers a little more personal touch. Below are two of my favorite coffee shops in the Bay Area.

Awaken Cafe

414 14 Street
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 836-2058

cafe

Awaken Cafe is a local East Bay favorite in downtown Oakland. It offers art, community, and sustainable coffee. They have a variety of organic, fair trade coffee that they freshly grind on site. Rather than plain brewed coffee, they use a French Press, giving their regular coffee a grittier hearty taste. Enjoy your coffee, knowing that Awaken uses 100% recycled cups that are fully compostable and lids that are made from potatoes and break down in 30 to 45 days. If you’re around, you can toss your cup away in their composting bin. While you’re waiting for your coffee to be made, also check out the ever changing artwork hung up in gallery style from local artists.

Philz Coffee

3101 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 875-9370

Philz Coffee

Philz Coffee has over 25 different roasts and each cup of coffee is hand made, meaning it’s brewed specifically for you. While a typical “brewed” coffee comes out to be $3 for a small cup, the quality and freshness can’t be beat. After you pick from the huge range of available coffee, even Jamaican Blue Mountain ($7  a cup!), you order your size and how you want your coffee: plain, cream, sugar, in addition to traditional espresso styles. The barista carefully grinds your coffee, loads up the coffee filter, gently fills it with hot water, and with care, slightly shakes the filter around to get an optimal brew. When it’s done, she’ll pour it out into a cup, back into the container, and back into your cup again, filling your cup with air and goodness.

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