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7 Reliable Ways to Improve Project Estimates
7 Reliable Ways to Improve Project Estimates
By Harry Hall
Once upon a time, I sat in the office of a CEO as he described ten years of late and grossly over-budget Information Technology projects. He was more frustrated than a New York Mets fan losing another New York Yankees game. He asked why IT continued to […]
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Top 5 Tips To Make The Invoicing Process Simpler
A business invoicing process can become complicated if not taken seriously. As the business grows, it becomes really important to streamline other processes as well. The invoicing process is one such process which is crucial for every business. This is especially so, because invoicing helps in converting revenue into cash flow. If a business does not realize payments on time, it will fail to sustain itself in the long run.
Here are some tips to simplify the invoice process:
1. Standardization
Sending out professional invoices to clients is the first step towards creating a smooth invoicing process. One has to choose an invoice template that carries all the necessary details. These details include the company name and contact details, company logo, product description, rate of the product being sold, quantity of the product being sold, purchase order number, invoice number, notes, terms and conditions, taxes, discounts and the due date of the invoice. The next step is to train an employee to fill in the correct details in this format and send it out to the client in a timely manner.
2. Invoice Tracking
With a large number of invoices being sent out, it is very important to track each and every invoice periodically. Cloud based invoicing solutions help business owners to track the status on invoices by simply logging in anytime, anywhere. Knowing whether an invoice has been paid for or pending from the client’s end, helps in following up for payments at the right time. This also helps in tracking the invoices which have become overdue and need urgent action. Invoice tracking helps in resolving queries or disputes pertaining to a particular invoice.
3. Reducing Errors and Disputes
Invoicing is a process fraught with errors, and this may lead to invoice exceptions and disputes. To reduce these, one must ensure that each invoice is preceded by an estimate which is duly approved by the client. This must be followed by a purchase order from the client’s end which further ensures that the client agrees to the pricing and the terms and conditions mentioned on the invoice. Using an automated solution to send out invoices and other documents ensures that the chances of an error on the invoice are minimum.
4. Getting Paid on Time
Once a system of sending out documents is in place one must ensure that the payments flow in timely as well. For receiving timely payments, one must ensure that invoices are sent out to the client, on time as well. There are invoicing tools that help in scheduling invoices for sending them out on the desired date, despite lack of time and resources. Besides that, a system of online payments ensures that the client can pay the invoice as soon as it reaches his inbox. A late fee is another useful way of penalizing late paying clients and preventing delayed payments. Automatic payment reminders also ensure the clients make payments in a timely manner, without the hassle of too many payment follow-ups.
5. Customized Invoicing
Large enterprises with complex processes and invoicing requirements, can opt for customized invoicing solutions. These solutions ensure that the invoicing system integrates with the existing ERP or CRM systems. Customizing the invoicing process ensures that it is free from errors and also improves the productivity of business processes in a big way. A customized invoicing process has got features like automated invoice verification, approvals and payments, completely simplifying the invoicing process for large enterprises.
Focusing on the core business is the priority for every business owner. But, one must ensure that the invoice process is standardized and simplified appropriately as well. This is essential for realizing payments on time and maintaining healthy client relationships. These are two very important pillars for a growing business enterprise.
The post Top 5 Tips To Make The Invoicing Process Simpler appeared first on Project-Management.com.
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How Will the Recent LinkedIn Group Changes Impact B2B Marketing?
If you’re a B2B marketing professional, chances are you’ve already heard about all the changes that LinkedIn plans to introduce to its Groups feature.
Unfortunately, over the years, Groups have built up a poor reputation online. Once hailed as the most valuable social media channel for B2B lead generation, with time, they’ve became over-populated with promotional posts and too much spam.
Hopefully, that’s about to change. The biggest announcement to date is that LinkedIn recently made all of their Groups (over 2 million!) private. The goal of this is to encourage more meaningful conversations, based on user feedback.
So, what do the new Groups mean for your B2B marketing strategy?
Increased Privacy
The new Groups will increase your privacy level online, so you can have in-depth conversations without worrying that what you write will be available for anyone to read.
In fact, the new privacy setting makes it impossible for content to be indexed by search engines. As a result, if you’re talking about sensitive information within your LinkedIn Group, this content will stay private and cannot be found by anyone searching on Google.
B2B Marketing Implication: These increased privacy settings offer you new opportunities to engage with your groups in a much more meaningful way. You can now provide exclusive announcements, information, or offers to your groups that may not have made sense to promote openly.
Vetted Members
Prior to the update, LinkedIn Group members were divided into two – public ones, which anyone could join, and private ones, where membership requests needed to be approved by an administrator. The open nature of the public Groups led to many of the posts being promotional, which turned off many members from participating, and ultimately led to hundreds of posts with no engagement.
With the recent changes, all members will need to be vouched for in order to gain admission. Joining a LinkedIn group now requires either an invitation or approval of your request.
So, all of your Group members will need to keep their credentials up-to-date to show that they are valuable contributors.
B2B Marketing Implication: Moving forward, you’ll be able to have professional and detailed conversations only with individuals who fit your detailed guidelines. This will result in smaller groups with much higher levels of engagement as members don’t need to worry about sifting through dozens of spam posts.
New Groups App
LinkedIn also announced a new app specifically for Groups—similar to Facebook’s messenger app. The app is standalone and offers a slew of features, which show engaging discussions, highlights, and compelling content.
The algorithm that LinkedIn uses for its mobile app makes sure that you’ll see the Group content that matters most to you, not just anything that’s being discussed.
The app will also make it easier to discover new and interesting groups and people based on your industry experience, previous Group memberships, and more. So now, your marketing department will have an easier time keeping up on the latest LinkedIn news and conversations.
B2B Marketing Implication: With Facebook Messenger and the revamp of Twitter Direct Messages, there has been a major push for social networks to help their users create an ongoing communication. This new app will give you the option to have lengthier conversations with your group members that will lead to deeper engagement.
Updated Features
Users within Groups can now tag someone in their posts using @mention, although you cannot tag individuals who do not belong to the group. It’s also possible to add images to posts now, and the design is cleaner and less spam-like.
For your social media marketing, these updates will make it easier to get your ideas across and connect with specific companies or individuals by mentioning them directly. It stops the run-around and allows you to be direct.
B2B Marketing Implication: A relationship doesn’t form after commenting on one post. This new feature allows you to target specific group members to help build your relationship up with multiple communications. Just be sure the members you are @mentioning will have a genuine interest in the topic.
Recruiting Tools
The final update to LinkedIn Groups is the ability to recruit individuals without distracting from the important conversations. LinkedIn made this possible by creating a special tab within Group pages that can be used as a hub for job discussions.
So, if your company has joined a manufacturing group and you have an opening for a new warehouse manager, you can post your job ad within a page made for that type of discussion so you can be sure it won’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of the other conversations.
B2B Marketing Implication: LinkedIn has become so much more than a job search site, but that is still a major focus of the network. Putting this important information in its own tab greatly increases the likeliness recruiters will find candidates and also prevents that recruitment from getting in the way of the day to day engagement these new LinkedIn Groups are expected to encourage.
Whether you liked or used the old LinkedIn Groups, the new and improved release could be a game changer for your B2B company.
Now, you can use LinkedIn to have meaningful and private conversations with current and potential clients without worrying that your discussions will make it to the wider web. And the new updates have made conversing easier than ever, saving your marketing department time and frustration.
Interested in learning more from Penguin Strategies? Check out their on demand webinar, How to Make Sure No One Converts on Your Blog.
Tumblr for iOS now supports sharing Live Photos & 3D Touch
Apple has allowed developers to support sharing Live Photos in their own apps since iOS 9.1, and Tumblr appears to be the first major social network to take advantage of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus feature. Tumblr 5.0 for iOS was released today and supports sharing the new animated photos, 3D Touch within the app, and a few other goodies.
To start sharing Live Photos to Tumblr, simply update to the latest version of the iPhone app, make sure you’re signed in and give the app permission to access your photos, then compose a new post with a photo included. From here you’ll notice Apple’s standard Live Photos icon over Live Photos in your photo library. You can share a Live Photo to Tumblr just like a standard photo.
When browsing Tumblr, you’ll recognize Live Photos by the same standard icon in the top right corner. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can 3D Touch (press the display firmly) to animate the photo and hear audio playback. Non-3D Touch iOS devices like older iPhones and all iPads can tap and hold the Live Photo icon to view and hear it. Other devices include the web will just see the standard image.
The latest Tumblr for iOS update also includes other 3D Touch features includes the ability to access Search by deep pressing the Home screen icon. You’ll also find new social network features in addition to 3D Touch and Live Photos:
This update has a new feature: Send-a-Post. Message a post to any Tumblr.
This feature has a new button: Paper plane. Toss a post with the tap of a button.
This button has something extra for you: Messaging. Starting today, it’s out to everyone.
Grab Tumblr 5.0 for iOS for free on the App Store.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: Live Photos, Tumblr
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Yahoo’s new Video Guide app offers universal search across streaming services
Yahoo today released a new “Yahoo Video Guide” app for mobile devices that acts as one central location for users to find content from across a long list of competitive video services and networks.
The app allows users to search from one place and then offers links to buy or start streaming the content in other apps like iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, HBO GO, and many others. So you’ll still need to be a subscriber, have the app downloaded, and or purchase the content once the Yahoo Video Guide app redirects you.
And while you can just search for something you’re looking for, the app also has a Mood Picker feature that lets users pick a from GIFs to search through curated lists.
Yahoo of course has its own Yahoo Screen app for mobile devices, but it also links to content on iTunes, Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix, HBO GO, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, Xfinity, YouTube, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Comedy Central, Disney, Food Network, and others. In total it says it’s promoting over 30 video services through the new Video Guide app.
The Yahoo Video Guide iPhone app is available to download for free on the U.S. App Store now.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: Amazon, App Store, Apps, iPhone, iTunes, Video Guide, Yahoo, Yahoo Video Guide
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The Essential Packing Checklist: Hacks & Tips for Business Travelers [Infographic]
Packing for business travel can be a bit of a struggle. You leave your place thinking you’ve got everything you need, and then realize once you get to the airport that you forgot your phone charger.
Sure, it’s easy to overlook things when you’re forced to pack light, but leaving behind the essentials could throw off your whole trip.
What are the most important items you should always remember to pack? And what are some great traveling hacks that’ll make your life so much easier in the long run?
For some key business traveling tips, check out the infographic below from Café Quill. It covers everything from an essential packing list, packing hacks and tips, and useful information on current TSA regulations. (Read this blog post for more business traveling hacks that’ll save you time, stress, and money.)
What other packing tips do you have for business trips? Share them with us in the comments.
9to5Toys Lunch Break: iPad Air 2 $100 off, The Room for iOS free, flashlight w/ power bank $5, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!
The Room puzzle-mystery game for iOS goes free for the first time in two years (Reg. $1), more
Portable Flashlight w/2600 mAh Power Bank: $5, 5200mAh battery w/2 charging ports: $7 Prime shipped
Best Buy makes a splash with the lowest Apple Watch prices ever, deals start at just $249
$100 iTunes Physical Gift Card for $80 w/ free shipping (20% off)
Giveaway: SanDisk USB flash drives for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Save 25% on any book from Amazon — Humans of New York: Stories $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)
- Games/Apps: Shadow of Mordor GOTY for Mac $25, LEGO LOTR $5, more
- iPad Air/2 Accessories: Kensington KeyFolio X3 Keyboard Case $30 (Orig. $60)
- Affinity Photo is Apple’s Mac App of the Year, download it now for $40 (Reg. $50)
- FiiO DAC and Amplifier deals: E12 Portable $100 (Reg. $140), more
- Daily Deals: LeapFrog LeapPad Kids Learning Tablet $65, more
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Algoriddim’s djay 2 for iPhone is now available for free (Reg. $3)
Samsung Ultra-Slim 8X USB DVD-R Optical Drive for Mac/PC/Android: $18 shipped (Orig. $26)
- ChugPlug adds 4 hours of battery life to your Macbook: $30 (Orig. $130)
- Mpow Grip Magic Air Vent iPhone 6/s Car Mount $5 Prime shipped
- SoundPEATS Sport Bluetooth Earbuds $17 shipped (Reg. $30), more
- Anker USB Power: 20,000mAh Dual-USB Battery $28 (Reg. $40), more
- Twelve South blowout: iPad mini leather case $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
- iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 32GB $269, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 128GB $600
- Home Recording: ATH-M40x headphones + Blue Yeti USB mic $130, more
- Sling Media Slingbox 350 (refurb) $55 shipped (Orig. $180)
- Star Wars LEGO Sets: Kylo Ren’s Shuttle $99 (Reg. $120), more
- Bluetooth Speakers: URGE SOUNDBRICK PLUS $17 (Reg. $30), more
- Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)
- GoPro HERO bundles starting at $140, cases from $10, headgear from $7, more
- PlayStation Now drops to $100/yr (55% off)
- Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)
- iPhone 6 (refurb) and one year of unlimited talk/text: $550 shipped
- Amazon is giving away a year of unlimited cloud storage
- Home Recording: Mackie LE CR3 speakers $80 (Reg. $100), more
- Fashion 50% off sales: The North Face, PUMA, Patagonia, more
- Free MP3 Christmas albums from Mariah Carey, Blake Shelton
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix
Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers
Pine64 aims to knock off Raspberry Pi with its low-price 4K-capable microcomputer
Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up
- Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift
- The future is (almost) here with Moley’s robotic kitchen
- The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success
- Amazon launches New Kindle Fire HD 8 ‘Reader’s Edition’
- Razor details its new Hovertrax Smart Scooter ahead of release
- Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi
- Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 9to5Toys, 9to5Toys Lunch Break, Affinity Photo, Amazon Gold Box, ChugPlug, Daily Deals, djay 2, eBay Daily Deals, gift guide, giveaway, iPad Air 2, ipad mini 4, iTunes Gift Card, LeapFrog, Netflix, New Toy of the Day
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Review: Weak battery aside, Apple’s iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case isn’t as dumb as it looks
After Mophie and several other companies created the “iPhone battery case” category, Apple’s Made for iPhone accessory team quietly began to limit what the cases could do. For instance, developers were told that they couldn’t charge both the iPhone and the case at the same time; instead they had to charge the iPhone first, then the case. And although some early battery cases used Apple connectors to recharge, that convenience was nixed by Apple, too. I covered the inception and growth of the battery case market, and heard numerous stories of last-minute scrambles to meet Apple demands, none of which appeared to be making the cases better for end users. Today, the best iPhone 6/6s battery cases are incredibly similar to one another, distinguished more by pricing and capacity than differences in features.
Years later, some of the advantages Apple denied to third-party developers have appeared in the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case ($99), Apple’s first battery case for iPhones. Roundly mocked for its rear “hump” and unfavorably compared to best-selling $40 alternatives on raw battery power, Apple’s latest design clearly isn’t for everyone. But despite the criticism, Apple isn’t stupid, and even if it isn’t winning beauty or capacity awards, the Smart Battery Case’s few special features give it a leg up on certain competitors…
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After years of seeing gently, organically curved iPhone battery cases, there’s no denying that the Smart Battery Case looks different — and somewhat weird. Clearly based upon Apple’s iPhone 6/6s Silicone Case, the design effectively just grafts a battery hump onto that case’s back, and a male/female Lightning connector chin onto its bottom. No tapering smooths out the battery’s presence; it’s just there. Yet it doesn’t feel terrible in the hand, particularly if you rotate the iPhone into landscape orientation, where the left and right of the Smart Battery Case feel atypically thin. Nor does the battery hump snag as much going in or out of pockets as might be expected, though this may vary based on what you wear. Like the Silicone Case, the Smart Battery Case protects the iPhone 6’s side buttons, but not the ringer switch, which is left open.
Two colors of the Smart Battery Case are available. The dark Charcoal Gray one I tested certainly goes well with Space Gray iPhone 6 and 6s devices, while an almost clinical-looking white rubber alternative is made for silver and gold iPhones, which have white faces. According to early reviews, the white one begins to look somewhat ratty within days, so the gray version may be a better pick. That said, Apple’s soft rubbery exterior and microfiber lining seem destined to show wear faster than the hard plastics used in most battery cases.
Apple ships each Smart Battery Case in a plain-looking box with documentation, but no other accessories, such as the Lightning cable you’ll need to recharge it, or the 3.5mm adapter you may need to connect your favorite headphones through the very thin, deeply-recessed headphone port channel. Every other iPhone battery case at least includes one of these items, if not both, but Apple’s theory is apparently that you’ll already have the Lightning cable, and its own headphone plugs are tiny enough to sneak into the recessed port.
Assuming you supply that Lightning cable — and a power source more powerful than the one included with the iPhone 6 or 6s — the Smart Battery Case can simultaneously charge the iPhone and battery at fast speeds. Using an affordable Anker PowerPort adapter, I was able to recharge the iPhone by 25% and the battery by 26% in 36 minutes. As noted above, most if not all of the Smart Battery Case’s competitors have been restricted by Apple from performing this same feat. That’s possibly because Apple hasn’t trusted third-party developers to properly manage the potentially differential changing flows of “high speed” and “trickle speed” energy to the iPhone and case batteries; regardless of its own low-power condition, the Smart Battery Case appears to dramatically slow down its own recharging when the connected iPhone is trickle-charging.
The Smart Battery Case’s single best feature was hidden in iOS starting with version 9.1. When the iPhone is first plugged in to the case, or the iPhone and case are first plugged into a Lightning cable, the iPhone’s Lock Screen displays a new dual battery indicator, something no other battery case can do. One battery shows the remaining power in the case as a percentage, while the next shows the current charge level of the iPhone. Unless you disconnect and reconnect either the iPhone or Lightning cable, the dual percentages can only be found on Notification Center thereafter, not on the Lock Screen, which is unfortunate.
On the other hand, the Smart Battery Case has zero buttons of its own, and only a single light, so you can’t see how much power remains unless you attach your iPhone. The tiny light is hidden inside the case above the Lightning connector, and is there solely to indicate whether the case is fully recharged when connected to power without an iPhone. It stays red if charging, turning green if fully charged. Also apparently hidden within the case is some sort of passive wireless antenna, though Apple provides no documentation on the feature, and has long-required third-party developers to make their iPhone battery cases effectively radio transparent.
From my perspective, the Smart Battery Case’s major failing is its battery performance. With only 1877mAh of power, it delivers only a 77% recharge to a completely dead iPhone 6; the number will be slightly higher on the iPhone 6s, which has a smaller internal battery. That said, Apple appears to have designed the Smart Battery Case to act in different ways based on the level of charge remaining in the iPhone: if the iPhone’s battery is full, it can run off Smart Battery Case power rather than draining its own reserve, but if the iPhone’s battery isn’t full, it refuels itself to 100% from the accessory. In theory, this could reduce wear and tear on the iPhone’s internal battery by reducing the number of discharge-recharge cycles you’d normally see from a battery case, though in practice, people will need to make sure the iPhone’s well-charged before putting the case on.
It goes without saying that you have dozens, perhaps hundreds of different iPhone 6 battery case options, and no one’s forcing you to choose Apple’s iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case if you don’t like the price, the way it looks, or the battery performance. Given the $99 asking price and 1877mAh cell, it would be near the very bottom of our guide to the best iPhone 6/6s battery cases, and I wouldn’t be inclined to recommend it to most people.
That said, if the Apple name or the unique dual battery Lock Screen feature are of interest, you like the way it looks, and you’re willing to pay a premium for the package, this isn’t a bad battery case. Apple clearly could have done better, and hopefully, it will learn some lessons from this model for next year’s inevitable iPhone 7 sequel — or better yet, improve the “smaller” iPhone’s internal battery so that accessories of this sort are no longer necessary.
| Manufacturer: Apple |
Price: $99 |
Compatibility: iPhone 6/6s |
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Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: battery cases, cases, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case, smart battery case
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iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case teardown takes us beneath the bump
It’s not too surprising that Apple’s new iPhone 6s Smart Case isn’t made to be easily opened for repairs. To get inside for its usual teardown routine, iFixit had to peel off the soft lining of the case by heating up the adhesive. It then had to remove three proprietary Apple screws to remove a metal reinforcement plate and get at the battery itself. So while you likely won’t be able to repair your new Smart Case without destroying it, we do get a look inside of the new product thanks to iFixit…
Apple’s new $99 Smart Battery case for iPhone 6s has been getting a lot of attention this week as pundits and consumers question the design decisions made on the product, while competitors take the opportunity to do the usual Apple mocking adverts. One possible answer for the protruding battery bump on the case that seems to be universally disliked: some have speculated it could be Apple’s way of avoiding patents from the big battery case manufacturers.
But other than the obvious battery bump and the 7.13 Whr (1877 mAh at 3.8 V) capacity battery, iFixit found only the expected Lightning connector components in addition to two chips: NXP NX20P3 load switch (which is used in Lightning to USB cables) and a NXP 1608A1 charging IC. The rest is seemingly being handled on the software side via the connected iPhone.
The tear down also notes that other than the metal reinforcement plate and flexible hinge, the rest of the case is “made of a hard plastic, seamlessly coated in soft silicone.”
But for all of the hurdles to get into the device, Apple’s proprietary screws, and the fact that the battery isn’t made to be repairable or swappable, overall iFixit gives the new Smart Case an unimpressive 2 out of 10 for repairability.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: .13 Whr (1877 mAh at 3.8 V), Apple, battery case, bump, capacity, Chips, iPhone 6s, smart battery case, tear down
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British government considering giving iPads to inmates for education & video chat with families
The British government is considering a proposal to give iPads to prison inmates so that they can continue their education when confined to their cells, and also keep in touch with family members via FaceTime and Skype.
The Telegraph reports that the recommendation was made by an adviser to the Ministry of Justice, and is being considered by Justice Minister Michael Gove. A spokesman said that the government wanted to improve educational opportunities so that prisoners were less likely to re-offend following their release.
There does appear to be some support for the idea …
The plan is being considered by Dame Sally Coates, a former headteacher who is conducting a review of education in prisons for Mr Gove.
“If you haven’t got the skills to get a job, then you’re much more likely to reoffend,” she said.
Jerry Petherick, head of UK prisons for outsourcing giant G4S, said he believed that in-cell tablets would “become the norm”, but warned that strict controls would be needed to prevent further criminality.
Gizmodo suggested instead that if prisoners are there for punishment, they should instead be given 2010-spec Android tablets …
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Her Majesty’s Prison Service, iPads for inmates, iPads for prisoners, iPads in jail, iPads in prison, jail, Michael Gove, prison, United Kingdom
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Just over a month in, there are 2600 Apple TV apps, most priced just like iPhone apps
The AppFigures blog has been running the numbers on Apple TV apps, are there are no great surprises. It found that there were 2,624 apps in the store at the time of writing (in line with Eddy Cue’s statement yesterday that there are “more than 2000”), and that the vast majority of them fall into the games and entertainment categories.
So far, at least, developers seem to be pricing them very much like iPhone apps, with $0.99 the most common price, and 85% of them costing no more than $2.99. One slight surprise, though, is that almost 40% of them are paid, rather than free or with in-app purchases.
TV apps are currently growing at the rate of a little under 500 apps per week. Have you got any favorites yet? If so, let us know in the comments.
Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV, Apple TV apps, TV apps, tvOS
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Product Hunt launches redesigned iPhone app with 3D Touch, podcast playback, better discovery, more
Originally launched as a way to vote on new technology products, Product Hunt has since greatly expanded to include media like podcasts and books as well as games and other content. Product Hunt rolled out a visually refreshed home page a couple weeks back to reflect the evolution, and today the service is unveiling a redesigned iPhone app with new features to match…
The new Product Hunt iPhone app features categories for discovering what’s trending in books, games, and podcasts now so you’re not just limited to tech. Podcast playback is also now built right in so you can listen to entire episodes of posted shows and vote accordingly. Start a show, leave the app, and keep listening in the background.
Product Hunt users can create collections of podcasts, games, books, and products right from the app. You can share your own collection or follow other collections to see what others are curating. The new app also includes a Popular feed for highlighting upcoming live chats, popular products, and collections visually.
The new app also takes advantage of some iOS 9 and iPhone 6s features. Searching Product Hunt is now more accessible thanks to Spotlight search from the Home screen without evening opening the app. And iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can use 3D Touch to access quick shortcuts within the app. Press firmly on the updated icon to jump to Popular, Today, Live, and Search.
Grab the new Product Hunt for iPhone from ProductHunt.com or the App Store.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: books, chat, Games, Podcasts, Product Hunt, products, recommendations
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GoPro’s new Apple Watch app lets you preview camera angle, start/stop recording, tag and more [Video]
GoPro has updated its iOS app with support for the Apple Watch, demonstrated in the video below featuring pro skateboarder Mikey Taylor. Owners previously had to use a third-party app to control their action cams from the Watch.
GoPro is excited to launch Apple Watch features for the GoPro mobile app, featuring a simple design that gives Apple Watch users quick access to the camera’s controls right from the wrist. The Apple Watch features allow users to preview their shot, toggle between capture modes, start/stop record and add HiLight Tags to the best moments of their videos.
The iPhone app has also been updated to make it easier to grab still images from video clips and easily trim videos to 5-, 15- or 30-second lengths using the smart editing feature first introduced in September …
Finding your favorite moments is also easier, with a new filtering option that allows you to show only Hi-Lights or edited clips. For action cam fans, it could be just the excuse you were waiting for to treat yourself to that discounted Apple Watch.
The app is compatible with any of GoPro’s Wi-Fi-equipped models, which start at $200.
Via Engadget
Filed under: Apple Watch, Apps Tagged: action cam, Action camera, Action cameras, Action cams, Apple watch, Apple Watch apps, GoPro
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Review: Mujjo’s pricey but utterly gorgeous luxury touchscreen leather gloves
The UK entered glove-wearing weather in the last week or two, leaving the annual problem of how to use touchscreen devices when out and about. If you’ve ever used cheap touchscreen gloves, you’ve probably been disappointed. Most aren’t good at either job: they aren’t very warm, and their touchscreen performance is poor.
Jordan was impressed when he tried out a couple of pairs of Mujjo’s touchscreen gloves almost two years ago, and as I still use the company’s Leather Wallet Case as the daily driver for my iPhone 6s, I thought I’d put the latest gloves to the test …
Mujjo’s Leather touchscreen gloves are far from cheap, at $110. But before you dismiss them out of hand, let me explain why I think they are worth the steep price-tag.
You can walk into any upmarket department store and pay a similar amount (or more) for top-quality leather gloves. And if you did so, you wouldn’t be at all disappointed with these. That impression of quality begins with the packaging, shown above. They are beautifully presented, and would make an impressive gift.
While leather gloves may have something of an old-man image, it’s clear that Mujjo is targeting a completely different demographic here. The design is contemporary, with the fold-over flap giving the gloves a bit of a motorcycle vibe. While not specifically marketed as a men’s glove, I would say the look is more male than female, and the sizing is limited to 8, 8.5 and 9, which will be too large for many women.
The feel of the gloves is fantastic, both outside and in. The leather is Ethiopian lambskin. It’s incredibly supple, and beautifully soft to the touch. Mujjo says they are both windproof and waterproof. I was a little skeptical of the waterproof claim, as in my experience you can have ultra-supple leather gloves or waterproof leather gloves but not both. However, when running them under the tap, water beads up impressively, and they did later come through a rain-sodden bike ride without letting in any water.
The interior lining is another luxury material: cashmere. The gloves feel far too thin to keep your hands warm in cold temperatures, yet somehow they do. Granted, UK temperatures don’t get much below freezing, and they only hit 7-8C (44-46F) at this time of year, but if anything they are a little warm for these temperatures.
The fastening is a magnetic press-stud:
This is my only slight complaint about the gloves. They fasten really easily, and are secure in everyday wear, but I did find that the stud came undone a couple of times while cycling. A slightly stronger magnet would be a worthwhile improvement. However, the ease of fastening means that all I had to do was slap it back down and it fastened itself again.
Most touchscreen gloves have visible patches of conductivity. Not these. There is absolutely nothing about them to give any visual clue that they’re touchscreen gloves. The entire surface of the glove is capacitive.
These gloves aren’t for everyone. Any design will, of course, appeal to some and not to others. And for $110, some may feel they don’t mind briefly removing their gloves to use their phone. But if you are already in the market for gloves of this quality, my view is that you’re getting a fantastic pair of top-quality gloves with the touchscreen performance thrown in free.
Mujjo Touchscreen Leather Gloves are available from Amazon for $109.95.
Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: Leather touchscreen gloves, Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves, Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves review, Touchscreen, touchscreen gloves, touchscreen gloves iPhone
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How Effective Managers Organize Their Time: 7 Pro Tips From Real HubSpot Managers
Time management is one of the hardest parts of a manager’s job.
Whether you’re managing a team, an asset of the company, or both, it’s difficult to balance your own output and the needs of your team.
Finding this balance has a lot to do with prioritization. Do you have time to make yourself available to help your team today? Or do you need to lock yourself in a conference room and work on a big project? If something urgent comes up, what can be moved first? It’s all about staying on top of your short- and long-term goals.
But that’s easier said than done. How do effective managers manage their time? Here are some top tips from great managers here at HubSpot.
How Great Managers Organize Their Time
1) They have a system for email.
We all know email can be one of the biggest time sucks, but it’s also still one of the best ways for others — including members of your team — to reach you with questions and information. As a manager, it’s especially important to be on top of what’s coming into your inbox and to prioritize effectively.
Different systems work for different people, but the point is that you have to have one.
“My biggest challenge used to be email,” admits Nataly Kelly, HubSpot’s VP of Localization Marketing.
“But I’ve radically simplified my inbox to a point where I only have three folders: 1) Action needed 2) Read later 3) Reference. Everything in my inbox gets moved into one of those folders, and I have filters set up to automatically route certain messages into the proper folder so I can read them when I have time,” she says.
Another way to organize your inbox is using Andreas Klinger’s method for Gmail — which is my personal favorite for prioritizing email and getting to (and maintaining) inbox zero. Learn how to set that up here.
Amanda Sibley, HubSpot’s demand generation manager, suggests setting aside specific time for email — and trying not look at it in between, especially if you have a lot of your own work to get done that day. “I try to do an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening,” she says.
Finally, there are some great email tools that can help streamline your emailing efforts. Boomerang for Gmail is a favorite of Melissa Miller, who managers HubSpot’s marketing operations team. It’s a Gmail plugin that lets you archive emails that will later reemerge in your inbox as an unread message, among other things. Miller uses it to make sure she follows up on emails that require a response in a specific amount of time.
If you haven’t found a system that works for you, it’s time to find one. Here are 11 inbox organization tools to try, as well as four solutions to getting “inbox zero,” depending on your personality.
2) They block off time to get s*** done.
At HubSpot, we call this time “GSD time”: Get S*** Done. Managers often find themselves pulled in a lot of different directions at once, and it can be borderline impossible to find time to work on your own projects if you don’t block off time to do so.
HubSpot’s Director of Marketing Debbie Farese literally puts blocks of time in her calendar that she labels “GSD” so folks know not to schedule anything during those times.
Our VP of Marketing Meghan Anderson does the same. “I want my team to feel comfortable booking me for whatever they need. As a result, any unbooked space on my calendar tends to fill up pretty quickly. In order to have time to myself, I make sure to ‘book’ myself.”
Kelly finds that working from home on some days helps her focus better when she needs to. “When I work in the office, my days are fairly jammed with meetings,” she says. “When I work from home, my days are far more productive. Those are the days I typically do video meetings or hangouts with our offices in other time zones.”
Another method? Physically close yourself off from distractions. “I always want to be available for my team when they need me at any point in the day, so I try to be at my desk a lot,” says Sibley. “But if there is something I must get done in a day — a deck due to our CMO, for example — then I turn off email and shut myself in a room for an hour or so until it’s done.”
The key, explains Sibley, is being transparent. “Be clear with your team if you need to be heads down,” she says. “It adds a level of understanding and will make it easier to fully concentrate on what needs to get done.”
3) They book one-on-ones in chunks.
Here’s a quick hack: At the same time you’re booking GSD time on your calendar, book your one-on-ones one after the other. This will help keep you on schedule, and won’t break up other parts of your day.
“I hold all my one-on-ones on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” says Farese. “That way, no one day is completely booked with them, and on the other hand, they’re not completely spread across the week.”
4) They carve time to work when others aren’t.
For some managers, the best way to block off GSD time is to do it when others aren’t working. That’s exactly what Nathaniel Eberle, HubSpot’s director of PR and brand, does: On packed days, he uses early mornings and evenings to get writing done, get a slue of emails out the door, or do some critical thinking and planning.
“Whether you’re an early morning person or a night owl, carve out some time to sit down and get work done while the rest of your world is asleep,” he suggests. “Or, if you’re more on the average for the waking day, putting blocks on the calendar is a fail-safe way of carving out that time. Just disconnect the internet and put the phone on airplane mode.”
Kelly feels the same way. “Some people think you should disconnect from work in the evenings, but that actually stresses me more,” she says. “I normally catch up on email and social media in the evenings, and plan the day ahead.”
5) They reprioritize effectively throughout the day.
When you’re a manager, every day is different — and that’s what keeps it exciting. But needing to reprioritize as things come up is the nature of the job. The most effective managers are able to recognize which tasks need to be done immediately and which can wait — and for how long.
So, how do you triage effectively? Ginny Soskey, who manages content strategy for HubSpot’s Marketing blog, likes to think of this matrix:
Image Credit: Mind Tools
“The stuff that I should be focusing on are those in the top half: the important goals and critical activities,” says Soskey. “I try to minimize the time I spend on the low importance and low urgent tasks.”
To keep herself on track, she tries to assign her to-do list items to each of those buckets at the beginning of the day. When things crop up, instead of jumping head-first into fixing them, she uses this matrix to evaluate how quickly she needs to respond.
Emma Snider, who manages the Sales blog at HubSpot, emphasizes the need to put the people who report to you first when you can. “I never want to be the roadblock for my team to get anything done,” she says. “I don’t want them to have to say they’re waiting on me for guidance or for an edit. I try to be reactive when things come in.”
That’s where balancing your team’s needs and your own gets tricky. “Know what your goals are,” suggests Sibley. “Ask yourself at a given time: Are you 100% there to help your team? Or do you also need to be heads down to edit, for example? Plan out your days accordingly based on what you must get done in that day.”
6) They make time for physical exercise.
It’s all too common for people to put business first — even above family, friends, and especially health. But you aren’t doing yourself or your team any favors by slacking on your health. When you stop exercising, you put your physical and mental health at risk. With the loss of both, your productivity and effectiveness as a manager can easily go downhill.
“I start nearly every morning very early — at around 4:30 A.M. — with a workout,” says Kelly. “That’s my #1 tip for balancing the day, even though it’s hard to fit it in. On the days I don’t exercise, the day just isn’t as productive, no matter what.”
Bonnici has a similar approach, except he blocks from 12:00–1:00 P.M. every day for a run, a swim, or catching up with a friend. “I need to do this,” says Bonnici. “If I don’t, I’m far less effective throughout the rest of the day.”
7) They keep meetings action-focused.
Nothing’s more frustrating than an unproductive meeting. We could all use fewer ineffective meetings and more time we’re able to spend, you know, doing actual work. As a manager, you’ll often find yourself running these meetings — and it’s up to you to make sure everything you talk about has a purpose.
Ryan Bonnici, HubSpot’s Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan, suggests preparing a meeting agenda and sending it to attendees in advance. “I don’t like doing meetings without having context in advance, an agenda of what we’re discussing, and so on,” he says. “That way, we can all make the most of our time.”
Kelly suggests preparing for meetings by creating a simple, three-column table in a Google Doc or other template.
“When the meeting starts, in the left column, jot down the topic,” she says. “In the middle, jot down major discussion points. In the right column, add action items. This ensures that there is never a discussion without a clear action item.” When the meeting’s over, you can send the meeting notes in an email.
Read this blog post for more tips on running effective meetings (and only effective meetings).
8) They practice gratitude.
Think this is a random addition to the list? Turns out keeping a gratitude journal increases productivity, according to a slue of academic studies out of Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UC-Berkeley, and Columbia.
Here’s how it works: Writing down what you’re thankful for increases happiness. Happiness increases productivity. So, practicing gratitude is one of the most underrated tools for increasing productivity.
“Believe it or not, I really find that gratitude creates a more balanced day,” says Kelly. “I like using Postagram app for iPhone. I use it to snap a quick photo, type a quick thank-you note to someone, and then they receive an actual, physical card. In a world where everything is digital, it helps make a message as important as a thank-you really stand out.”
9) They use productivity tools.
Every person and team has their own style, but every team should be using some sort of project management tool. The HubSpot blogging team uses Trello, for instance, which lets you drag, drop, color-code, and manipulate to-do list items in a way that many of the other tools don’t.
Here are just a few great tools for personal and team to-dos. You can find many more by reading this list of the best to-do list apps and this blog post on project management tools.
Google Drive
Google Drive is a simple, yet very powerful tool for managers. Anderson says she relies heavily on it — for everything from taking notes during your one-on-one meetings, to tracking goals and budgeting spreadsheets. The best part? You can access it on any device. (Here are some Google Drive tips to get you started.)
Asana
Asana is Bonnici’s go-to personal and team productivity tool. It’s a user-friendly app created by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz that lets you create tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, add notes, attach files, create internal checklists, and communicate with others through comments.
Bonnici uses it for everything from project management to one-on-one tasks. “It keeps everything contextual to a project or group of tasks,” he says. “Compare that to prioritizing based on random emails, which can be disorganized and hard to follow and triage.”
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is a sleekly designed and user-friendly app that lets you create to-do lists you can share with coworkers, and lets you add and check off sub-tasks, due dates, reminders, and so on.
Anderson uses Wunderlist to keep track of questions and ideas she has for each of her team members. “It lets you quickly add notes on-the-go, which is typically when these ideas arise,” she says. “It helps me make sure I don’t let any fall through the cracks.”
Slack
Finally, most managers find that teams benefit from using an internal messaging service, like Slack or HipChat. “As a team, we use Slack to keep global offices connected, cut down on emails, and stay in-sync,” says Anderson.
Slack has a particularly simple and flexible platform that works across many different devices. Plus, it has a strong search capability and management of uploaded files, making it the go-to choice for many teams.
What tips do you have for managing your time as a manager?
Apple applies for patent for ‘self-healing ports’ as it continues to work on waterproofing
While Apple didn’t make any claims about water-resistance when it launched the iPhone 6s/Plus, submersion tests showed that the company has clearly been working hard in this area – with the new phones still working after a full hour underwater. But water will always get in through ports like the Lightning and headphone sockets, and a new patent application by Apple suggests that it may have a way to fix this …
The patent application, filed today, is for a ‘self-healing elastomer’ covering the ports. The idea is that when you plug in a cable, the elastomer deforms to allow access to the port, and then closes the opening once the cable is removed.
An electronic device has a self-healing elastomer applied over one or more external electronic connectors. The self-healing elastomer may obscure the electronic connectors from the user as well as provide environmental protection for the connector and the electronic device. Electronic probes may temporarily penetrate the self-healing elastomer to mate with the electronic connector. After removal of the probes the self-healing elastomer may elastically reform and self-heal.
Business Insider annotated one of the patent drawings to illustrate.
As ever, we note that Apple patents all kinds of ideas that never see the light of day, but given the steps the company has already taken toward far greater water-resistance, this one may be more likely than most to make it into a future iPhone.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, iPhone 7, Patent, self-healing elastomer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, waterproof, waterproof iPhone, Waterproofing
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ASUS and LG mock Apple’s ‘bumpy’ iPhone battery case
Earlier this week, Apple launched its very first official battery case for the iPhone 6/6s. It’d be an understatement to say that it got some attention on social media, mostly from people who couldn’t believe the design-focused company released something so hideous. In fact, you’ll be hard pushed to find someone who has something good to say about the way the case looks.
Not to miss a good marketing opportunity, ASUS and LG were among those mocking the battery case and using it to sell the benefits of its own products. ASUS was keen to point out that, even with the battery case attached, the iPhone 6 is still no match for the ZenFone Max. ASUS claims its 5000mAh battery-powered smartphone can handle 2 hours more video playback, 2 hour more internet use and 12 hours more talk time than a case-equipped iPhone.
You don’t need that extra pack when you have the maximum power in one. #ZenFone #Max https://t.co/McjMJbzij5
—
(@ASUS) December 09, 2015
Meanwhile, LG took a slightly different line with the V10, ribbing the Apple case’s ‘bumpy’ design. Incidentally, LG’s V10 has a 3,000mAh battery which you can fast-charge up to 50% in just 40mins. :
A moment of silence for those experiencing a bumpy ride. Life's Good. #TheHump #LGV10 https://t.co/OX9i4Bo4UE
—
LG Jordan (@LGJordan) December 09, 2015
It’s no surprise to see the companies exploiting a weakness in Apple’s armor to fuel their own marketing efforts, and the Cupertino-based company could certainly have tried to make it a little harder. Right now, the humped battery case is an easy target.
One thing no company has mocked is perhaps the one thing that has impressed all of us: iOS integration. When an iPhone has a Smart Battery Case attached, it displays both the phone and case’s battery levels in the notification drawer’s ‘Today’ view. What’s more, it charges the iPhone automatically and charges via Lightning cable. Those are some convenient features, for sure. Whether or not you’d want a ‘bumpy’ case in your hand to gain those features is another matter entirely.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Android, Asus, iPhone 6, iPhone cases, lg, smart battery case
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Publishers: Thinking of Incorporating Ecommerce Into Your Business?
It’s no secret that the digital media industry needs new business models. As our 2014 Digital Publishing Benchmarks Report points out, digital media companies are operating in a volatile time of transition and discovery.
The biggest challenge? It’s a time of uncertainty. Publishers know that ad revenues are on the decline, and they’re experimenting with new monetization channels like sponsored content, webinars, and courses. Consequently, Media companies are also facing option overload, with options spread thin across multiple channels.
It’s times like these that chief revenue and product officers need to take a step back and ensure that they’re focusing on the right options. Why not try something that other publishers might consider ‘out there’—like ecommerce? This tried and true business model is one that is safe and long-established. Publishers are the best type of business to venture into this space and consider selling products. The reason? Media companies already have strong audience bases to convert into paying customers. Not to mention, publishers have access to a wealth of audience data from their content consumption patterns, social media activity, and past interest in ads. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
The Refinery29 Model
Let’s get started with a case study.
One of the biggest examples of publishers venturing into ecommerce was Refinery29, a women’s fashion and lifestyle business. What’s interesting about this situation is that Refinery29 closed the doors on its ecommerce business in 2013. The reason?
It’s deceptively hard to merge ecommerce and publishing, and the core team didn’t have the resources or expertise to do it right. Refinery29 decided, instead, to focus on the media side of its business.
The interesting ending to this story, however, is in how Refinery29 continues to monetize–by selling ads to fashion retailers like H&M and Neiman Marcus. Even though the company has shut down its own ecommerce business, it is still using its publishing arm to partner with major retailers to drive sales.
The moral of this story? While ecommerce wasn’t the right business model for Refinery29, it very well could be for other publishers.
Take a look at Harvard Business Review, as an example.
In addition to monetizing through subscriptions, the business content leader also sells digital products through an ecommerce like experience. HBR readers can shop for articles, case studies, tools, magazines, books, and more.
The media company is an innovator in creating and monetizing its own products. It’s a multi-faceted revenue strategy with immense long-term potential.
Assembling the Puzzle
Is your media company well-positioned to follow in the footsteps of HBR? Will you be risking a wrong turn for your business, like the Refinery29 example? There is no textbook ‘model’ to follow–you need to figure out the right solution for your organization. Ask yourself the following question as a guide:
Do you have ideas for products to create and sell? If you’re not sure how to answer this question, start with your audience. Ask them what resources they’d like to see (and what they’d pay for).
Do you have marketing resources to devote to your ecommerce hub? An ecommerce hub will need a tailored marketing plan that is likely different from your core website. Make sure that you have the resources and mental bandwidth to devote to fleshing out your resources.
Do you have an integrated audience database? When you’re building and launching products, you’ll want to monetize them as quickly as possible. What databases and targeting systems do you have in place? Take a moment to get your systems in order and define your most viable channels. This perspective will help you figure out which products to launch first.
How can ecommerce fit into your email strategy? Email has a reputation for being one of the highest converting digital marketing channels. For that reason, your newsletter provides an ideal forum for marketing your own products. Dive into your email systems to figure out which lists are most engaged and where monetization might be lowest. Carve out opportunities with your own products.
What’s your launch strategy? The answer to this question will require a process of testing and learning–you may need to launch an early ecommerce experiment to figure out the right path forward. Figure out what gets your products the most attention and how you can make the biggest impact with your audience. The key to success here means creating a launch plan that you can replicate.
As a media company, you have an amazing asset in place: your audience. You’re collecting a wealth of interest-based data and likely already have a presence on social media. Brands would leap for joy if they had your level of influence and top-of-funnel assets.
Don’t take these things for granted. Instead, use them to kickstart your most viable business opportunities yet. Admittedly unexpected, ecommerce may be your best answer.