23 Mobile Things -- Thing 6 : Creating & Editing Documents

For Thing 6: "When it comes to creating and editing documents, most people would probably still say they prefer using a computer over a mobile device. But there are some apps out there that are making creating and editing documents a little bit easier ... use at least one of these apps and create or edit a document." 

CloudOn

I decided to try CloudOn with our library iPad. Since we usually work from PCs with the Office Suite I thought this might be a good app to test. At times I use our library iPad out in the stacks on various projects and often I need an Excel file. In the past I've just put the Excel file in our Google Drive and used it via this. But this hasn't always been the easiest to work with when dealing with a larger spreadsheet. There tends to be a delay in scrolling or you don't always know if you're really in the correct field -- not good if you're entering or updating data.

I created a CloudOn account for our library:

This was very straight-forward and easy.

Light bulb tip: 

Files available from our Library's Google Drive:

File that I selected to work with:

In edit mode:

After saving, I was given the option to add an editor or mail the file:

After saving it displays "edit" information:

Overall this app seemed straightforward and easy to use. I'm going to give this more of a test-run with high hopes. Being able to easily work across platforms and software with ease is definitely a plus. jd+Points

23 Mobile Things -- Thing 5 : Note taking

For Thing 5 we were to consider: "Phones and tablets come with a notetaking app, but it’s usually pretty bare bones, and notetaking is why a lot of people like mobile devices. There are so many other notetaking apps out there, some that let you write with your finger, some that record your voice, and some that can help you make lists. Check out some of these popular apps."

Yes, I admit that I've used the plain-jane notes app on my iPhone. It does the job. But just an okay job so I don't use it very much or very often. I have less than a dozen notes most of which have simple information I like to keep with me on the off chance that I see that perfect something for a room or the cabin etc. such as window measurements or room dimensions.

I've tried using the notes for larger lists such for grocery shopping. But I find this not to be the best simply because I can't easily check or mark something off my list as I go. My only options are to leave the item or to take the time to delete the line. No, not happening. 

Earlier on I tried at least one other app but ran into the same problem -- not easy to mark off an item like I would on a paper grocery list or to-to list. So with this activity I am on the hunt to look at some of the suggested apps to see what they offer and how I might integrate them into my life.

Springpad
Right off the bat, Springpad shows promise of maybe being that Holy Grail of multi-function, multi-platform organizing apps. Here is a snip of what a "spring" is:

A Spring is: Alarm, Book, Bookmark/link, Checklist, Contact, Event, File, Movie, Music, Note, Photo, Place, Product, Recipe, Task, TV Show, Video, Wine

I like that Springpad can be used across platforms -- on my iPhone, iPad, and via the web (I'm often on multiple PCs) -- with snycing built-in. jd+Points right there.

I looked over their Support page to get a feel for what else Springpad can do & how I might use it. While I don't think that I'll use its social feature, I might like to use it for collaborating on occasion -- such as working with G on our Annual 4th of July get-together for creating and keeping updated on on food, people, needed supplies etc. I see that for Android (not yet Apple) there is an option to add a PIN to secure access to your notes. That could have its advantages -- top-secret Christmas lists and all.

Another feature that I might try is their Web Clipper tool. I currently do this a variety of ways depending upon if I'm on my iPhone, iPad or PC. This would do away with that plus keep everything in one place. jd+Points.

The test
I created an account via the web and added a few quick notebooks. I then downloaded the app to my iPhone. So far so good. I'll continue to work with this and try some of its other features but on quick review I think I'm going to like and use Springpad. 

Other apps mentioned
Bamboo Paper -- At this time I'm not going to try this app. I don't think I have a need for being able to sketch or draw with my finger -- I already have other apps for this, including a note taking app. I think this one is more for the creativity.
Dragon Dictation -- I have this app already but I've not used it other than an initial try it when I 1st downloaded it. I'll continue to keep the app and possibly in the future I'll find a good use for it. 
Remember the Milk -- I downloaded & tried this when it 1st came out but it wasn't for me. I've since deleted the app. 

23 Mobile Things -- Thing 4 : Keeping up

For Thing 4 we were asked to consider this: "Do you follow a lot of news sites and blogs and find that you’re spending so much time going to many different websites? You can make it a lot easier on yourself if you take advantage of RSS feeds and apps to collect them all."

RSS Feeds
I've long since given up using RSS feeds. The last feed reader I used was FeedDemon and I have to say it's been a few years. I don't even know if it's still operational? Back in the day RSS feeds with feed readers were a great way to have information come to me. That is until it became overwhelming with too much information bombarding me and my not keeping up. That big old information monster rearing its ugly head. 

Twitter
For me what replaced RSS feeds was using Twitter. I came to use Twitter because of one of the previous "Things" programs. (Flashback 2009: me on Twitter) At first I didn't buy into Twitter; I basically saw no use for it. Then I gave it an extended try and I started using Twitter mainly for professional use (keeping Facebook mainly for family & friends). 

So how does Twitter replace my RSS feeds? I follow many librarians, tech people, others in higher education, and groups or organizations -- all of these people are talking about and sharing information & topics that are of interest to me in my profession as an academic librarian interested in technology, information literacy, higher education etc. I can quickly see tweets from these people and from that determine if I need or want to read or research a topic more. The 140 character tweet is that little info bite that sums up the topic. The tweets are what is trending now so they help to keep me updated. And the bonus over RSS feeds is if I have a question I can quickly post it and get replies. And don't forget the ease of sharing with others -- either by retweeting or tweeting on my own. I have the Twitter app on my iPhone and iPad plus I use TweetDeck (I handle multiple Twitter accts) on my PC. 

 Flipboard and Zite 
I've had both apps for a long time. I liked Flipboard's format although I don't tend to use it any longer. The main reason is I have it on my iPad and for work I tend to be on my PC more than anything. Zite I've used the least. I guess I haven't really given it a chance so maybe I'll check into it some more and see what it can offer me.