Google Drive Folder Shenanigains

Our organisation uses Dropbox and I have to say, I hate it. Trying to work collaboratively with about 40 staff is painful. I cannot recall the number of times someone moves a folder shared with them, only to make it unaccessible to the rest of the cohort sharing the folder or worse, deleting it for them.

I have been using Dropbox for so long I assumed that this was the case for Google Drive too. Not so! I just moved a folder shared with me by another organisation using Google for Work (old Google Apps) and no problems whatsoever! Loving life!

Google Read, really impressed.

I get loads of PDF's. I have to download, read and annotate many of them too. It was really by accident that I realised that I can upload my own PDF's into Google Read and access them across all my devices.

I was searching the web recently for back issues of a magazine I like to read when I have some spare time. I was prepared to whip out the credit card and pay for them. Low and behold, they give issues that are older than two years away for free. So I downloaded a bunch. Where to store them? Turns our Google Read is a great facility.

I am aware that Amazon offers the same service, however having two Android devices, it just seemed like the most intuitive way to manage the magazines.

I'd be interested to hear if others use Google Read on a regular basis. What is your experience of it?

PS - If you are about to either (a) ask where I got the D&D 5E versions of the books from or (b) slam me for having illegal copies which they actually are, I only downloaded them (and uploaded them to Google Read) after having purchased the original books.

Original X-Men Movie Available In Playable Free for Chromecast Owners

Like the title of this post says! Open your Chromecast app, select a device and click on the "Offers" button. Follow the bouncing ball.

Think Facebook's separate Chat App is bollocks?

If, like me, the thought of installing a second bloated Facebook app on your Android app was a bit of bollocks, this might be of interest to you.

The chat function is not dead in the Facebook app, its just been disabled.

If you head over to this Life Hacked link, you can find a link to Facebook Chat Reenabler, and you are on your way!

Obligatory Google Inbox Update

Yes I was one of the lucky ducks who got an invitation to Google Inbox. Coming from a GTD background, I was generally distressed that the only context you get to choose from is a physical location. This is pretty handy. The only other way to sort tasks is via date. So the vast majority of my tasks which have to do with contexts rather than places or dates are not processable using Inbox's current setup.

I have left a suggestion that you should be able to label you email and reminder tasks with more than one label. This will give me the ability to check out all my tasks tagged "@Calls" for example and then differentiate between @Personal @Calls and @Work @Calls.

If this is available in an update, I reckon I will give it another bash. Otherwise I will keep using Zendone.

My Handwriting Nirvana

I have tried a whole bunch of handwriting apps and I've blown a whole bunch of cash on several too. I couldn't find one that worked so I settled for using a physical notebook and would take photo's of the pages, scanning them into Evernote (which then hooked into Zendone, my GTD app.) It kind of worked but I found both editing notes on the Android Evernote app and Skitch to be flaky.

So I continued to look for an option.

I can't remember how I stumbled upon Inkredible.

I vaguely recall looking for a handwriting app that has a "palm rejection" facility which Inkredible does. However, it was not the part of Inkredible that drew me. 

The first thing was its responsiveness. I use an Adonit Jotpoint and I found no stutter whatsoever. That is a big statement. Every other handwriting app I have ever used has stuttered at some point. Some more than others. Yet with Inkredible, no stutter.

The second aspect I appreciate is the quality of the various "brushes" or tools which include a fountain and calligraphy pen excellent. (Some free, some you need to purchase as an In App Purchase.) It is also able to detect various forms of pressure of your writing device. More pressure, the thicker the line.

You can chose various types of backgrounds (again some free and other an available as an In App Purchase) and the ability to move through your pages using a two finger page turning technique, or by long pressing on the edge of the page to bring up a quick scroll function.

You also have the standard option of sharing your pages into other apps.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to blog about next, I realised that not only have I not used my physical notebook for about a month now, but I have added the Inkredible icon to my main home screen. It is an app I use several times a day and has resulted in less items in my bag. This reflection answered my question. This app has improved my productivity significantly. Give it a crack and let me know what you reckon.

Great news today from Apple.

Great news from Apple today. Some time in 2015, you can get a bunch of gear that is available now on the Google Play store for about half the price!