Podio: A Highly Customizable Enterprise Social Network: Online Collaboration«

Podiois aiming to shake up this enterprise social networking space currently occupied by the likes ofYammer,Presently,SocialWokandSalesforce Chatterby providing a tool that can be customized using a wide range of ready-to-use productivity apps available from its built-in App Store. There are apps available for tasks such as tracking shipments, praising employees, CRM, timesheets, project management and many more (and if a required app isn’t available, it can be built using Podio’sAPI). This makes Podio highly adaptable compared to its competitors, as it allows organizations to create a networking platform to suit their employees.

Here’s a look at the home page, which can look very different from one organization to another:

Note the familiar“activity stream” on the left, which you’ll find in all of the other enterprise social networking solutions. Podio allows you to add apps from the app store to workspace areas  called“Spaces.”  You can create as many Spaces as you need for your private network, or to share with external users such as clients or partners. The App Store makes it easy to set up specific tools for each of your Spaces. Podio also includes useful core tools such as a calendar, contacts area and a task management system like that you would find in solutions likeBasecamp. These are all good features to include for a social platform in the workplace. Finally, having the ability to add other tools from the App Store gives each company a great deal of options.

Podio on the Go

There’s a free iPhone app for your Podio network, but I wasn’t as impressed with the it as I was with the Podio website. Currently, the iPhone app only provides access to a few core features such as the main activity stream, messaging, contacts, tasks and profiles; you don’t have access to any of the apps added to your Spaces from the App Store. I think it would make sense to include a way to include apps that you want your workforce to use while on the road on their mobile device.

Comparisons

So how does Podio compare to the current crop of corporate social platforms? Well, some have begun to give more options to add more features and customization, but none of them offer Podio’s range of specialty apps; I think its closest competitor could be a newly launched service calledConvofy, which Simonreviewed recently.

Podio offers a free version for up to 10 users and a premium edition for $99/month for up to 25 users, and $4/month per additional user.

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21 Ergonomic Tips for Traveling Web Workers: Online Collaboration«

Those of us who work remotely often do more traveling than the average worker, and working on the road may leave us more susceptible to strains and injuries than our office-bound colleagues. During my recent conversation with licensed massage therapistWimsey Cherringtonabout ways toavoid repetitive strain injuriesat work, she also suggested several tips for avoiding strains while traveling.

Luggage Handling

Many injuries are caused by improper handling of luggage. Of course, wheeled luggage is a must these days, but there are times when you must pick up your bags. You can reduce the possibility of strains by avoiding twisting motions while lifting bags.

• Keep it light.We all know how tempting it can be to want to take the laptop, the tablet, the smartphone, the camera, the MP3 player, and all the paraphernalia that goes with them. But the heavier the bag, the more likely you’ll be to strain yourself while lifting it. (And you’ll pay more to the airlines in luggage fees!)
• Avoid unbalanced bags.Many pieces of luggage have lots of pockets and compartments, which is great for stowing lots of gear, but pack carefully. Top- or front-heavy bags can compound the potential for strain.
• Bend your knees.When you pick up a bag, brace yourself by bending at the knees. Don’t let your back do the work.
• Lift carry-ons carefully.When putting a carry-on bag in the overhead compartment of planes or trains, face the aisle, lift the bag close to your body, then move your whole body through a 90-degree turn to face the overhead compartment, and put the bag in the compartment.
• Avoid twisting while lifting checked bags:Similarly, when putting checked bags on the scales at an airport ticket counter, lift the bag while keeping it close to your body, then turn your entire body and place the bag on the scale.
• Be careful at baggage carousels:It can be crowded at baggage carousels, but don’t rush. Wait to pick up your bag until it is directly in front of you, pulling it off the carousel straight toward you. Hold the bag close, then turn your entire body and put the bag on the ground.

Neck Support

It’s important to support your neck while traveling, since your body responds to even imperceptible bumps by continually keeping your eyes level with the horizon. These involuntary adjustments can cause neck and shoulder strains.

• Wear a pillow.An inflatable, horseshoe-shaped pillowsimilar to this onewill help support your neck. Wear it at all times while traveling, even when using a laptop and while sleeping.

Back Support

Most seats in planes and trains don’t provide lumbar support for your lower back, and the seats aren’t set in the optimal position, which is flat or slightly higher in the back.

• Use a travel seat with lumbar support.Frequent travelers might want to invest in a travel seat,like this one.
• Make your own travel seat.If you want to save money, or if you only travel occasionally, you can make your own lower back support by folding a heavy wool scarf or muffler and placing it behind your lower back and folding your jacket to fill in the seat.

Exercises

Even in the close confines of an airplane or train seat, there are several exercises you can do to keep yourself relaxed. These are also good for long meetings and conferences:

• Ankle circles.Point your toes out, raise one foot and rotate your foot in a circular motion for 30 seconds. Repeat with the other foot.
• Foot pumps.Point toes of both feet out, then back— repeat for 30 seconds or until muscles or tired, whichever happens first.
• Foot lifts.Keep your heels on the floor and lift the front of your feet as high as you can. Return feet to relaxed position on the floor. Repeat for 30 seconds.
• Heel lifts.Keep the balls of your feet on the floor and lift your heels as high as you can. Return feet to relaxed position on the floor. Repeat for 30 seconds.
• Leg“march.”While staying in your seat, contract your thigh muscles and move your legs as though marching in place for 30 seconds.
• Leg raises.While staying in your seat, with your hands on the armrests, slowly lift both legs, keeping your knees bent. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 8-10 times.
• Torso/back arch.Slowly move your shoulders forward while arching your upper body backward. Reverse the movement, slowly moving your shoulders backward while arching your upper body forward. Repeat a few times.
• Shoulder circles.Gently bring your shoulders up and around, as though drawing a circle with yourscapulae(shoulder blades), also known as“angel wings.” At the end of the circle, let your shoulders drop. Repeat 4-5 times.
• Relax your back.Once you’re off the plane, you can relax stiff and tight muscles with a device like theBacknobber, which is easy to use, light and comes apart for storage in your luggage.

Final Thoughts

• Try not to work all the time.Just because it’s possible to get internet connections in airplanes and trains doesn’t mean that you have to use them! Working while traveling should be a last resort. Use plane or train time to catch up on sleep if you can!
• Reset your body clock.When you get to your destination, and when you get home, you may need to adjust your body’s rhythms.Celine has some great suggestionson how to get back on schedule.
• See a professional when you get home.If you know that you’ll be unable to avoid stressing yourself on a trip, make an appointment with a health professional before you leave. I find that a good massage therapy session can really help ease the stress of business travel.

How do you avoid strains while traveling?

ImagecourtesyFlickr userNoël Zia Lee

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Is Email’s Reign Coming to an End?: Online Collaboration«

Two years ago, I wrote an article for GigaOM Pro entitledEmail: The Reports of My Death are Greatly Exaggerated(subscription required), in which I explained why email is such a useful tool and why I thought it was unlikely to be replaced as the primary business communications medium any time soon. In the time since then, however, we’ve seen a wave of newer cloud-based communications and collaboration products taking the enterprise by storm. Could email be overtaken by these?

While it’s been widely reported thatteens no longer use email, it seems that attitudes to email are changing in workplace, too. According to a new GigaOM Pro report,The Future of Workplaces(subscription required), which surveyed 1,000 decision makers and end-users about the ways that workplaces are changing, workers don’t necessarily believe email will continue to be such a critical tool in the future:

Key Technologies: Future Use

The report’s authors highlight the fact that, while the respondents believed they would newer technologies like VoIP and videoconferencing increasingly in the future, the more traditional tools like email and the office landline showed a noticeable downward trend.

These findings shouldn’t be surprising; having a greater range of useful (and relatively inexpensive) communications tools at our disposal means we can pick the best tools for a given job, which should make our communications more effective. The availability of tools likeDropboxandbox.net, for example, has greatly simplified the process of sharing files with others, and should mean fewer people trying to send large files as email attachments. And for internal office communications, social business tools likeYammerandChattermake for easier conversation than can be had over email distribution lists. However, even though we now have a greater range of useful tools to call upon, I think email will continue to play a vital role in our business communications for the foreseeable future. It has advantages— such as being simple, asynchronous and virtually universal — that aren’t all shared by its newer competitors. Don’t expect to see it going the way of the dodo just yet.

For more insight on the way that our workplaces are changing, check out thefull report over on GigaOM Pro(subscription required).

Image Source:GigaOM Pro

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Can In-Office Avatars Help Out-of-Office Employees?: Online Collaboration«

When you work with a virtual team, you may talk with them every day— but you don’t actually see them. We’re used to actually seeing people when we interact with them, so it’s easy to feel a little bit disconnected.

There are ways to counteract this feeling, of course: videoconferencing and other tools have certainly made a positive impact on how out-of-the-office employees can interact with their in-office colleagues. But there is at least one company exploring the question of whether a physical avatar in the office might help even more.Anybotsoffers a physical avatar for telecommuters, which displays a video at about eye-level as well as can be driven around a facility. All a remote team member needs to use the robotic avatar is a web browser.

Do In-Office Avatars Make Sense?

At a hefty $15,000 a pop, it’s going to be hard to justify the cost of one of Anybots’ devices. As the telecommuting trend grows, however, it’s likely that the cost of in-office avatars will drop, especially if they turn out to successful.

Personally, I have a hard time seeing a use for a robot as a substitute physical presence for myself in a client’s or an employer’s office. Then again, almost all of my work is done at the computer, where opening up a chat client or videoconferencing software is trivial. In a situation where physical presence matters more— like when you need to chase down a particular team member and have a face-to-face chat, or locate something in the office— a mobile avatar prove to be be far more useful. Such an approach may also promote interactions that are almost as good as those conducted face-to-face.

It’s not clear yet whether an in-office avatar will be useful for building up relationships between the members of your team who stay in the office all day and those who work from elsewhere. But it is an interesting tool to consider and, as costs come down and availability goes up, they may prove to be helpful in building the personal connections that make a team effective.

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A Paperless Mobile Office: Just a Dream?: Online Collaboration«

A paperless office might seem an unattainable goal, like perpetual motion, cold fusion or alchemy. While sheet-fed USB portable scanners can’t turn paper into gold, they can make tax time a bit easier and bring that paperless office dream a little closer to becoming a reality. But which portable scanning solution is right for you?

Neat Receipts

One of the most heavily promoted products in this field is the $199Neat Receiptsscanner. You can’t open a magazine or go through an airport without seeing a Neat Receipts ad. As the name suggests, it deals with receipts amazingly well. Be sure to get the right version (Windows or Mac), as it is not cross-platform.

When scanning a receipt, the software parses the vendor, amount, tax category and more, and keeps the information stored in a custom database; no more shoe boxes of receipts for the accountant. The scanner comes with its own carrying case and is the smallest of scanners I tested: 10.8” by 1.6” by 1.3”, weighing in at only 10.6 oz, which makes it perfect for scanning receipts while traveling. No matter how crumpled or tiny the receipt was, Neat Receipts had no problem scanning it.

Outside of receipts, however, the software can be a bit difficult to use. While scans can be set to automatically export to folders, documents are normally stored in the database and not accessible to the OS. Scanning business cards directly into the address book is possible, but beyond receipts and business cards, Neat Receipts performs poorly as a general scanner. Optical character recognition (OCR) built into the Neat Receipts software does not accurately convert scanned documents, although it works well on receipts and business cards. If you live and die by your expense report or business cards, run out and buy a Neat Receipt scanner. Otherwise, check out one of the other scanners below.

Doxie

If you can get overDoxie‘s over-the-top cuteness, it’s not a bad product. This scanner weighs slightly more than the Neat Receipts model at 10.9 ounces, and it’s bigger at 11.5” by 2.0” by 1.6”. It has a rounded design making it more difficult to properly fit in a bag.

As a scanner, the Doxie performed adequately on pictures and documents. It did have some problems with small receipts as it didn’t always engage the sheet feed option, and crumpled receipts would sometimes get stuck. It’s slightly curved paper path could warp pictures, so I’d be careful scanning anything valuable.

Doxie’s“cloud” function allows scanning directly to services such asEvernote,Google Docs,FlickrandPicasa, among many others. OCR is carried out by Google Docs, for which Doxie warns it can’t accept responsibility, and notes that Google puts unspecified limits on the amount of items that it will convert. Fortunately, Doxie can also scan directly to a local folder for conversion by a third-party program. If you are scanning mostly documents and take reasonable care with any receipts you want to scan, the Doxie provides great value at $149.

Fujitsu Scansnap S1100

The scanner I fell in love with was the $199 theFujitsu Scansnap S1100. While Fujitsu’s Scansnap brand has dominated the mid-range desktop sheet-fed scanner market, it hasn’t had a mobile product until recently. The S1100 is scanning powerhouse that fits into a 10.74” by 1.87” by 1.33” package weighing 12.3 ounces. Of the three scanners, this one scanned the fastest and handled anything I threw at it with aplomb. The included software, similar to Doxie, scans to Evernote and Google Docs, but also provides OCR (viaABBYY Finereader) for conversion to Word or Excel.

The design of the scanner is truly unique as it supports both a straight-through and curved paper path, so your precious documents don’t literally go through the wringer, and documents are less likely to get stuck. If they do get stuck, however, the Scansnap allows you to easily open the scanner assembly for removal. This is such a simple design feature, but anyone who has had their scanner grind up a document will really appreciate it.

Overall

If your primary goal is scanning documents, Doxie is good value. If pictures, receipts and other smaller and delicate items are part of your paperless goals, the Neat Receipts and the Scansnap S1100 are a better choice. My preference was the Scansnap with its optional paper paths and easy paper removal. If you need to scan receipts and want the Scansnap, it’s not a problem as Neat Receipts sells itssoftwareseparately for $79.95 and it supports the Scansnap.

While it seems that paper will always be a part of our lives, these sheet-fed portable scanners can at least make your tracking of valuable deductions and other paperwork easier for your accountant.

Disclosure: Neat Receipts and Fujitsu both provided free samples for this test, while the Doxie was returned at the end of review. Thus, Dave can’t deduct the cost of any of these items on his 2011 taxes.

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Turn Your Dropbox Account Into a WebDAV Server With DropDAV: Online Collaboration«

DropDAVis a nifty service that enables you to use Dropbox withWebDAVclients. It was developed to work with the iWork suite for the iPad, but it will work with any WebDAV client, so you could also use it to syncOmniFocusthrough your Dropbox account, for example.

It’s simple to set up, although you do need to provide it with your Dropbox username and password to get going. Once set up, you connect to https://dav.dropdav.com with your WebDAV client and log in using your Dropbox credentials.

DropDAV costs 30 percent of your Dropbox plan price, so it’s free for users with the  free 2GB Dropbox plan, while users with a 50 GB account will be charged $3 per month. A 14-day free trial is available.

I’m surprised that Dropbox hasn’t added WebDAV support to the service it provides; it’s something thatmany thousands of its users have asked for. But until Dropbox adds built-in WebDAV support, DropDAV is a good workaround.

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3 Challenges of Working Remotely: Online Collaboration«

One of the biggest obstacles for a distributed workforce is the lack of personal connection, and while there are severalways to build stronger relationshipswith your team, the effects of the initial disconnect can have a lasting impact on the success of your company.

Here are just a few of the challenges of working remotely, along with ways to address them while you work to build a deeper understanding and commitment from your employees.

Challenge #1: No“Buy In”

In any relationship, it takes a while to get to know and understand the other person. The same is true for the people on your team. Your staff need time to adjust to one another (working styles and preferences, communication styles, etc.), so it can take a while to develop the relationships that will make your company culture thrive. It can also take a while for new team members to understand the mission and inner workings of your company as a whole, which can make it hard for them to“buy in” to what you’re doing at the beginning.

One solution:Have regularaccountability callswith the people on your team. Use a service likeiMeetto have face-to-face interactions that incorporate live video streaming with voice so that you can start putting faces and voices to names. Have calls every two weeks so that they’re not too demanding time-wise, and stick to a strict agenda and time frame for each call. Start by letting the person know how things have been going for the company overall, and then let the employee share what he or she has accomplished over the last two weeks, as well as what’s on the listto do over the coming two weeks. Make sure to reiterate what the person’s primary focus should be (and why) so that he or she understands how his or her job impacts the company as a whole.

Challenge #2: Clock-Focused Thinking

In almost any working arrangement, it’s easy for employees to focus solely on the clock, instead of on results or the overall vision of the company. Rather than keeping a constant pulse on how a given activity or task relates to the bottom line, employees more commonly monitor how much time it takes to complete, which can lead to a lot of wasted time on trivial tasks that don’t add real value.

One solution:Give employees a single metric to watch that isn’t time-related. Revenue, expenses, leads captured, new clients signed, or website visitors are all metrics that can be influenced up or down based on an employee’s activities, and by tying his or her efforts to one of those numbers, it’s far more likely that he or she will focus on activities that more directly impact it. Be sure to concentrate on that one key metric during your accountability calls, too, so that the person begins to see that that’s how you’re measuring his or her success overall, not by how many hours he or she clocks in a given week.

Challenge #3: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

One thing I’ve experienced within my own business is that, when there’s a lull on the client’s end, I’m tempted to take advantage of the downtime to focus on other areas of my business, making it possible for days or weeks to go by with no contact between myself and the client. This can lead to a breakdown in communication and to lost momentum within a given project, so when working with members of your own team, it’s important to maintain communication, even when things might be going a little more slowly than usual.

One solution:At the start of each day, send a quick email to team members to let them know where you are with things, what you’re waiting for (whether on your end or theirs), and what the next step will be as soon as that “waiting for” item is in hand. This keeps everyone on the same page and connected overall so that there’s no loss in momentum or communication.

In the end, regular communication and feedback helps to ensure that most of these problems are averted and that you and your team remain on the same page and moving forward with the goals and mission of the company.

What problems have you experienced with working remotely, and how did you fix them?

PhotocourtesyFlickr userY0$HIMI

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