productivity in pictures

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  20 tech habits to improve your life

• Wunderkit for iPhone

  By Joel Mathis | 17 May, 2012 07:09

  Wunderkit helps you work. That’s what a productivity app should do, of course, but some unnecessarily bog you down in details. In contrast, Wunderkit—a free iPhone offering from 6 Wunderkinder—makes it easy to create projects and schedule tasks. And it’s better than many competing apps at recognizing the realities of the workplace.

• Budget 2012: Govt pushes for productivity through NBN

  By Spandas Lui | 09 May, 2012 11:28

  The 2012 Federal Budget has been expectedly conservative with investments to IT, but the Government has poured money into driving productivity gains through services that would be delivered through the National Broadband Network (NBN).

• 5 reasons Microsoft SkyDrive is better than Google Drive

  By Ian Paul | 27 April, 2012 00:50

  Amid the excitement over Google Drive, the search giant's new Dropbox competitor, Microsoft recently improved a similar online sync and storage service, SkyDrive. Microsoft added the ability to store files online and sync across multiple devices right from your Windows or OS X desktop. That puts SkyDrive squarely in competition with Dropbox and Drive, five years after Microsoft first introduced its online storage solution in 2007.

• The best free software, mobile apps, and Web services, 2012 Edition

  By Megan Geuss | 24 April, 2012 22:51

  The Internet is like a fancy Hollywood party with lots of swag: You can get tons of stuff for free, but not all of it is good. Still, some of the Web services, apps, and downloads out there are great, and don't require you to pay a cent. Our 17th annual roundup of free stuff includes dozens of no-cost services, apps, and programs that are worth your time. To help you find the most valuable freebies, we've categorized them based on which types of people they'll help most. Enjoy the free life!

• The best free stuff of 2012 (alphabetical list)

  By Megan Geuss | 24 April, 2012 23:24

  For more information about all of the items in our 2012 Best Free Stuff list, read our package of articles.

• Guide: How to build your first database with Microsoft Access

  By Helen Bradley | 24 April, 2012 23:29

  If you own a version of Microsoft Office that includes Access (Office Professional 2010 is the most current version), but you’ve never used it, you’re overlooking a powerful tool for organizing and analyzing business data. I’ll show you how to make the most of this relational database program.

• Are BYOD workers more productive?

  By Tom Kaneshige | 24 April, 2012 09:01

  Bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, is a movement blurring the line between work and personal life. After all, BYOD is all about employees using personal smartphones and tablets for business purposes. So does this mean people check Facebook when they should be working or read job-related emails on weekends?

• Five business-savvy Chrome apps

  By Rick Broida | 10 April, 2012 02:44

  Last year I made the switch to Google Chrome from Mozilla Firefox, and I haven't looked back. Google's browser feels faster, smarter, and more streamlined -- which helps explain why it's a top choice for business users.

• The 15 best free business tools, apps and services of 2012

  By Megan Geuss | 24 April, 2012 22:58

  You're on a budget, but you need reliable programs that will make your 9-to-5 run more smoothly.

• Feature review: Noteshelf for iPad

  By Lex Friedman | 14 February, 2012 01:35

  The iPad is just a bit smaller than a traditional sheet of looseleaf paper. Sometimes, however, the tablet doesn’t seem quite as useful as pen and paper—especially when you want to jot down some quick notes. Sure, Apple’s stock Notes app works fine, but only if you have the time to tap out your notes on the iPad’s virtual keyboard. When you need to scribble some notes down in a hurry, or when you crave the ability to scrawl down more than just typewritten text, it’s time to take a trip to the App Store.

• Evernote vs. OneNote: Note-taking apps showdown

  By Michelle Mastin | 01 February, 2012 01:06

  Among the many options for storing information digitally, the biggest players in the note-taking software market are OneNote and Evernote. These applications come in handy for taking notes, making lists, managing projects, storing and organizing information, and sharing it with others.

• Nine Kindle Fire apps for getting work done

  By Angela West | 17 November, 2011 13:00

  The consensus of most reviewers of the Kindle Fire is that it's useful as a media consumption device, but not as an erstwhile laptop replacement like the iPad. While that may be the case, the Kindle Fire is cheaper than its Apple counterpart, and it still supports a wide range of productivity apps--especially when you take into account that you can sideload any Android application that you want.

• APP SHOWDOWN: Google Apps vs. Office 365 vs. Zoho Docs

  By Tony Bradley | 31 August, 2011 00:40

  Now that Microsoft has launched Office 365, it is officially "game on" for online office productivity suites. Microsoft may enjoy a near-monopoly in the desktop office suite market, but online it faces established rivals in the form of Google Apps and Zoho Docs.

• 11 essential tablet productivity apps

  By Robert Strohmeyer | 10 August, 2011 23:43

  Whether you're an executive, a traveling sales rep, a student, or a soccer parent, a slate full of smart apps can help you manage the ever-changing demands of your daily life. It doesn't really matter whether you use an iPad or one of the new Android tablets; both platforms offer a wealth of options for staying on top of things. And in any case, it's not about having the most apps--it's about having the right apps for you.

• The best office alternatives for Android tablets

  By Robert Strohmeyer | 25 July, 2011 23:54

  If you fantasize about a life on the road unencumbered by laptops, their accompanying power bricks, and other heavy business gear, you're not alone. And now that a tsunami of tablets is flooding the market with models running a variety of operating systems, that fantasy is starting to look very plausible indeed. Mobile productivity suites bring the document-editing features of desktop suites like Microsoft Office onto the tablet, but are they ready for serious business? I tried four top options to find out.

• Telecommuting is good for employees and employers

  By Tony Bradley | 12 January, 2011 03:09

  As technology evolves, many of the barriers that have traditionally limited telecommuting continue to disappear.