What tech resources are out on the web to assist when it comes to time management?

Remember The Milk

This free cloud-based application will allow you to carry your Personal, Work and Study To-Do lists with you on your smartphone, desktop, laptop, tablet and more. You can set reminders and priorities, and with the Pro version, sync your lists to Outlook, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. You can email tasks directly to your inbox. You can organize your To-Do’s and use the Weekly Planner to plan out how to accomplish your tasks. You can email yourself things that you need to do from any email application and they will show up in your inbox in Remember the Milk.

Rescue Time

(rescuetime.com)

This is another cloud-based application. It tracks the time you spend on your computers working on applications and on websites by start time and end time. It measures the time you spend “in focus,” or what you are paying attention to and not what you have open. If you leave your machine, it stops tracking. You can set goals such as spending one hour or less on email, for example. It has another great feature along with its tracking and reporting features: it can block specified websites for set times and allow you to focus on what you need to get done. It comes in free and premium versions.

1Password

(agilebits.com/onepassword)

How much time do you waste in a day trying to remember passwords for your bank, websites and more? Or worse yet, do you use the same password for multiple accounts? 1Password users strongly recommend this password manager and digital wallet. It generates strong passwords and will allow you to keep secure notes for things that you want to keep private. This application can be used locally without syncing anything on the Web or, if you wish, you can use it on all your devices by placing your encrypted vault in Dropbox, iCloud or shared network folders. You can also set up multiple vaults. You can use it in Windows, OS X, Android and iOS and it has plugins for Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari.

FitBit Flex

(fitbit.com)

The FitBit Flex is a wearable fitness wristband that helps you track your daily activity in terms of steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. It tracks how long you slept and the quality of your sleep. It buzzes when you have achieved 10,000 steps in a day (the first time mine did this I almost jumped out of my skin!). It syncs wirelessly to your computer and smartphone. You can log additional activities such as biking, skiing, running and more. As you achieve your fitness goals, you get email reminders and badges that reinforce your progress. You can also track drinks of water and calories eaten in the food log section. If what gets measured gets done, the FitBit is a fun and novel way to keep on top of your fitness goals.

Google Now

(google.ca/landing/now/)

Yet another service by Google, Google Now uses “Cards” to deliver information to you on matters that are important to you without you having to go and fetch them. It is available for iOS, Android, PCs and Macs, Google Glass and other wearable technologies. To use it on a computer you need to install Chrome, then sign into Chrome and open the Notification center. On an iPhone you need to download the Google App (it is installed already on Android devices). Once installed and signed on, you can select Cards from categories such as “Manage My Day” or “Be a Local.” Traffic and transit cards let you navigate efficiently. Appointment cards can alert you to upcoming events. You can use event or time reminder cards, and many, many more.

Dave's Tech Tips | June 2015