This morning Evernote announced the Evernote Trunk, a full featured online application showcase that will allow users to enhance their Evernote experience with add-on applications from 3rd party developers. As it stands it looks like more than a hundred apps will be available to extend your evernote experience, including everything from to-do’s to calender solutions.

App store for the Uber organized?

An example of this is an application called paperboy available in Evernote trunk that lets you take a picture of a page of the newspaper which will then send you a digital version of that page.

In addition Evernote Trunk will provide integration with SAP (though the details on how it will work are a bit vague)

Also there is talk of group functionality from Evernote Trunk that will make Evernote far more usable as a work solution.

Magazine publishers will also have the opportunity to provide “branded notebooks” in Evernote Trunk where subscriptions to their publication could be available to Evernote trunk users via a premium subscription notebook.

Details of the exact applications and uses for them are still unclear but Evernote trunk will be available in the PC and OSX versions of the Evernote desktop applications later today according to the press conference.

Integration is available from Evernote Trunk for among others:

• SAP Streamwork – Available in Evernote trunk and integrates with SAP
• Seesmic – an Evernote Trunk  integration to save your social media directly to evernote
• Eegretlist – A great to-do manager which syncs seamlessly with Evernote available from Evernote Trunk
• Nitro PDF reader – Fill in, sign and stamp PDF’s and then save them directly into your evernote account
• PDFopen – Edit PDF’s on your MAC and then save them straight into Evernote with this Evernote trunk application
• Eye-fi – Send photo’s wirelessly from your camera to Evernote
• TimeBridge – Easily save meeting notes directly into your Evernote account.

As well as voice2note for converting your voice notes to text

Here’s what the official Evernote Blog had to say about Evernote Trunk

For Evernote See also:

• Evernote July 14th Announcement
• Uses for Evernote Screenshot screen clipping
• Using Evernote for Goal Tracking Pt. 3 – Organisation
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 2 – Capture
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 1 – Collection
• How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives
• Using Evernote: How I process my Stuff
• Evernote Review: Online note taking software Pc and Mobile

We’re making an announcement about something new. Something we’ve been working on for a little while. Something that will change the way you interact with Evernote, and, maybe even, change how you think about Evernote.

Speculation is rife about the Evernote blog announcement about what July 14th will bring. So what is the evernote announcement on the 14th July going to be? This is my personal Evernote wishlist none of which will end up being the July 14th Surprise no doubt.

What’s in the July 14th box?

• CSS support for web clippings? Please please please, let this be the announcement I love Evernote however in 2010 I still find it frustrating that when I clip a site for later reading I lose all the formatting. This is probably everyone’s biggest gripe with Evernote and hopefully come July 14th we’ll all have good reason to shout “suck it” to the Evernote detractors who’ve been point to this as a deal breaker for years now.
• An improved web interface, now don’t get me wrong I don’t hate the Evernote website however the Evernote application has come along in leaps and bounds with Evernote 3.5 really hitting the mark and sadly leaving the Evernote web interface in it’s dust. Perhaps July 14th will bring us beefed up editor interface and integrate the shared folders better.
• Integration to 3rd party apps perhaps? I’d love to log into Evernote on the 14th of July and see the option of linking up with my google calender or gmail via API. Evernote is  great as is however integration with 3rd party apps would mean a complete office solution. Including your contacts and emails and everything else in your Evernote system.
• A Linux version, please please please. I use Ubuntu on my home PC and it’s really frustrating that I can’t work offline. Looking at it’s geeky target market, namely me, no Linux support really doesn’t make much sense. Maybe if we wish hard it’ll be in the box on the 14th July?
• A time management module? Perhaps some kind of to-do and task scheduling component. I’m not sure if this is the direction Evernote are headed in but it certainly would change the way we use Evernote.
• Free Personal robot or android to capture all our notes into Evernote for us, please please please could it look like a mini elephant so we can make it run away from the pc’s mouse?
• Positive re-inforcement via chocolate deposited into our Evernote shared folders
• Evernote TV? Will Evernote announce that we can finally clip the best bits of our favourite television shows for later perusal?
• An evernote affilliate program? Please let Evernote announce that I will get $1 for every note captured by a user I referred, I’d be a millionaire by now.
• A paper based version of Evernote, perhaps called an Evernote Notebook?
• Handy apps we can add to Evernote to track our finances and everything else, that way we can be depressed about a much wider range of things we haven’t gotten round to.

All in all this is all speculation about the announcement and we all have things we’d love to see added or changed in Evernote. One way or another there’s going to be a big party on the 14th July which means something game-changing is coming on the back of this announcement.

What do you think the Evernote announcement will be?

July 14 Evernote Announcement update:

Evernote Trunk is here, Evernote unveil a fully featured application store that provides application integration withing Evernote. Evernote trunk promises to change the face of Evernote forever with addition itegration with platforms like SAP as well as improved group functionality and the opportunity for publishers to publish magazines via “branded notebooks”

Evernote July 14th announcement Event Details

July 14th, 6pm – 9pm
111 Minna in San Francisco [map]

Tickets

RSVP today to get a free ticket. We will be charging at the door, so make sure to pre-register.

For Evernote See also:

• Evernote Trunk full of applications
• Uses for Evernote Screenshot screen clipping
• Using Evernote for Goal Tracking Pt. 3 – Organisation
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 2 – Capture
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 1 – Collection
• How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives
• Using Evernote: How I process my Stuff
• Evernote Review: Online note taking software Pc and Mobile

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My work as a data analyst for a health insurance administrator and my work blogging has really opened my eyes to some of the realities of living as a disabled person. Even in the 21st century a lot has changed but sadly somethings stay the same. I know a couple of disabled bloggers, one of whom owns  a consulting firm that advises on disability access. Listening to some of his challenges and the obstacles he helps others avoid, I become very aware of how the smallest of detail we take for granted could become a nightmare for a disabled person.

Freedom for all

Being able to operate a car affords us a certain freedom, gives us independance and the freedom to take opportunities otherwise unavailable to us. For many disabled and elderly persons, finding a mobility solution for their vehicle is a difficult, costly and potentially physically harmful decision.

No two people with a disability are exactly the same, each person has different requirements and specific ergonomic or medical needs. For a lot of disabled persons, sadly there is not enough information available. Adapted vehicles advertised on the internet or in catalogs are very dangerous propositions due to their generic fit. Only after an in-depth one on one assessment with trained professionals in the area of rehabilitation and driving solution manufacture, can you have the peace of mind that you will get a driving solution tailored to your needs based on your personality and lifestyle. NMEDA is the National Mobility Equipment Association helps provide some peace of mind while providing safe, reliable vehicles and modifications to enhance accessibility for all people. NMEDA is a non-profit trade association. NMEDA exists purely in order to standardize quality systems in the industry and provide peace of mind when customers purchase from NMEDA dealers. NMEDA dealers sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people and are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NMEDA dealers nationwide

When dealing with NMEDA dealers you have comfort that through NMEDA and it’s Quality Assurance Program dealers, you will find a great fit for your lifestyle manufactured to the highest standards.

So if you require a transport solution for the elderly or disabled visit the NMEDA website today and when you get to the website be sure to check where your closest NMEDA dealer is.

Once you’ve had a look at the site and checked for a local dealer  I’d love to know whether you were able to find an NMEDA dealer in your neighborhood what your experience of their service was.

My Dad getting ready for my brother's Wedding

So this weekend past I spent a lot of time thing about my late father. See the apple does land rather far from the tree, well at least where I’m concerned. My dad was one of the most awe inspiring men I’ve met. I suppose everyone says that though. This last weekend my dad and mom would’ve been married for 42 years, even after he’s been gone for 2 years these big days are when i’m reminded most of the shadow in which I’m walking.

Looking at my blog I can’t help but think my dad, Colin, would approve. He spent his life helping others. As a boy, his father died while he was still young. His mother would have put him and his sister up for adoption when she emigrated to Canada but his “aunts” took him in. He grew up in a South Africa that was divided by race. He only finished grade 12, through night school, after his 30th birthday had come and gone. Not uncommon at all in a society designed to limit the choices of people of colour to menial jobs.

Home of Heroes – Our South African Dream

For those who don’t know me I’m South African. At the same time as Nelson Mandela sat defiant in his cell on Robben Island, many miles away in his long walk to freedom and thousands rose up in armed struggle against our white oppressors, there was also the real majority in South Africa trying to make a living. A silent South Africa filled with my countryman who now walk past me in the streets grey. These were the heads of households. These were the majority of South Africans who suffered in silence and tried to make a home for their families. Not everyone is meant to lead a revolution, but in our South African revolution we had more heroes than our once plentiful gold mines could ever gift medals too.

My father was one of those heroes of the struggle. A hero who shielded his family from the harsh realities of a divided country. Thanks to him I feel inferior to no man or woman. Despite his limited education he had the quickest wit of any man I’ve come across and a thirst for knowledge that gave him a very impressive vocabulary and enough sense to use it wisely. My father was a storyteller. I recall waking up a few Saturday’s ago and singing a children’s song I’d long forgotten.  My dad was a storyteller and saturday morning was a time for puppies in windows, ants and rubber tree plants and white kittens and little brown rabbits (many years later my dad was reprimanded for telling the story of the white kitten and little brown rabbit due to it’s racist nature,  we had a good laugh about that when we were all grown up, and thankfully there’s not a racist among us Fletcher boys *close call*:))

One of the stories he told often for the benefit of those of us who missed out on the worst of apartheid was how he stood up to policeman on a “whites only” beach while he and my mom and us kids were with him. I remembered him this weekend and wish I had that kind of courage. That kind of conviction. Back in South Africa pre 1990 it was very risky to assert yourself. All these years on I can’t help but try and imagine the frustration he must have felt at being told that him and his family were not good enough to tread the same sand as white families, I can’t begin to understand. Just thinking about it now makes my blood boil.

Still these are not the memories he would have chosen to leave us.

My dad truly was the kinda man that just wanted us all to get along, colour be damned.

Lesson I learned from my father:

• Laugh - Laugh often, laugh loud make others laugh too
• Care more – Care more, always strive to Care more than you do now, whether its for others or about what you’re doing for a living keeping striving to care more
• Tell stories – Our imaginations are muscles leave them idle for too long and they’ll atrophy. The world can’t hurt you when you have the imagination to travel anywhere anytime.
• Be Selfless – I often come home after a long day at work and marvel at how my dad after doing the same would jump in the car and pick up school supplies I needed or some dinner ingredient that slipped through the grocery shopping cracks or give someone a lift home who lived so far out of the way they wouldn’t think to ask for a lift
• Make others feel special – My father had a gift, when you spoke to him you could tell that he was completely “there” or present our zen brethren might say, and oh how he liked to talk.
• Don’t Panic – Learn some grace when the going gets tough the flustered start running. I’ve never seen my dad panic it’s one of the things I think has rubbed off, keeping your head when all around are losing their’s, well that’s priceless these days.

That’s the best I can do just at the moment, with the second year after his passing drawing to a close practicing what I preach is still hard every now and then.

Hosting by any other name

When I started my first blog 12 months ago I was adamant that I would keep my site on free hosting providers forever. I’m a bit of an idealist and handing my hard earned cash to over priced hosting providers just felt wrong. Twelve months on with 6 site to my name I’m a convert.

I spent 6 months going from free provider to free provider and lost my blog once and had to recover my blog from backups 3 times after being taken in by less than reputable free hosts. The number of scams out there is horrifying. In the realm of hosting much like everything else you get what you pay for.

I learnt a valuable lesson, when it comes to hosting stick to the name you know. Finding a reputable hosting provider should be your very first mission when starting your new blog or website.

Having done extensive research on web hosting and domain name purchases very recently for my switch from free to paid hosting I’m really kicking myself that I didn’t hold out, and take the free hosting abuse for a bit longer. At $10 for Unlimited Web Hosting which includes a .com domain. there is no comparable deal I’ve seen or read about in the last 12 months.

Nexx.com’s  control panel allows no-hassle installations of Joomla, Zen cart, Drupal and WordPress and are even throwing in a $50 of Google adwords credits as well as $50 of Facebook advertising credits to get your site noticed quickly, well worth the $10 price tag all on it’s own.

“We’re committed to providing customers with affordable solutions to establish and grow web presence. At just $10 for the first year, this unlimited hosting package provides a great opportunity to those who have not yet experienced our state-of-the-art technology and top quality customer service,” says Suat Alaybeyoglu, Director of Marketing. “On top of all the included rich features, we’re also providing a money back guarantee to all new customers.”

Use the coupon code SPARK10 to get all of these features for only $10.

Nexx.com Features

• Diskspace: Unlimited
• Bandwidth: Unlimited
• E-mail: Unlimited
• Free Domains: 1
• 24/7 Customer Support
• **Google Adwords Credits: $50
• **Facebook Ads Credits: $50
• One-Click WordPress and Blog installations.

Wonder Years

Being one of the poor folk who got a non-fixed mortage, right before the world economy went to hell 2 years ago, and added to that the fact I had to take on the added responsibility of looking after my 17 year old nephew has left me with a nasty financial mess. This blog was never meant to supplement my income but more as a place for me to hone my writing and share some of my thoughts on life the universe and everything. However as much fun as it is, it has become a bit of a financial burden.
With all this in mind I’m going to be making some changes to the format of the site and I’d like you, my readers to understand that these changes are changes of necessity until such time as my blog traffic grows to a point where my blog is self sustaining. Until then I will, be utilizing more of my screen real estate for advertising and on occasion be writing paid posts in between my normal content. I’m letting everyone know up front so that you can make an informed decision to read those posts. Besides having a disclosure in each post I’ll try to ensure that the post titles for my paid posts stand out from my other posts and will categorise them separately as well. I will stick to paid posts about products that reader of the site may have an interest in.

“If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy”
Proverb quotes

Growing Pains

I have a few other projects which I hope will reduce my need to do to much paid post product pimping in the future (feel free to promote any of them ):

• I offer a full range of WordPress services for the less technically inclined or newbie bloggers
• I have a few gigs on Fiverr, everything from photo repair to wordpress help
• I write over on Helium paid, per click
• I write over on myDigitallifepaid per click

So that’s my plight, I promise that the number of paid posts will be greatly outnumbered by my regular posts and I’ll try to keep it relevant. If anyone would like to help out It would be greatly appreciated but I fully understand if you can’t, live long and prosper.

The way it was

Now prior to Evernote getting a business friendly screenshot was a multi-step process that just slowed down the process of cranking through my email inbox.

Traditionally it would go something like this:

• hit the Prt-Scr buttons (making a camera clicking sound as you take your screenshot  is optional)
• Ctrl-V and paste your screenshot in your *image editor
• Crop your screenshot
• Save your edited screenshot as an image
• Attach

* I know most of the nice email editors have an image editor for your screen shots and I know the editing can be done in the email editor. The point is it still needs to be done and a lot of people use Gmail. So there.

While the Evernote Pc application is running hitting the print screen key will bring up a little undocked window and some crawling ants to be manipulated. Move the ants around until you’ve selected the area of the screen you want to clip and Hey presto you’re done. You now have a clipped screen shot of only the area of the screen you chose for your screenshot.
In evernote 3.5 the crawling ants have been replaced by line guides that follow you cursor as you take your screenshot.

Uses for the Evernote Screen shot Clipping:

• I’ve been using Evernote screenshots for sending shots of dynamic data from my pc, these screenshots are very useful for websites with changing content  like sports sites, news sites and analytics data
• I’ve been using Evernote for clipping articles from sites that I am probably not going to visit again. So I have have a notebook with articles I’ve happened upon and taken a screenshot of for later reading offline in Evernote. The Evernote text recognition is really useful in this regard making your list of articles searchable should I be looking for some specific reading in my downtime.
• I’ve also been using Evernote for clipping art I like from sites I come across. This way I can get a clipped screenshot of a piece of art with the link to it in the note so I can keep track of reference images for art projects and stock images for blog posts.
• I’ve also been using it more and more to take screen shots of sites I’m working on and then using the web clipping in order to get colour values in my image editor. Making digital web clipping swatches.
• screenshots are also pretty useful for keeping bits of IM conversations. If you don’t want to save a whole conversation. Print screen keep the bit you need to keep and there you go.

Have a look at my shared Monetize folder in evernote for examples of web clippings I’ve made in evernote

For more Evernote help see:

• All my evernote Posts
• How to use Evernote lists for setting and keeping track of your goals
• Use Evernote to setup your GTD system Part 1 – Collect your stuff
• Use Evernote to setup your GTD system Part 2 – Capture your stuff
• Practical ways I use Evernote to simplify my work and personal life

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunadirimmel/96824518/sizes/s/#cc_license.

Ok Back to why we’re here, while wandering around Survival Guru I actually popped in and commented on this post Why we forget the little things (the post was sadly lost when Winnie moved her site). It’s a very short post with a very powerful idea. What I took from it is simply this, why focus on the big bad things lying all over the place. focus on the things which you’re grateful for first. Then take some time to pay them back. What we focus on grows. Spend more time on the positives in your life and you’ll find your perception of your plight will change. Over and above that you’ll use your energy on the positive parts of your life, the parts that energize you. Taking the time start by looking the things you’re grateful for first makes a world of difference in your happiness. It’s the motivational equivalent of paying yourself first. The bad things that happen will get taken care of however if you ignore the good in your life it may never return.

Next up while wondering through Survival Guru I was reminded that this is blog dammit and I’m a blogger. A blogger who developed a passion for personal development while working as a manager, a blogger who uses Evernote and hopes you will too, I’ll even show you how. If not Evernote then use some other tool but don’t let the minutes and hours of your day slip away when there is so much living to be done. We either manage our use of our time or resolve to piss it away. I believe that strongly, call me a liar if you don’t. I’m a blogger who meditates and wishes you would too. Meditations is the simple act of re-investing in your body and mind and the result is spiritual. That is the blogger I am and I need to put more effort into my dialog as I tend to have to reverence for my subjects and end up leaving myself out of them completely So I’m going to try and become more bloggy and less preachy.

My last point, thanks to Survival Guru for reminding me about the little things. For me the thing I sometimes forget is how lucky I am to be able to show up here and write and interact with all of you. Every comment matters to me, I know how valuable your time is.

Happy sailing all

Update: Okay Winnie has been going through some things and in the process has moved internet homes. So Despite it saying Survival Guru in the links don’t be alarmed when you end up at My Butterfly effect

Photo Credit

It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)

How great is that quote? It’s something I touched on in my post Try is nothing, do or do not as well. I often wonder what our community fascination is with celebrating giving up. Failure is not the end of the world, it’s not even the end of the road. Until we stop trying, we’re still in the race.

Work on working.

The Churchill quote is a gentle reminder that our world was created by people who went to the edge of where humankind had already been and took another step. One more step and then another putting the “limit” in their pocket and stretching it a bit further then further still, normally after many failures. Doing what is required is about doing the work, instead of thinking about it.

I challenge you to make your best, better.

I challenge you to look at the things you want. The things you desire. Your goals and dreams. Now are you’re doing everything in your power to achieve those goals. Are you doing your best or are you doing what is required? If your best is not good enough right now, are you making your best better?

Tools tips and jet fuel

I think in order to make the most of your situation and push the envelope in terms of what you can achieve you need to stop working in the system and work on the system. Not organized? Work smarter not harder.

The key to changing your results is to change your methods. If your best isn’t what’s required, try something else. If the goal means enough you’ll do enough!

Image Credit

So if you’ve gone  through the steps so far for collecting your clutter into Evernote then you’ll already be well on your way toward using Evernote for goal tracking . We started by collecting all our clutter and then we went about capturing it into Evernote. So if we’ve done everything correctly up until now we have a system filled with all the related information pertaining to our goals for the coming year, and we’ve stored it all in a trusted system.

Make a next action list

With all your information stored in one secure place, and your system set up to receive more information as you receive it. You can now start organizing your day to day affairs. Draw up a list of all the projects related to your goals that currently require your attention. So for example, if your goal is to lose weight, your first project might be to research methods of losing weight. What is the next action you have to take to move that project forward? You may make an appointment with a doctor, or spend time on the internet or go to the local bookstore. Whatever you choose, capture that next action into Evernote.

How Evernote organizes

Evernote has a two tier organisation system, notes are divided into notebooks, and can also be tagged. Notebooks are a high level way of keeping information about goals and projects together, I suggest starting one notebook for each of your goals and keeping all the notes relating to that project in that notebook. Tags can be used to give context information, or to group any information which you may want to draw together across notebooks. For example I tend to capture links to striking images I find into evernote that way when I’m looking for an image for a post I can search by the tag image and review the notes I have already stored for image. With my goal of writing a novel I’d like to keep my novel information in one notebook, however I’ll also tag different notes, so if I want to brush up on characters or character development I filter my notes by the character or character development tags. This is particular useful where notes are useful across note books or when notebooks become really big.

Context is Key

One of the cornerstones of GTD for organization is context. The best way to organize your “stuff” is by the situation in which you’ll need it. What that means is instead of having a list of, things to do for planning your vacation away, you’re far better off having list of items you can do when you have access to the phone and free time. That way when you do have free time to make some calls you just need to pull out the list of phone calls you need to make and there you go no need to waste anytime looking through to do’s and day planners or bits of paper. One list with all your phone calls on (putting the phone numbers in too is a big timesaver if there’s a chance you’ll use a land line).

Notes as to-do  or next action lists in Evernote

So in our system we’ll have a notebook with a list of our goals. In that list of notes we’ll have all our goals listed, written SMART and with as much detail attached to it to make it meaningful. Each goal should then have it’s own notebook, and again we’d store all the information pertaining to each goal in each notebook. Inside that notebook list all the actions that need to be taken. Now think about context. What is the context in which you’ll act on your next actions, add that to your notes as tags.

Contexts should be descriptive eg.

@HomePc

@office

@telephone

@laptop

@anywhere With your next actions tagged like this, you know immediately what all the things are you need to do, and also you are able to recall what needs to be done when you are able to do it.

So this is how I’ve set up Evernote to organize my goals and tasks. Evernote is very open ended in the way it can be applied to problems, so don’t take my ideas as gospel. However for me this is the system I’ll be using to keep my notes organised and my day prioritised. If you have any thoughts or ideas on this system or have a better system I’d love to hear about it.

Reccommended reading:

• How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 1 – Collection
• Goal and Objective tracking in Evernote Pt. 2 – Capture

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomborowski/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0