Listen above as my 2 year old son Spencer and I take AudioBoo for a spin on my Ipod Touch.

Posting audio to the web just got a whole lot easier thanks to a great service and iPhone app called AudioBoo.  AudioBoo allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to record and playback digital recordings up to 5 minutes long which can then be posted on the AudioBoo website where users have their own pages or channels similar to Twitter or YouTube.

I love to test out new technology (in fact I’m kind of addicted to it) so when I heard about AudioBoo I just had to give it a spin.  I have an iPod Touch – not an iPhone and despite it not having a built in mic I have an external add-on mic (more about that below) so I am able to use any of the recording apps for the iPhone.

I figured to make the test a bit more fun I would ask my 2 year old son Spencer to test it with me. He was having a ball with this and occasionally put the mic too close to his mouth so you will have to forgive some of the audio spikes.

He definitely follows in his Dads footsteps and seems to love technology as much as I do (he’s a born button pusher . . .). In fact he quickly mastered my iPod Touch almost instantly when I got it last Christmas.  He knows how to turn it on – swipe through the pages to find the games and programs he likes and play them all without any help from me.  And if you think that is crazy – you should see him wield a mouse on the Noggin website – lookout!

The iPod Touch is an amazing device and I will be writing (and shooting a lot of video) about it in the near future to let you know how it has replaced my laptop for many of my mobile work tasks – but back to AudioBoo.

Portable Audio Blogging Made Easy
It couldn’t be easier.  I setup a free account on their website and then downloaded the program (also free) to my iPod Touch.  One quick touch of the account button to plug in my account info and we were ready to record.  We plugged in the Phillips Mic – tapped the START button on the record screen and after a 3 second countdown we were recording.  When you are all done you hit the pause button and then the publish button.  It allows you to type in a short message, add a photo, and even post the location you are publishing from. Within minutes it uploaded our audio over our wifi connection and we were able to listen to it.

The audio quality is pretty amazing and the whole process really was really simple.  While you can listen to the audio on their website or from my AudioBoo page – they also give you an embed code so you can post it on blogs and other websites – like I did above.

A microphone for the iPod Touch

The iPod Touch is missing a few features that come with the iPhone including the built in microphone and camera. I read some great reviews on the web about an inexpensive mic made by Phillips that worked with the iPod Touch.  It’s actually a headphone adapter that has a mic built in.  I was able to score one at Target for $10 and it works great!  It has opened up a whole world of applications to me on the iPod Touch that used to only be available for  iPhone users like VOIP programs like Skype – as well as audio recording program like Griffin iTalk and the new Voice Memos feature that is built into the newly updated iPhone OS3.

Unfortunately these mics seem to have vanished and are almost impossible to find. However, don’t despair iPod Touch users – the Griffin SmartTalk and the Monster iSoniTalk are similar headphone adapter/mic devices – both selling for about $20. I’ve read good reviews about both of them.

I look forward to recording more with it in the future and it’s good to know that my partner in crime is willing to help test new technology with me!

Post a comment below and let us know what you think of our first Boo!

In my experience when it comes to smartphones and work/life balance I think a lot of the pros/cons are about how a person uses a tool such as this. Like any technology you have to know when to turn it off and setup personal guidelines for how to use it.

These communication guidelines should be clearly explained to others you work with as well. Sometimes people think because you have a smartphone that gives you almost instant access to email you should be replying to every message within minutes regardless of what time of day it is.

I am a proponent of “work/life integration” as I believe balance can be difficult to achieve at times – but tools such as smartphones and other new communication tools make it easier to integrate work into your life. So if that means you have to do a bit of work on your vacation – but instead you get to take vacations you couldn’t take before – in my opinion that is a win.

That being said I still think it’s important to block out dedicated time away from work where you can focus on family, friends, relaxation, and personal development without the distractions.

I often joke about our company website being YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com NOT “You Should Work From Everywhere”. That’s how I weigh in on this issue. Please share your comments below as I am eager to see your thoughts on this topic.

I came across this collection of special reports on Businessweek.com all relating to aspects of ‘Managing the Virtual Workforce’.  Here is a brief description of the reports included:

• Is There a Virtual Worker Personality?
  It turns out it’s the gregarious types who thrive in virtual work set-ups, since they connect nonetheless. It’s the shy types who feel isolated
• Managing Virtually: First, Get Dressed
  An Ernst & Young executive who has been managing teams virtually for a decade shares her tips and caveats
• A Smart Balance of Staff and Contractors
  How the fast-growing food company integrates its small permanent staff with a sizable contractor workforce
• How to Create E-Mails That Generate Action
  When face-to-face communication isn’t an option, it’s critical that your e-mails get read and are the impetus for getting things done
• Video: Managing in a Wired World
  Technology has made it possible for teams across the globe to collaborate, but it’s still critical to make communication as human and authentic as possible, advises Lorenca Rosal
• Slide Show: Top 10 Tips for Sending E-Mail
  How to write e-mails that grab attention and motivate people to respond and take action

• Grasshopper . . . we’ll miss you! RIP David Carradine – 73 years old was found dead in a Bangkok hotel while filming a movie.
• RT @inspiredeggs: Google Wave: a one-stop-shop for collaboration on steroids http://bit.ly/nRUPh [interested to try this when it's released]
• Cool app! CardStar stores your membership card info w/barcode for major chains in your iphone http://bit.ly/VIFxe – Get it while it’s free.
• @hwakelam I think the biggest difference in virtual leadership from face to face is being a more “conscious communicator”.
• RT @leanneclc Workplace flex – once again it’s personal for me http://twurl.nl/gzd1an [great post about work life integration vs balance]
• RT @johnfschneider: What We Know About The Apple Tablet So Far http://ff.im/-37Rse – oooh this looks very interesting! I love my ipod Touch
• Welcome to all my new followers! If you have questions on virtual teams, remote collaboration, or working from anywhere, send me a message.
• RT @E_Wendt: Virtual Meeting Technologies Take Center Stage in AT&T Event: http://is.gd/PqDM How telepresence is being used in organizations
• Just saw Pixars UP with my wife – my birthday movie date – I highly recommend it! Very creative and original.
• Reading – Eight ways that cloud computing will change business http://snurl.com/jmcue – good overview of some pros and cons. #
• @mitchellfriedmn we have a lot of articles and resources to help with your virtual team research – http://www.theanywhereoffice.com in reply to mitchellfriedmn #
• 100 Must-have Web Tools for Telecommuters http://bit.ly/KIkii [good list of resources to help you work from anywhere] #

Recently I was traveling to Boston for a week to meet with some clients.  The hardest part of the trip was being away from my wife and 2 year old son Spencer.  We decided to make things more bearable we would have a video chat at least once a day using Skype. I also decided to send them frequent video emails using a great service called Tokbox.

Tokbox is a free service that allows you to send up to 10 minute video emails and have video conferencing with up to 20 people.  Both of these are very impressive as most other video email programs allow for only a minute or two and most video chat programs only support one-to-one conversations.

To see a sample of Tokbox in action view this short video I recorded using their service:

TokBox – Free Video Chat and Video Messaging

I haven’t tried their video conferencing services much as I currently use Skype for real time video chats but I will be testing it further in the coming weeks -  especially the multi-person video conferencing. I’ll follow up with another blog post to let you know my thoughts and share some of the other video conferencing services I have found.

I used to use Eyejot for video email and while I found the service to be good – it limits you to a recording of only 60 seconds unless you upgrade to one of their paid options.  Tokbox on the other hand blows that away with their 10 minute limit. This past week Spencer and I have been sending lots of video emails to family and friends that haven’t seen him in a while (he has even been strumming on my ukulele and singing some songs – needless to say everyone is amazed!)

Sending video email to family and friends is fun and a great way to keep in touch but video email can always be used as a serious business tool.  Video email among virtual team members is a great way to improve informal communication, boost team cohesiveness, and add a greater level of presence to conversations.  As a manager of a virtual team you could send out a video email to email to everyone on your team once a week letting them know about upcoming project deadlines or celebrating milestones reached.  Imagine how much more powerful a virtual pat on the back to a team member would be if you did it via video email and shared it with the whole team? The possiblities are endless and limited only by your creativity.

Want to know more about the service?  Read 10 Reasons to use Tokbox for Video Mail from their own blog.

Another great feature of Toxbox is they allow you to create a video recorder box to include on your website.  This allows people leave you a video message without having to have a Tokbox account.  We decided to give this a try so we are including a Video Recorder box below – if you have a webcam and a mic leave us a message using the box below and let us know what you think of the blog and if there is anything you’d like to see us cover here on The Anywhere Office.

No video camera? Leave us a comment below and let us know if you’ve used video email and how you think it can improve your virtual teams.

I came across this article by Karen McHenry; consultant, writer, and professor, which I feel clearly and succinctly describes the core challenges of managing virtual teams – and what new skills are required for managers who are accostomed to leading co-located teams.

Ms. McHenry states:

When organizations elect to create virtual teams, they focus on the potential advantages, such as the diversity of the team, or the potential for “round the clock” productivity with employees working in multiple time zones. However, companies must also be aware of the challenges that accompany virtual teams. For these groups to be successful, managers cannot use the old rules of leadership. New ways of working require different skills.

While I agree with this statement I believe that most of the adjustments required are small changes to team interaction or management style; and many ultimately amount to being more deliberate about process and workflow. Some of them are simply good, fundamental management skills that get overlooked when team members see each other regularly. So I think it’s important to note that while new skills and workstyle changes are required to be successful, distributed teamwork does not require a whole new way of working.

Have a look at McHenry’s article and see if you agree that much of what she suggests would be good practices regardless of the structure of your team or where members are located.

Dr. Ashley Acker, of Workstyledesign.com, will be the host and emcee for this exciting event. On 4 consecutive days she will be interviewing a group of experts sharing techniques for increasing the flexibility of how, when, and where you work. You can participate in these FOUR 75-MINUTE TELESEMINARS for FREE.

I’ll be interviewed on Tuesday, May 12th to discuss How Small Changes Lead to Big Results in The Anywhere Office. I’ll be sharing best practices for successfully managing virtual teams.

Here’s an overview of the 4 sessions:

Strategies for Stretching WHEN You Work | Monday, May 11th, 2pm CST

• How to create a competitive edge in your business by harnessing work-life integration.
• Why work-life fit is more important than work-life balance.
• How workplace flexibility isn’t just about mommies (Secret: it’s actually a cross-generational and gender-neutral issue).

Strategies for Stretching WHERE You Work | Tuesday, May 12th, 2pm CST

• How to successfully implement telecommuting and remote working for your team.
• Tips and tricks for effectively managing a virtual team.
• How to harness technology to revolutionize your workplace.

Strategies for Stretching HOW You Work | Wednesday, May 13th, 2pm CST

• How to make work all about producing results (vs. putting in time, office politics, and face time).
• How to drive results for yourself and your employees by mastering the art of managing to SMART goals.
• Secrets for turning frustrated workers into high-impact performers.

Strategies for Stretching Leaders & Teams | Thursday, May 14th, 2pm CST

• How Generation Y is changing work and leadership—and why it’s a good thing!
• How leadership must evolve to support this new world of flexible work.
• Tips for implementing flexibility in a strategic way that improves team and leader performance.

This is a virtual event, which means you can easily join the summit via phone or webcast–there’s no traveling involved! They are even recording each session, which means you’ll have 24-hours to access online streaming audio if you can’t make the session live.

Head over to FlexibleWorkSummit.com for full details, the speaker line up, and a free pass to attend this exciting event. I hope to see you there!