An(other) Evernote "Getting Things Done" System

There are loads of great guides to setting up a GTD system in Evernote, but I found none quite suited my needs. In particular, I wanted something that would stand out within Evernote and have all my actions and items easily searchable, but still allow me to use the note-taking tool for the millions of other things it's great at without getting in the way. Here is the solution that I'm finding works well for me, it's a mashup of other solutions with modifications to suit me better.

Folders and tags

My solution hinges on five main notebooks and three (possibly four) tags that have subtags under them. Each of these is prefixed with "." to ensure they stay at the top of their respective lists (and stand out from non-GTD stuff), and kept to a single word for composing searches more easily

.Actions notebook - Where next actions are kept.

.Projects notebook - Where project actions that aren't immediately applcable are kept.

.Maybe notebook - Anything you're note sure you want or need to do (eg. cool project ideas) goes in here.

.Reference notebook - Where items that are for reference rather than actionable.

.Archive notebook (optional) - Not strictly a GTD container, I use this to still have past actions searchable, in case I want to look them up for timesheets, etc.

.Projects tag - While this may seem redundant with the .Projects notebook, it just serves to group all  GTD project tags in one place, so they don't clutter the tag view. These individual project tags can optionally also be prefixed with "." to group them in (for example) the tag editor.

.Contexts tag - Again the purpose here is to keep things uncluttered. All context tags (prefixed with "@") are subtags of this one.

.Waiting tag - Another grouping tag, contains subtags for each entity that is responsible for an action you're waiting on.

.Tickler tag (optional) - This is for those GTD practitioners that like to use ticklers, I did give it a try myself, but found that just setting reminders as events on Google Calendar (which I have everywhere thanks to syncing) suited me better. This is also a grouping tag, with 43 subtags, one for each month (Jan..Dec) and one for each day of the month (1..31).

Collect

Collection happens in whatever form suits you. Whatever you prefer, chances are Evernote has a tool to import your captures. For PC based captures, use one of the clipping plugins or the global "Add to evernote" keyboard shortcut. For paper captures, a scanner combined with Evernote's "File Import" settings does the trick nicely. Most other cases should be covered by whichever mobile client is appropriate to your cellphone.

Process & Organize

When processing inboxes or "buckets", consider each item in sequence:

1. If the item can just be discarded, do so.
2. If the item can be delegated, do so. If it is part of a broader project and will need to be followed up on, add it to the .Projects notebook and tag it with a relevant project tag (from .Projects) and a tag indicating the person responsible (from .Waiting). Optionally add tickler tags (from .Tickler) corresponding to when the item needs to be followed up on.
3. If the item can and should be done and will take a very short time (GTD guideline is two minutes) do it immediately.
4. If the item can and should be done and has no preceding actions or dependancies, add it to the .Actions notebook, tagged with a context (from .Contexts) such as @home or @work and optionally tagged with a relevant project tag (from the .Projects tags).
5. If the item can and should be done, but has prerequisite actions or dependancies, add it to the .Projects notebook, tagged with relevant project and context tags. Optionally also add waiting and tickler tags.
6. If the item is just for reference add it to .Reference, possibly tagged with project tags.
7. If it's unclear whether the item can be or has to be acted on, add it to the .Maybe notebook, optionally tagging it with appropriate project, context and tickler tags.

Review

Weekly review is straightforward. Just select the .Projects notebook and work through the items in it. Selecting one of the project tags will limit the view to items for that project, and if any of the items in the current view have been delegated, one or more waiting tags will be highlighted in the list.

If you're using the tickler tags, daily review is very similar, just select the .Projects notebook and both the appropriate month and day tags and all items you deferred to this day are displayed.

Do

To determine the next appropriate action in any given context, simply select the .Actions notebook, and the appropriate tag in .Contexts. So as an example, to determine what your first task is when you get to work in the morning, select the .Actions notebook and the @work tag. As tasks are completed, simply archive or delete them.

This can be greatly simplified, especially for access on mobile clients (think @shops) by adding saved searches in Evernote. For the above example just add a saved search with the query  notebook:.Actions tag:"@work". Completed actions should be moved to the .Archive notebook or deleted.

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iPhone vs Nokia: Packaging and contents

This is the first in a series of comparative posts looking at the iPhone and how it compares to a typical Nokia Symbian device, the N96. While I realize that the N97 would probably be a closer match, I firstly don't own one and secondly feel that the N96 is a better example of Nokia's common Symbian devices. The N96 is (or was) also positioned by Nokia as a very similar device to the iPhone with regards to functionality, focusing on media, navigation and gaming.

Packaging

Steve Jobs and his Cupertino company are known for their love of simplicity (much to the chagrin of two-button mouse users) and this apparently carries through to their packaging choices. The iPhone, despite being some 30% larger than the N95 comes in a box less than half the size. Naturally due to this diminutive size the device and accessories are tightly packed and the amount of additional inner packaging is negligible. Nokia on the other hand have lots of breathing room in their box, and the device even rests in an angled display-like cardboard partition, the partitioned compartments housing accessories liberally packaged. Nokia could really learn a lesson here from Apple in keeping waste to a minimum.

Accessories

In addition to the actual device, both packages include a number of accessories. The Nokia includes a wall charger, USB adapter cable, car charger (a nice touch) and wired hands free kit. The headphone component of the handsfree kit can be swapped out with any wired headset using a standard jack, which is welcome to anyone that doesn't enjoy the feel of the included set. The inline handsfree control has buttons for volume, stop/resume, fast-forward and fast-back, as well as the main action button used to answer or end a call, or to trigger voice recognition (by holding it down for an extended time). The playback controls take some getting used to, but in general do the job.

The iPhone also comes bundled with a charger of course, but it quite smartly makes use of the included USB adapter cable, eliminating the need for an extra coil of cabling. No car charger is included, which is a bit of a pity since it could easily just have used the USB cable in the same way. The included earplug handsfree kit is exceedingly simple-perhaps too much so for such an expensive device. The plugs are basic, but offer crisp and clear sound quality. The inline controls are not as extensive as the Nokia's, and are barely thicker than the earphone cables. The whole arrangement has a cheap feel, and looks as if it would be easily damaged. This is one area where Nokia really wins hands down.

Bundled Software

Whether it be for backing up essential contacts, notes and calendar data or transferring media to and from the phone, software which allows devices as complex as these to interact with a PC (or Mac) are an essential part of the package. Nokia caters for this need out of the box, including their comprehensive PC Suite software on a CD in the box. For Windows users (i.e. the vast majority of computer users) getting everything set up is as simple as popping in the disk, installing the suite and attaching the phone with the provided USB cable. The suite includes, among others, music management software, backup tools, data sync tools and a messaging interface. Internet connected users will be able to download and install the latest maps and software updates to their phone with relative ease (provided they're not behind a corporate firewall, since Nokia still doesn't support ISA servers). The suite also includes all necessary drivers for the phone to be used as a 3G modem, and setting this up is dead simple.

The iPhone, on the other hand, takes it's simplicity a little too far. There is no PC (or even Mac) software at all in the box. The buyer is expected to download and install iTunes for whatever platform they intend to use the phone with. This is a large download, and for users without internet access or with expensive 3G access (not unlikely at all) this is a bit of a slap in the face. Once iTunes is installed, music and other media is of course easily transferred, and data is easily synchronized with common applications, but the solution is nowhere near as robust as Nokia's. Once again, Nokia comes out on top.

Additional goodies

Nokia have begun bundling some decent extras with their phones, and the N96 is no exception. The South African bundle includes the full Transformers movie, a license for N-Gage Tetris and a year's mapping license (more on that in a future post). iPhone comes with exactly zip in this line. For a phone marketed on it's music, gaming and navigation capabilities this is really disappointing. Nokia wins again.

That's it for this post, next up I'll have a look at the phones' general appearance and construction, as well as ease of use.

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I'm still alive

Believe it or not I haven't dropped off the face of the earth :)
We've been very busy at I-Imagine porting Football Genius. This has left me with pretty much zero time to do anything but eat, sleep and commute-and even the first two of those have suffered. The good news is there's light at the end of the tunnel and things have been easing off. I also  have tons of  new geek stuff to blog about, since I'm prepping to be able to dabble in iPhone development . This of course requires an iPhone (duh) and a Mac (scaly Apple!) so I've kitted out with a shiny new MacBook and IPhone 3Gs 16 Gb. I'm hoping to do a series of posts comparing the N-series and iPhone experiences. Also on the horizon is some Symbian dev, so who knows, maybe a something on that :)
In less Techy news, our broody chicken (yes we have a chicken, keep up) has hatched out an egg -kindly donated since she hasn't had any sordid rooster encounters- which is kind of cool. It amazes me that  her mothering instinct kicks in regardless of the egg's origins. I suppose this is why cuckoos are so successful. We'd actually like to see if this will work with eggs from another species, specifically guinea fowl as I think they would be a nice addition to the garden-and we could still get edible eggs from them.

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Value for money Xbox 360 gaming

One of the benefits of console gaming has always been that unlike a gaming PC, once you invest in the hardware, you shouldn't need to upgrade for the life of the console (anywhere from ten to five years). Unfortunately this can be offset by horribly expensive games thanks to reasons including the console manufacturers subsidizing their loss-making hardware with a royalty on each game, distributors having to physically import the games instead of being able to burn them locally, and unfavorable exchange rates.
For this reason it's worth spending a bit of time considering which games will get you the most bang for your buck, and I thought I'd list a couple that I've found to be particularly good value for money. This is by no means a comprehensive list, for the most part I've avoided listing games I have not played.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
This can't help but be top of the list. Oblivion is an RPG set in a huge fantasy world populated with (quite literally) hundreds of locations including 8 cities, loads of little hamlets and tons of dungeons, ruins, mines, Oblivion gates and more. The character and item systems are rich and complex, providing for many different ways to play the game. Besides the main quest (which is lengthy enough on it's own) there are many side quests of varying length, guaranteeing (again, literally) hundreds of gameplay hours for anyone who wants to spend the time exploring every corner of the Oblivion world.
Oblivion was a '360 launch title and still holds on to the number 5 spot on Metacritic's list of all-time high scoring Xbox 360 titles (with a score of 94). It is now a bargain bin game that you should be able to pick up for R300 or less.
A more recent alternative to Oblivion by the same developers is Fallout 3 (which I've yet to play). Set in a post-nuclear wasteland, Fallout 3 should boast a wealth of gameplay similar to that of Oblivion. Fallout 3 scored 93 on Metacritic and is at number 10 in their All Time High Scores list.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Another RPG, but this time downloadable and with more casual-inspired core gamplay, Puzzle Quest takes the match-3 mechanic popularized by the likes of Bejewelled and adds a more "hardcore" element to it. All actual battles and other tasks in the game are carried out by playing match-3 sessions, but are spiced up with spells and abilities the player's character earns as they work their way through the story. Mounts, magical items and party members all contribute to the strategy.
Besides following the main storyline, many side quests are available to the player. Cities may be besieged and dungeons raided for loot, all contributing to character level and skills. This is another game with many, many hours of deep single player gameplay, but it has the added benefit of a multiplayer component which also works very well.
While not a 90+ scorer on Metacritic, Puzzle Quest eans a very respectable 87 and is cheap at the price of 1200 MS points (about R120).
The recent pseudo-sequel, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix offers similar value for money, but is much less accessible than the original, using a more complex core gameplay mechanic. It scored a 76 on Metacritic.

Guitar Hero / Rock Band
Value for money doesn't necessarily mean cheap. Even with the extra cost of hardware needed for the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series of games, they will provide more than enough solo and multiplayer gameplay to justify the initial outlay. It will cost around R1500 to buy one of these titles and two guitar peripherals (necessary to get maximum enjoyment and value).
The value in these games comes from the many hours of playing through each of the songs again and again to earn better scores and improve your skills, as well as from the many more hours you will spend playing the game with family and friends. The instantly accessible concept of playing along with a band, and the easy-to-grasp mechanic of hitting buttons on the controller as gems pass the time-line make these games easy for almost anyone to start playing. The initial embarrassment of standing up in front of everyone holding a plastic guitar is soon replaced by the thrill of feeling like you're actually making this awesome music.
Just about everyone that has played Guitar Hero when visiting us has ended up buying the game for themselves (many of these are not normally gamers), and when friends come over it's a given that we'll be playing into the wee hours of the morning.
The highest rated GH and RB games on MetaCritic are Guitar Hero II and Rock Band I,  each scoring 92, but any of the games will do. Your best bet is to pick a title based on the track list you'll most enjoy.

Halo 3
Despite the hype by Microsoft, Halo 3 really didn't offer anything significant in terms of new gameplay. It's basically a prettier sequel that plays almost identically to it's predecessors. What the hype did help to deliver though, was an enormous community of online players. While communities come and go for most games, Halo 3 is one title in which you are pretty much guaranteed to be able to go online and find a game to join-and thanks to some really good net' code, even though most of those games will be international, you should have a good online experience. Halo 3's Metacritic rating of 94 is probably way higher than it deserves, but it is a fun shooter, with great multiplayer options that should keep you busy for quite some time if you're willing to replay it on the tougher difficulty levels. It's also a game that you can pick up for a song at most retailers.

There are obviously many other games that offer great value by mixing in multiplayer, long campaigns and replay incentives, but I've found the ones listed here to be particularly good value in my case, feel free to mention alternatives that are similarly worth more than their asking price.

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