Pamela Hazelton

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I talk a great deal about Palm’s webOS  because I rely heavily on it for business. With the ever-growing need to stay connected and organized, more and more business people need to adopt mobile devices. That doesn’t mean, though, that we need to work harder; we simply need to work smarter.

Here’s 10 ways my Palm webOS device has changed the way I work:

  1. Multi-Tasking. Let’s face it, we all should be able to schedule a meeting in our calendar while on the phone. We should be able to look up information in an email or on a web site without having to call someone back. I can multi-task with my Pre, and that alone makes the device worth every penny to me.
  2. Newsroom app screenshot with visual call, voicemail and email alerts
    The Newsroom app pulls in RSS feeds; missed calls, voicemail and email alerts are visual.

    No more “caught in the loop” while surfing for news and industry-specific information. By organizing RSS feeds and using key news apps, I spend less time finding the information I need. I used to spend nearly an hour a day keeping up with everything. Now? I spend just 10-15 minutes throughout the day, swiping through article feeds (this relies on sites using “good” headlines), bookmarking key info I need for later.

  3. Alarms. Alarms. Alarms. Every one of my scheduled meetings is preceded by a heads-up ring to tell me it’s set to begin within a few minutes. I also use alarms for mundane tasks, like data backups and standard site and store maintenance.
  4. Twitter. I can tweet on the fly (even post images), which means people rarely have to wait long before I can respond to a direct message. In the old days, I had to be at a computer.
  5. Task delegations. Now that I use IMAP for incoming email (leaving a copy on the server so I can download it into archives), I can assign tasks to others, even  while in line at the grocery store.
  6. Photo phone contacts. Think that assigning photos to contacts is just for coolness? I find it easier than reading a name. I snapshot client site logos and assign them to their contacts. Within a split second, I know  just who’s calling, every time.
  7. No missed “missed call” alerts. As long as the carrier does its job (routing the call to the phone and sending voicemail alerts) there’s nagging icons which remind me I need to act. The visual (not just audible) alerts don’t leave the screen unless I tell them to, which means the chance of non-communication is minimized.
  8. Sans-cord charging. You may think it’s just a fad, but Palm’s Touchstone makes my life easier. Gone are the days of me running out the door with a half-charged phone, only to run out of battery juice halfway through the day. While at the office my phone is always charged, and I can see the screen and use the device while it’s keeping the battery at 100%. The best thing? No plugging-in, unplugging, plugging-in. It’s just so much easier. So easy, in fact, that my blind husband is no longer afraid to pickup my phone and bring it to me, because he doesn’t have to worry about inadvertently yanking a cable out.
  9. On-the-fly video editing. Being able to capture events on video and send to someone instantaneously sure makes the job easier. No more heading back to the office to connect a device to the computer and run video through editing software. Now I can just record, tap a few times, and send it off. Job done!
  10. Visual notes. Simple textual notes are so boring. A key app for me, entitled Notes, lets me incorporate graphics into my to-do lists. It may sound like overkill, but for someone who needs visual reminders for a future job, it’s a real life saver. This feature has even spilled over into my personal life. My husband and I recently went on a quest for pricing and ideas for some home modifications. My notes include snapshots of products at certain stores, along with costs and specifications. Neat, huh?

If you’re not using a mobile device (i.e. a smartphone) to simplify your daily routines, you’re wasting a great deal of time carrying out all those tasks. Worse, you’re probably suffering from information overload.

There are actually dozens more ways my Palm device has changed my life, but I’m aware of the average attention span. So, how are you automating and being more productive these days with webOS or another device? Do tell…

Related post: 10 Things We Can Do to Make webOS Thrive