Mobile

I have always been conscious of obtaining and maintaining a good level of fitness. But on a daily basis, it’s hard to track exactly where I’m at on the fitness scale – am I burning the right type of calories, doing the right exercises and eating well so that I’m not going backwards. Thanks to smartphone fitness apps, I can do this on the go and a whole lot more with:

1. Bing Health & Fitness app (Free)

Source: www.microsoft.com

This app is pretty much a personal trainer, dietitian and my mom rolled into one! I can set a daily record of the calories I’m eating, it has a symptom checker for those days when I’m feeling unwell, hundreds of exercises for all fitness levels that I can do easily at home even without fitness equipment, nutritional data on what I should be eating and how much (that’s always tricky especially when eating out).

It even has a run tracker which tells me how far I’ve run, how many calories I’ve burned, and can time my laps. I use it on my phone, and all the data automatically comes across when I open it up in my tablet, so the data is combined with everything else I track on there.

The best part of this app is the food journal functionality which shows me clearly where I’m slipping up by analysing my food habits and ensuring I keep a track of how much nutrition I need against what I’m eating. I’ve found that after using it, I’m much more careful about the food I eat, and I feel that my health’s definitely improved as a result.

For the fitness fanatic, explore how different parts of your body work and interact using beautiful visuals. It’s very detailed, showing all the different layers such as muscles, vessels and bones rendered in considerable detail. I found it fascinating, and I can imagine it would help anyone studying in the medical fields where they need to memorise anatomy.

Overall, quite a nifty app to have to get you started and zoom your way into fitness and good health. It’s only available through the Windows App Store.

2. Yoga for beginners (Free)

yoga at home

Source: railaspindolabirds

I love yoga! I’ve been attending classes for a year now but would love to do some yoga on the weekend. The yoga for beginners app (available free on Android) has explanations of the various yoga poses and which parts of the body they benefit plus videos to guide you from the start to the end of the poses. If you’re looking to start yoga at home at beginner level then this app is quite useful because of the videos included in the app. The only downside of the free app is the number of ads shown as you navigate between screens. Available on Android.

3. Water Your Body ($0.99)

water your body app

Source: iTunes Apple Store

When was the last time you had a glass of water? I’m guilty of always forgetting to drink water because of being on the go constantly. I do have a bottle with me all the time but I still forget. Whether you’re a busy mum or a harried professional like me, water is absolutely essential for human survival so this app comes in handy by giving you reminders, plus it’s lifestyle based adjusting around your weight, exercise levels etc. Download this app from iTunes and get glugging!

Which fitness app is your favourite? Share in the comments below.

Kasia Gospos

Kasia is the founder of Leaders in Heels. This article was written as part of the involvement of Leaders in Heels in the Microsoft Connection Program.

Featured image: mariachily

Although I’m the founder of Leaders in Heels, there are many people who help out with the site. Some of us are stay-at-home mums, while others work full time or part time and volunteer their spare time. We work from home or on-the-go, and the majority of our work is done remotely. We work at different time zones and have different schedules. Sound complicated? Here’s how I manage a team in multiple locations!

All our files are on a shared drive in the cloud

We keep all our files on OneDrive. It’s a cloud solution by Microsoft that allows us to access, share and modify files from any device in a common shared drive. We no longer need to email multiple versions files back and forth, or bring along USB sticks when meeting in person. The Leaders in Heels drive is located on my personal account and I simply share it with everyone in my team.

Microsoft is very generous with the storage–I have 7GB of free storage and a bonus 3GB for backing up my camera roll (more about that below). OneDrive also works with Office 365, so with my subscription, it’s easy to create, edit and share documents, even on mobile devices. I can also download the files I need if I know I’m going to lose internet connection. You can use the OneDrive app or File Explorer to make files available offline.

OneDrive is built-in to the latest version of Windows 8.0 but if you don’t have it, you can just download the OneDrive software or app and automatically sync the files in your OneDrive folder across all your devices. You will need a Microsoft account (free) which you might have already if you use other Microsoft products or their Live email service. OneDrive works with PCs, Macs, tablets and mobile phones (iOS, Android and Windows Phone).

We use internet on the go

I have very busy schedule, and I’m constantly on the go. Whenever I have time between meetings in the city I open my laptop and connect my phone to it, which lets me use my mobile internet on my laptop. It’s such a useful feature, but I’ve found many people don’t realise you can do this. On an Android or Windows Phone look for Settings, then WiFi Connections. On the iPhone, it’s under Settings, then Personal Hotspot.

We have a shared calendar

When I first started the site, the communication between a contributor, editor, the chief editor and myself meant that we were sending a large number of emails back-and-forth. These days, we utilise a shared Google calendar to manage the entire editorial schedule. Our editors create an entry in the calendar in red. Once the article is submitted into WordPress, she changes the entry’s color to orange. Once the Chief Editor reviews it, it’s set to green. I have a very good view of what’s coming up in the next few weeks and what’s the status of it and our Social Media Manager, Yolanda, can manage her tweets well in advance using Hootsuite. No more unnecessary emails cluttering up any of our mailboxes!

I automatically back up my photos to the cloud

As the founder of Leaders in Heels, I have the pleasure to be invited to many events. I tend to take many photos (on my Nokia 1020) which I later use for articles or social media posts. The OneDrive mobile app can be set up to automatically back up all my photos to my OneDrive. This is very useful when I need to access those photos from computer later (e.g. writing an article about the event I attended). Others on the Leaders in Heels team also use with Android and Google Plus (or Dropbox).

We manage larger projects with the shared drive

Again, OneDrive comes in handy. Very often our projects and events are managed by volunteers who are not part of the team. They don’t get access to the entire Leaders in Heels drive–I can simply give them access to selected folders like the one for our “We need a Champion!” event. I establish different access levels for each folder, and sometimes simply share a link to the file without giving access to the folder at all.

We run group meetings remotely using Skype

The Leaders in Heels team is spread across Australia and having babies or busy career doesn’t doesn’t make it easy to get everyone in the same place at the same time. It can be painful! So we use a premium Skype account for just slightly over $AU3 a month, which allows us unlimited group conferences and screen sharing.

Do you use any cool technology to manage your work? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Featured Image: overge

Kasia Gospos

Kasia is the founder of Leaders in Heels and is taking part in the Microsoft Connection Program.

We recently had a chat with Amelia Chen, founder of LoveByte. LoveByte is a mobile app that “provides a private space for two to communicate, share things and remember precious moments”. We talked to her about her journey as an independent start-up, and asked what advice she has for other budding entrepreneurs out there.

What made you decide to go down the path of an independent start-up?

I had no idea what I was getting into, but I was really passionate and excited to begin working on an idea in my head and turning it into a product that would be used by many.

It was a rather spontaneous decision, to be honest. The idea was something I was very attached to, and believed it would make a positive impact in improving communication between couples. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I was really passionate and excited to begin working on an idea in my head and turning it into a product that would be used by many.

How did you manage to gather all the people with the necessary skills?

It’s important to have team mates who are passionate about the same things as you are. In the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, he advises getting the right people on the right seat on the bus… so attitude is a really the most important factor I look out for, as I believe skills can be learned.

How did you go about securing funding for your start-up – any tips?

As a first time entrepreneur, it was not easy gaining trust from investors. We created the minimum viable product and released it into the market to see the response. When they saw the traction, they were more convinced and displayed interest.

What methods have you used to promote LoveByte, and which were the most effective?

Initially, we got some help by having friends spread the word. At the same time, we reached out to the media to get some coverage. For the LoveByte app, nothing beats getting featured on the App Store…

What’s been the hardest part about running a start-up? The best part?

If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.

Hardest part: You have to be resilient and resourceful. It’s like a rollercoaster ride and you have to maintain a balance so you don’t feel burnt out. There will be challenges and setbacks, you try your best to find solutions. When you solve them and you get cheers from your users, you’re elated.

The best part is that you’re constantly learning and challenged. As the saying goes, “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

If you could go back and do things again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?

There were many lessons learnt – things that should have been done, shouldn’t have, and could’ve been done better. Then again, there’s no definite way to do things and we learn along the way. If I could turn back time, I’d have started more projects earlier (e.g. while schooling), then I’d have more experience under my belt.

I would encourage people to be more inquisitive and not fear failure that much. It’s important to understand that failing is also part of learning. Don’t hesitate to take action – you’ll never feel ready.

Thanks for talking with us – I’m sure our readers will find your advice very useful. Anything else you want to add?

It’s good to have a idea, make sure you’re solving a problem that needs to be solved. It’s important to fall in love with what you do. It’s good to have a idea, make sure you’re solving a problem that needs to be solved. Ask yourself ‘how’ you will do it, but it’s more crucial to focus on the ‘why’ – that will be an incredibly useful motivation/reminder during the journey.

Thanks so much to Amelia Chen for making time to talk with us. You can find the LoveByte app on both the Apple and Android app stores.

This is a series of posts that will be appearing on Leaders in Heels throughout 2014 as part of our site’s involvement in the Microsoft Connections Program. All hardware and services reviewed were provided courtesy of Microsoft.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a Windows Phone released in Australia last September. Its main selling point? It has a beast of a camera. With a much larger sensor than most other phone cameras (all the better to let more light in) and a resolution of up to 41 megapixels (MP), it’s little wonder that the photos it takes are comparable to a dedicated point-and-shoot camera. I put it through its paces when I went on holidays recently, and it did not disappoint. Below are the various features that make it stand out from the rest of the smartphone camera crowd.

Zoom

I’m sure you’ve found that zooming in with a smartphone camera is never a good idea. Those photos tend to end up pixellated and blurry. The Lumia 1020, however, manages to set itself apart. Although it doesn’t have optical zoom like a standard point-and-click camera, what it does have is 41MP of detail that allows for a very clear, unblurry 5MP image when zoomed in. In the comparison photo above, you can see the normal and fully zoomed-in pictures of the items on my desk.

Versatility

Cameras usually have very limited settings to play with. White balance, ISO, and focus type (macro, standard, infinite) are about all that’s available in the settings. The Nokia Pro Camera app on the Lumia 1020, however, has far more to play with. There’s the standard three features above–though it’s worth noting that the ISO and focus settings are far more fine-grained. Then there’s other features such as shutter speed, a setting only seen in higher-end point-and-shoot cameras, and contrast.

All of these settings are easy to modify–a small “dial” on the touchscreen pulls out from the main photo button, which you drag up and down to adjust. This was especially useful during night shots, where the auto mode tended to make the photos overly bright. I simply adjusted the ISO and the shutter speed, and I could have the photo looking exactly how I wanted.

Sensor Size

I won’t bore you with all the technical details of why a large sensor is much better (and really, should be what you look at over the number of megapixels a camera has). From a practical, day-to-day use standpoint, however, I can say that it means you get stunning detail, and much better low-light pictures as it’s able to take in more light. I’ve provided two examples above to show the detail and the low-light performance. Note that this is a low-resolution picture, due to site limitations.The link to the high-resolution picture will be provided in the comments.

Optical Stabilisation

Optical stabilisation is a physical element in the lens that shifts it to compensate for shaky hands (a crime of which I am terribly guilty). Nokia uses the phone’s in-built gyroscope to determine movement and adjusts the camera accordingly. I actually managed to take decent night shots with relatively long shutter speeds, which is impressive as I usually have trouble on normal point-and-click cameras. The brightness of the picture attests to the long shutter speed–but the image is relatively unblurred. Note that these are low-resolution pictures, due to site limitations. The link to the high-resolution pictures will be provided in the comments.

So what do you think of the Lumia 1020’s camera? Impressed? Unimpressed? Indifferent? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

Tech Coach HQ started a #30dayblog challenge on 1st November focusing on all the different ways of using a mobile device in business. As part of this challenge, I’ve been using an iPad as the primary device to run my business for 30 days. I don’t have a smartphone (yet), which means that I had only the iPad to rely on.

Image Source

I’m already using different digital workflows to achieve certain tasks, but this challenge has forced me to improve my processes. There have been some decided benefits along the way as well as a few unexpected challenges.

Benefits of an iPad:

Here are my top 5 benefits for using mobile devices (tablets and phones) for any business:

All-day power. The iPad’s battery lasts long enough for me to use it through most of the day. I also bought a battery pack that extends the amount of time I can use it, something I’d highly recommend. It is able to completely recharge the iPad once, or a smartphone up to five times.
Creating media such as images and photos. Having one device to shoot, edit and then export videos and photos makes publishing content much easier.
Presentations: I love presenting from the ‘palm of my hand’ and have developed a ‘five step process’ shared on Day 13 of the 30 Day challenge blog posts.
Document Management. Being able to view, edit and share documents such as Microsoft Office or Google Drive documents via the iPad has been a massive advantage especially when dealing with prospective clients or during business meetings. I have been able to access files quickly and update as necessary.
Working on the go. It doesn’t matter where I am. This was evident when I had to travel to Bendigo for a 2 hour workshop (which meant travelling two hours each way from Melbourne to Bendigo). I was able to prepare a presentation, mark-up and annotate PDF’s for an upcoming marketing workshop and listen to audiobooks on leadership.

Challenges of an iPad:

There isn’t one app that will do everything for you. Sometimes it is a matter of working out which apps work best for the final product. You will need to compromise by adapting your workflow depending on the limitations of the app.
Determining which apps are right for you. Researching apps does take time and it does take a lot of refinement to get exactly what you are looking for. You’ll go through a lot of trial and error to find the specific ones that fit with your workflow.
Experimenting with apps can be costly. App directories are exactly that—directories. Just because an app is in a directory doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. Sometimes, you need to buy them and try them out for yourself.
Some systems won’t work, don’t work with iPads. Not all processes can be replaced by an iPad, especially in a retail business where there are custom systems that need certain programs to work.
Digital de-cluttering can be painful. Balancing paper and digital processes is difficult, especially deciding what goes digital and what stays physical. If you don’t have good systems set up in the first place, it can definitely take double the time to complete the task.

Other Useful Tips:

Sharing resources via my Pinterest board has been one way of keeping track of resources and also gaining ideas for this 30 Day Blog Challenge. I use ‘Geek Mummy’s 6 step process to ‘pin’ ideas and websites from web sites outside of the Pinterest app via my iPad.

Overall, I think it has been an interesting challenge, and I will continue to use the iPad as my primary device. The benefits listed above certainly outweigh the challenges! Tech Coach HQ will also be turning it into an eBook at the end of this year full of interactive content such as videos.

So, readers, I’d love to hear what you think: How far off is the computer being dead and being replaced by other technology?

Featured image by atmtx

Megan Iemma

Technology Coach and “IT” girl Megan Iemma is a thought leader in the world of technology and its uses. An educator and technogeek, Megan combined her passions for education and technology and founded Tech Coach HQ working with businesses and their teams to improve processes and embrace the productivity technology has to offer.

When travelling for work or for leisure, your smartphone or tablet can make a difference in communicating with your colleagues, family and friends. In 2012, a record 8.2 million of Australians travelled abroad of which 10% travelled for business. In this era of connectivity, it’s crucial to have apps that allow you to do a myriad of things while travelling.

There are a variety of apps which allow you to keep track of various aspects of your job or personal communication while on the move. There are also tools that can be used for managing clients or accounts while you are away. I have been experimenting with these recently whilst travelling domestically in Australia and more recently overseas.

Mophie – Image Source: US CPSC

One suggestion is always to take a power pack for your device such as a ‘Mophie’. This is a rugged travel battery charger for smartphones, tablets and and USB devices. The one I currently have is the Mophie Juice pack ‘Powerstation ® PRO which can power my phone and iPad.

There is nothing worse than being at a conference or business meetings all day (and you are actively using them) than suddenly having to find a powerpoint to charge your device. It will provide several charges for a smartphone and 1 full charge for a tablet device.

Screenshot of Tripit- Image Source: TripIt App page

Tripit

Tripit in conjunction with Flight Tracker Pro ($10.49):

When travelling it is crucial that you have access to your itinerary and flight details whether it is for domestic or international travel. It automatically syncs your itineraries with Tripit (app/online) (I highly advise setting up a Tripit account for personal or leisure travel) as well as syncing with your phone’s calendar. Often when waiting for family members or friends to visit, I use Flight Tracker Pro to see the arrival or departure times. You can also check for flight cancellations using this app.

Viber Screenshot – Image Source: Viber App page

Viber

Viber is available for Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Bada and Nokia Phones. This app lets you send free messages and also make free calls to other Viber users, on any device and network, in any country! Viber syncs your contacts, messages and call history with your desktop and then you can continue on your mobile device.

Expensify Screenshot- Image Source: Expensify App store

Expensify

With more businesses and workplaces going ‘paperless’ or nearly ‘paperless’ it is important to be able to capture receipts, track time or mileage. This helps ensure business travel tracks smoothly and gives you the ability to create expense reports quickly and easily. This app is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones.

CloudOn Screenshot – Image Source: CloudOn App store

CloudOn

I use CloudOn to manage my files remotely using Dropbox and Google Drive. The ability to create, review and share Microsoft Office files from any device, using your favorite cloud storage provider with CloudOn. It is available for both Android and iOS apps as well as using Chrome or the Safari Browser for desktop.

AroundMe Screenshot – Image Source: AroundMe App store

Aroundme

Aroundme (Free)

If you’ve ever been interstate or overseas on a work trip and needed to find the closest bank, post office or even a pharmacy, this app is a must-have for your device. It includes the distance and where to find it on Google Maps.

There are more travel apps that are becoming available for both business and leisure travel that help manage communication, productivity and overall trip planning. Often these apps work best in conjunction with other apps such as using Expensify and Evernote or Tripit with Flight Tracker Pro. Ultimately, always look at reviews on app directories or within the app itself. Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good app!

Do you know any apps that are perfect for the workplace or business? We’d love to hear about it.

Featured Image Credit: Think Panama

Megan Iemma

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