Life is getting busier and busier and it is getting harder to find enough hours in the day to get everything done. Here are some simple ideas to make the most of timesaving technology:
- Go Paperless: searching through piles of paper trying to find what you need is a real time-waster. These days scanners are not too expensive and by scanning your documents you not only keep your workspace clear but can easily locate your documents when you need them. Just remember to set up folders on your computer to store your electronic files. If you can't locate what you need on your computer either, it kind of defeats the purpose… and don't forget to back up your computer.
- Caller ID: it's great that anyone can reach you anytime on your cell phone and you can still receive calls while you're away from the office. It's not so great that anyone can reach you anytime on your cell phone, especially when you want to take time off. That's where Caller ID comes in. By screening calls, you'll stop wasting time answering the calls you don't need to take, and instead answer the calls that need your attention.
- Find your Parked Car: we all know that sinking feeling when you can't find your car in a sea of vehicles. If you're lost in a parking lot, you don't have to waste time looking for your car. If you have an iPhone with the AutoPark app installed, you can prevent this situation. When you park your car, simply set a marker on the map with a single tap and find your way back to the car with the built-in GPS. The app also keeps track of time left on parking meters, so if you don't have time to run out to check the meter, you can set an alarm that alerts you before the meter runs out. Keep in mind though, that the Autopark APP requires iPhone OS 3.0 or higher.
- Scan and Listen: imagine a world where you're on the road and you scan a text document by taking a picture of it with your iPhone, and your iPhone reads the document back to you. Let's say you're on the way to a meeting and you need to go over your notes, so you take a picture of them, and then play them back while you're driving in your car or walking to the meeting. There is an app called Prizmo that does just that. The application recognizes text documents, business cards, bills, and whiteboards. It's an all-in-one scanner for your iPhone.
- Charge it all in the same place at the same time: how often to you find yourself looking for your computer and phone chargers? Or charging your devices the night before a busy day, and having to charge them in separate outlets or rooms? If you have one place set up that charges everything, you don't have to run around trying to remember where you left your chargers, and you can plug in all of your devices in the same location at the same time.
Do you have any other tips to add?
