TechGazing

Gmail is rapidly becoming one of the most popular e-mail services in the world, with its simple interface and seamless integration with chat. And after some hesitation (thanks to its beta status), even enterprises are now using Gmail. Google, in best tradition, is backing up its service with lots of handy information, the latest being a blog entry on tips for using Gmail at work. Worth a read by all Gmail users, even if they do not use Gmail professionally, as one can always use information like how to set up multiple e-mail accounts from a single interface and how to keep track of one’s tasks. You can read the tips here.

Blogs, wikis and in-house social networks are the new ways companies are communicating internally. Interactivity and collaboration being the key to these forms of open conversations, the quarterly newsletter may just be passé.

Want to win five hundred rupees? Predict the television rating of the next test match between India and Australia. The qualifier: You need to be on the media planning team at Lintas to have access to the internal blog this contest is run on.

This is just one example of what you may call ‘Internal Communications 2.0’ – the tools of new media are now being employed by companies to enable its people to converse openly and freely. These work for start-ups and big companies alike and in situations where the workforce is under one roof or spread across many locations.

There are many platforms one can do these on, four of them being most commonplace for their respective advantages. Continue reading »

The following is the text of a piece I wrote for The Hindustan Times, a leading national newspaper in India. You can also access this piece online here.

If you do nothing but use your travelling time as learning time, this decision alone could make you one of the best educated people around. Listening to relevant audio programs in your car or in public transport can make you an expert in your field.

The above advice comes from US based Brian Tracy, well known author of audio and print books on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy. In an age where knowledge and information are often the differentiator in determining success, Tracy’s words may hold the key for the time-harried professional trying to play catch-up with the latest around him.

If you are one of those willing to pick up nuggets of wisdom, you may just be spoilt for choices. Content of all kinds is now available from various sources, delivered in user-friendly formats to your everyday devices including car stereos, iPods and mobile devices. Here’s checking out some for starters: Read on for some interesting ideas

I personally believe this may just be the killer-app that could have been invented years back.

How often do you see someone’s contact info in an email or a webpage needing to be added to your Outlook or Palm contacts? Or an appointment, memo (like travel directions) or a To-Do to your calendar, memos and the task list respectively? All this is possible, at the click of a button. Read on to know more