This summer, Cutter Benchmark Review invited me to create a workplace productivity survey with Joe Feller.  We were able to collect some interesting data and publish our analysis of it.

Normally $50, I’m able to offer both mine and Joe’s analysis, along with the survey results, as a free PDF to Technotheory readers.  Read on for a couple snippets and a link to download the full article.

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Why does it take less time to find something on the web than on your hard drive?

It’s because the internet has no order, but we’d like to think we do.  Guess again: using an orderly approach to storing and retrieving is similar to paying full price for airline tickets: it made sense twenty year ago but is a costly decision today.

Here’s how to file and find things in the next decade.

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Gmail has a series of optional features called Gmail Labs.  If you’re a Gmail user, some of these can add serious time to your day.

If you want to get yourself out of trouble and be more efficient in Gmail, installing these takes about 60 seconds.

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I’m overdue for a post about AwayFind, but rather than type it out, here are some updates via Thursday’s interview from Robert Scoble and the week before’s with Greg Cangialosi.

Below I’ve indicated the timestamps for when AwayFind, email productivity, and Bootstrap Maryland are discussed…so you can dive right in.  After the videos are also some recent links, like being in Gartner’s 2009 Cool Vendor Report : ).

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How much does it cost you to stay current…with your email, with the news, with your industry?  Today Seth Godin explained just how expensive it is.

And I want to reiterate the point.

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A few days ago I announced AwayFind.  That was the technology.  But that’s less than half the story to killing email interruptions.

The rest: an immediately practical, very readable, and quite beautiful 26-page guide that may not be available in 48 hours…

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No open bar, VCs, or even a beta logo.  Just a web app that un-tethers you from your inbox.  Oh, and a dream shared by an awesome bunch of people.

Today we launch AwayFind.  It’s time for a little retrospective…

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I’m frequently asked if I prefer Gmail or Outlook Exchange, but I happily use both. Today I posted a thorough comparison on Lifehacker, but the following is how and why I use both.

Not only will this explain how I use Gmail and Outlook, but it’ll describe a fair amount of my workflow with email and social media.

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If you can do it in two minutes or less then just get it out of the way.  This is at the center of most approaches to dealing with tasks and emails.  In the next 45 seconds I want to remind you of its power.

When you read your new email do you read all the messages once and then go back through them?  I do it, too, sometimes—but it’s the death of getting things done.  So here’s a reminder…

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Above you’ll find a video from Jonny’s Partay, where I was interviewed on Wednesday, July 9 at 9pm.

There’s a bit of talk about AwayFind, some news about DC, and of course much of what I’ve been up to. From lifehacks to batching email to mobility and travel, hopefully this’ll keep you entertained.

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