Google’s Mobile Office - Working On the Road
- March 4th 2008
- Working on the Road
Google may be reading my email, but if it’s in exchange for the free resources of their mobile office I don’t much care. If they get bought out by the Homeland Security Administration I’ll get worried. In the mean time, their mobile (they say ‘virtual’) office solutions are making it possible and easy for more and more people to work while they travel. In this ongoing Tuesday series about working on the road I want to introduce everyone to this wonderful tool.
If you have a Gmail account (free!) you have access to all of Google’s numerous free products that range from Sketchup (a 3D design software soon to rival VectorWorks) to Maps, YouTube and Blogger, Google’s innovative and efficient software solutions are much more than just a search engine. Using Calendar, Event, Docs, Gmail and Talk, it is possible to create a portable office to do just about anything that doesn’t require your physical presence.
Why do I love Google’s virtual office products so much? Because they’re not computer-based applications, for the most part. I am becoming more and more dependent on their Docs application as it improves it’s functionality (it’s in public beta) and scope. Their word processing, database, presentation and photo handling software make not only being a virtual employee possible for me, but they also saved me recently when my technology revolted. Since everything is stored on the Google servers, which are safely in Mountain View, your stuff is accessible from any computer anywhere. This means that armed with only a thumb drive and access to internet cafes you can work from literally anywhere. As I’m now working sans-laptop for the foreseeable future this makes my life livable.
Do you work remotely? What is your most useful tool?
I have worked while traveling for 10 years, my most useful tool has been a software program called Foxmail. It is an email client, I first carried on 3.5 floppies,now on a 1 gig thumb driver. I download all my emails to it, then when I am in the bush for a week, I can reply to many emails.
Blogging by email is also possible, and because I blog as I go, I stay organized.
I would say finding a program called RenameStar has made my photo work 20 time easier.
The one gig thumbdrive has to be one of the greatest things that has happened in years. It would be possible not to travel without a laptop and use internet cafes.
WSftp fits on a thumbdrive, I use this a lot when only on thumb.
CD Roms have been my nightmare, I have lost more photos and data because of these un-safe storage devices. I now just store all on a server, plut the thumbdrive is a backup.
I would say after you travel away from your base for over 3 months you become more aware.
I just purchased 1000 dollars worth of 12 volt electrical gear so I can return to Africa and work, off the grid, or without electricity.
Andy