The Best Video Chat Applications

Video chat is a great way to stay connected with long distance friends and family. Which video chat applications rank among the best?

According to Lifehacker readers, Gmail’s video chat capabilities are a great choice, especially if you already have a Gmail account. Simply download the free plug-in and talk away.

Skype is incredibly popular, and offers a variety of pricing and programs. The free allows service for:

• Skype-to-Skype calls
• One-to-one video calls
• Instant messaging
• Screen sharing

Oovoo.com received high praise from Business Insider, CNet, and PC Magazine. Oovoo offers “free video chat. No matter where you are.” Chat mobile to mobile, mobile to computer, and between operating systems. You can chat with up to six people at once. Check the website for pricing.

FileSlap = Smart File Sharing

Upload files, send the link to anyone, and they can view it without downloading! Welcome to FileSlap, the smart way to share files. The program is incredibly easy to use, and dozens of file types are supported, including doc, docx, xls, pdf, tiff, gif, png, jpg, mp3, txt, and over 100 programming languages. To upload files, select the file you want to upload or paste in a URL, and hit enter. The file is brought up on a web screen, with absolutely nothing to download. To try it out for free, visit FileSlap.com.

Online Business Planning Resources

Whether you’re trying to convince an investor to lend you money, or simply writing a plan to help you stay on track, business planning is an important part of every business. Would you construct a building without a blueprint? You should treat your business just as importantly. These online resources will help you write a business plan and put it into action.

• Small Business Association. The business planning page of this site is an invaluable resource, offering tips, templates, how-to articles, and every other essential you will need. If you’re just getting started in your business, don’t stop there. Learn about starting and managing a business, loans and grants, training, and more.

• Entrepreneur will walk you through the basics of a business plan, including types of plans, marketing strategies, and the financial components. If you need help with your planning, take advantage of their database of trainers and consultants. If you want to learn about anything else business related while you’re at it, they won’t disappoint.

• Business Plans.com offers over 500 free business plan samples. Browse their article library, as well. Sample articles include: “Good Pitches Start With a Good Plan” ; ” Keys to a Better Business Plan” and more.

Top Android Apps for the Office

Apple’s iPhone isn’t the only smartphone with great app capabilities. The Android market is picking up speed, and now has over 70,000 apps available for its customers. Here are three great office apps for you to try.

Office Drop Paper-to-Go
Helping small businesses and home offices go paperless, Office Drop allows users to snap a picture of a document, scan it, and share it. Use the app to convert the photo into text searchable PDFs, and upload the file into destination folders. Add labels, and finding and sharing documents can’t get any easier.

Day Timer for Free
Never forget an important date again. With Day Timer, you set an alarm and it notifies you beforehand. Label your alerts with birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, and more. The app also offers a countdown of the number of days left before that event. Best of all, it’s free!

Astrid
Get your life organized, and use Astrid to help. This task tracker and to-do list organizer offers tagging, timers, smart task sorting, a progress tracker, and much more. Synchronize with Remember the Milk (which can sync with Gmail) and you’ll find yourself more productive in no time.

Must Have Home Office Gadgets

Hand Paper Shredder
Every office needs a shredder. Using no batteries or external power source, the Hand Paper Shredder is as green as personal security gets. Twist both ends of this shredder in opposite directions, and your business and personal documents are quickly reduced to shreds, protecting you from identity theft.
    

Robo Vacuum
These super cute and ultra handy Robot Vacuums make cleaning fun for everyone! Simply push the on / off button on the top of the robot’s head, and he (or she) will vacuum up your dusty desk. To clean, twist off the top and discard the contents. The Robo Vacuum by Hog Wild is the perfect helper in the home or office. Available from UsefulThings.com in Red, Gray, or Black.

Telescopic Back Scratcher
Working from home, there may be no one there to help you scratch that itch, but with the telescopic back scratcher, you can reach any spot on your body. Extend the back scratcher up to 20″ for longer reaches, then telescope closed for easy storage.

Turn Bookmarks into Tasks and More with Licorize

Turn your bookmarks into to-do tasks, ideas, projects, shared files, and more with Licorize. Add bookmarks, and assign a status to them–it’s as simple as that. Status options include: to-do, idea, goal, bookmark, image, note, milestone, reminder, meeting, worklog, effort, cost, budget, contact, and company. Sort the bookmarks into as many status’ as are relevant to the bookmark. Licorize is also available on any mobile device that has a browser. Choose between the free and premium version. The premium version costs $5/mo and allows users to create projects and invite people to participate in projects.

Three Awesomely Useful Firefox Add-Ons and Plug-ins

Love Mozilla’s Firefox? Be sure to check out these awesome add-ons and plug-ins.

Feedly
Turn your RSS feeds into a magazine type interface with Feedly. Feedly will automatically import your Live Bookmarks, Google Reader Feeds, Twitter followers, and more, and combine them into one beautifully organized and reader friendly page. With Feedly, you can:

• Save for later reading.
• Recommend to friends.
• Email articles.
• Copy the article’s link to your clipboard.
• Annotate text.
• Organize your feeds.
• Integrate with YouTube, Amazon, and more.

Forecast Fox
Stay up to date on all the weather around the world, with Forecast Fox. This plug-in brings AccuWeather right to your Firefox web browser, toolbar, or statusbar. Search via zip code, town, or even international city. Forecast Fox can be customized to display what you want, and how you want it.

Yoono
Yoono is the #1 download for social networking tools on Firefox. It allows you to stay connected with all of your social networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, AIM, and MSN. Receive all of your messages, notices, updates, etc. and share all from Yoono, without having to log into each site separately.

Time Management Tips

1. Make a list of tasks needing to be completed, in order of priority. Check it often, and check tasks off when you complete them.

2. Take frequent breaks. Working too long of hours can lead to burn out. Work for an hour or two straight, then take a short walk or lean your head back and close your eyes. You will find your actual working hours will be more productive.

3. Don’t multi-multi-task. Focus on completing one task at a time. At the most, only have two things going at once.

4. Keep track of time spent. Have a timeline in mind for completing tasks, and keep track of how long it actually takes you. Use this information for future scheduling.

5. Schedule time for the mundane. If you have a slot of time set aside for returning phone calls, checking email, filing, etc., those tasks won’t cut into your actual working time.

6. Delegate. If someone else can do it, let them.

7. Get rid of distractions. If you find yourself singing along to the radio and making typing errors, turn the radio off. If the view out the window is tempting, shut the blinds.

8. Get enough sleep. Being tired makes you less motivated and inefficient.

9. Eat regularly. Small snacks throughout the day will keep you moving along at a good pace. Don’t crash and burn.

10. Find your drive. There must be something to keep your working—passion for what you’re doing, financial goals, etc. Keep that reason close, and let it motivate you.

Get Fit Office Gadgets

My Life Scoop researchers found 6 exercise tools designed for office workers and presented them to readers in this article entitled “6 Office Gadgets for Getting Fit at Work.” Here are three affordable options.

• USB Stress Ball. Connect this red blob to your computer monitor, and squeeze away. Your hand movements will alter the images on your computer screen–you choose what to display. $19.99.

• Hand Gyroscope. From Powerballs.com, this Hand Gyroscope generates up to 40 lbs of resistance. It’s a great tool for people who suffer from arthritis, carpal tunnel, or repetitive stress injury. $24.99.

• Balance Ball Chair. Improve your posture and even work out your upper body with this unique chair. The base of the chair holds a removable 55cm balance ball that strengthens spinal alignment. The chair also includes three body-shaping workout tools. $99.

Home Office Storage Solutions

Organizing a home office can be challenging, especially if your space is limited. Here are several storage tips to help you banish the clutter.

Labeled Boxes. If you can’t afford a lot of shelving or file cabinets, opt for labeled storage boxes. They are also a good option for items you want to keep, but not display.

Baskets. Baskets are a great way to reduce clutter on your desk. They also work nicely for incoming and outgoing mail, bills, items needing to be filed, and much more.

Cord Wraps. Offices have plenty of electronics—phones, computers, printers, fax machines, etc. If your office is overrun with cords, cord wraps such as the Bobino Cord Wrap are a great way to keep things neat and organized.

Pegboard. For frequently called numbers, schedules, and other important information, a pegboard is useful.