Sleep on the Job
Napping is highly
underrated, and these
days innovative companies like Google
are encouraging it to
help employees get
the much-needed
rest they need to
regenerate ideas
and maintain a
healthy lifestyle.
The EnergyPod
from MetroNaps
combines stylish design with ergonomic
functionality to create the ideal environment for energy enhancement. It features a
contoured shape to elevate the feet, semi-private sphere, and a built-in adjustable
timer. Visit
www.MetroNaps.com for more details.
Turn to Toons
Brighten up your inbox with a daily
cartoon illustrated by Hugh MacLeod,
bestselling author and CEO of
Stormhoek USA, which markets South
African wine in the States. Drawn on the
backs of business cards, these delightful
messages are motivational and thought-provoking. When you subscribe on his
website, you’ll get access to hundreds
of limited edition prints and access to
special offers. Sign up for free, and be
sure to follow Hugh on Twitter @gap-ingvoid.
www.GapingVoid.com.
Tune in to TED
If you haven’t heard of TED by
now, do yourself a favor and click
on www.TED.com to find free
videos on technology, design, busi-
ness, and global issues. TED Talks
are invitation-only events where
creative powerhouses like Bono
and Bill Clinton come together to
swap ideas. For a live experience
designed to stimulate dialogue
on a local level, you’ll want to
check out TEDx events, inspired
by TED’s mission – “ideas worth
spreading”. Visit
www.TED.com/
TEDx to learn more.
Start Stacking
Stuck in a rut? Start stacking, that is,
compiling a list of online bookmarks that
showcase your passions. Delicious.com
lets you take a look at what other people
find interesting on the Web, create your
own “stacks” – videos, pictures, tweets,
blog posts – and personalize them with
your own commentary to share with the
community! Drop the Delicious bookmar-klet in your browser to get started. Free.
www.Delicious.com.
Mind Over Matter
Group collaboration
can be challenging.
XMind makes it easy
with a powerful and
intuitive design, simple
ways to express ideas
and share information to
your audience, and user-friendly project tracking and task
management features. With this
mind-mapping software, you can
create and edit topics, drag and drop
to reorganize, take “mapshots,” and
add attachments. Free or $49/year
for XMind Pro.
www.XMind.net.
A veteran speechwriter and executive communications specialist, Ian Griffin helps CEOs and senior managers develop strategic messaging and content for presentations to audiences worldwide. He is past-president of the Northern California Chapter and an active member of Toastmasters. Griffin has spent more than 20 years working with mainstream Silicon Valley companies such as
Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems. He blogs at http://www.exec-comms.com/blog.
