Just a quick update to let you all know that an update to the Viira Outlook Suite is now available. The new version 0.9.6 contains several usability and stability enhancements.

Both the Outlook plugin and the BlackBerry client have been updated in this release. We have also enhanced the Viira Outlook Suite beta information page to include more details as well as tips and best practices.

If you haven’t done so already and want to give the beta a try, you can enroll in our beta program here. Once again, thanks to all of you who are participating in the beta program!

The moment many of you have anxiously been awayting is now just around the corner. After months of tirelessly working on the Viira Outlook Suite and being burried in Outlook and BlackBerry OS development work, we are finally ready to launch the Outlook Suite beta.

Combined Outlook-BlackBerry environments can differ widely between installations though: some people rely on Exchange and a BES-powered company BlackBerry, while others are content with just having BIS and standalone MS Outlook. While the Viira Outlook Suite works without a problem in both cases (and actually doesn’t even need a BlackBerry data plan), we are still looking to extend the testing period for the Viira Outlook Suite in order to make sure the 1.0 version works smoothly out-of-the-box for everyone.

With that in mind, we are launching the Viira Outlook Suite Beta program. Are you comfortable playing with beta software on your computer and on your BlackBerry? Are you interested in making your opinion count in guiding the direction and feature set of the growing Viira Outlook Suite?

If your answer is yes to both, you should go ahead and give the Viira Outlook Suite beta a try. We would love to hear your thoughts on it as that would give us an idea of what works for you and what you think we can improve so that we can solidify the Viira Outlook Suite as the ultimate GTD solution out there.

Here is a quick glimpse of what the Viira Outlook Suite looks like:

Viira 2.0 has been out for a few months now, and it is time for an update.

For this release, we went over all the recommendations and requests that we received from you over the last little while and implemented the ones that were requested the most. To a large extend Viira 2.1 has been a community effort from all of you trying to leverage GTD on your BlackBerry - and we would like to thank all of you for the many great suggestions that we received!

We do our best to grow Viira based on your recommendations and if your suggestions wasn’t included in 2.1, stay tuned as versions 2.2 and beyond take shape!

Here is what is new in Viira 2.1:

• Delegate a project or context. You can now use Viira to email instructions and to-do lists, provide step-by-step directions and send a shopping list to your spouse. You can even use Viira’s delegation capability to email things to yourself for review later or to print out an entire project or context.
• Navigation With Shortcuts. Quickly go from one view to another by using shortcut key combinations. ALT+C opens Contexts View, ALT+P changes to Projects View, ALT+D invokes Day View and ALT+T will start Tasks View. This was by far one of the most requested capabilities and we hope it improves the speed and effectiveness of navigating your mobile GTD system as it did for us!
• Project and Context Notes. You can now add notes to every project or context to record additional directions, thoughts or just important things to keep in mind when tackling all the to-dos in it.

As always, Viira 2.1 comes as a free upgrade to all buyers of Viira 2.0.

Viira 2.1 also comes with a free trial, so grab it OTA from our mobile site and see for yourself what a powerful additional to your BlackBerry Viira really is!

Ever since we launched Viira 1.0, one of the most frequent comments that we received was “Great app! Now, how do I make it work with Outlook?”. Understandably, many of you are relying on MS Outlook for implementing Getting Things Done, and a comprehensive solution that transcends the boundaries of a BlackBerry device is clearly called for.

You requested it, and we listened. Over the last little while we have been hard at work on a combined BlackBerry-Outlook solution called The Viira Outlook Suite. In fact, it is almost ready for a beta launch!

At this point I would like to tell you more about what it will do, as well as give you a glimpse of how it will take your personal productivity and GTD workflows to a whole new level.  If you are interested in what a BlackBerry-Outlook GTD solution has to offer you can sign up for the Viira Outlook Suite updates - and maybe even help us a little by volunteering for our beta program.

Here is a summary of what our the Viira Outlook Suite will look like:

• BlackBerry *and* Outlook. The Viira Outlook Suite will contain both a BlackBerry app (Viira) and an extension to your Outlook. The extension (called plugin) will make it possible for you to do all the things you are used to doing with Viira inside your Outlook.
• Viira 2 functionality inside Outlook. The Viira Outlook plugin will provide the same features inside Outlook that Viira 2 currently offers, including projects, contexts and next actions.
• Full data upgrade path from Viira 2.  The Viira Outlook Suite will import all data from Viira 2 and people choosing to continue with the Viira Outlook Suite can do so effortlessly.
• Full purchase credit. Buyers of the full version of Viira 2 will get full credit ($29.99) towards the purchase price of the Viira Outlook Suite. We haven’t decided on pricing yet, but if the Viira Outlook Suite is say $29.99, then buyers of Viira 2 will get it for free. If the Outlook Suite is $39.99, buyers of Viira will be able to get it for $10.00, etc. So if you are interested in our Viira Outlook Suite and are also considering buying Viira 2, you might as well make your purchase now and enjoy Viira for longer.
• Same emphasis on GTD. Our Viira Outlook Suite will stay true to the principles of Getting Things Done, simplicity and ease of use.

So put down your name name and email address on our sign-up form and we will let you know as soon as the Viira Outlook Suite is available and ready for download. We all look forward to taking your productivity habbits and GTD workflows to a whole new level.

GTD is one of the world’s most popular work/life productivity systems, but despite all the examples in David Allen’s fantastic book, the system isn’t just for busy executives or creative entrepreneurs. Anyone can use Getting Things Done to help organize their lives, no matter if they are a stay-at-home dad or an on-the-go gal.

Don’t believe us? Well, the following examples may inspire you to apply the principles of Getting Things Done in ways that haven’t crossed your mind yet. With productivity tools like Viira and your BlackBerry, the multitude of ways to get things done is downright amazing.

@Book Recommendations - From Oprah to Arianna, everyone’s recommending a book. Keep track of the ones you want to read in their own Context. Adding a new book to the list is as easy as reaching for your BlackBerry.

@Travel Destinations - Make a note of the fantastic voyages you’ve seen in the newspaper’s travel section or on your friend’s slide show. When it comes time to plan the trip, just transform your notes into next actions.

@Supermarket - Manage your grocery list in Viira and you’ll always know what to pick up when you’re out and about.

@Resolutions - Write down your New Years resolutions. You will have them right on your BlackBerry to remind you - and then check them off the list one by one!

@Doctor – If you’re lucky, you only see your doc once a year. Make notes about all the items you want to discuss at your next checkup so nothing gets forgotten.

@Renovations – Anyone who’s tackled a remodel knows there are roughly five thousand details to keep track of, and Viira is the perfect place to do so. Just remember to always have one “kick-start action” to keep the project moving along, as David Allen recommends.

@Class – GTD isn’t just for working professionals. Students can also use it to take notes. Just create a separate context for each class and your notes will be at your fingertips during those late-night cram sessions.

@Take Notes — Next time you are at a seminar or presentation, instead of using pen and paper use Viira to take notes. Simply create a context, e.g. “XYZ Presentation” and write down points or follow-on reminders. You can review the presentation later, and even designate next actions for follow-up.

Remember, the guiding principle of Getting Things Done is to collect 100% of all your tasks and commitments, or “stuff,” as David Allen calls it. Your “stuff” doesn’t just live in the office—it’s all around you, and when you’re able to keep it all off your mind and at your fingertips with the Viira BlackBerry app, you’ll be free to focus on the bigger picture of staying focused in the new year and the new decade!

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to adopt GTD and install Viira on your BlackBerry, the perfect pair of tools to make your work and home lives more organized and productive. If you haven’t already done so, we highly encourage you to read David Allen’s fantastic book, “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.”  It goes into detail on the best ways to incorporate the GTD system into your life.

But what now?  You have the tools, but how do you start organizing all of your commitments into GTD via Viira?  Fortunately, the app makes it a cinch.

Step 1: Collect your Commitments

The guiding principle behind GTD is to collect and organize 100% of your tasks and commitments, or “stuff” as David Allen calls it.  This process gets the details out of your head, freeing your mind to focus on larger issues and bigger projects.

All this “stuff” may be in the form of sticky notes framing your computer monitor or scrap papers in a junk drawer.  Or, like most people, your email inbox might be the biggest culprit.  If so, Viira makes it simple to get your inbox to empty by transforming incoming emails into actionable items.  Since the app works seamlessly with the BlackBerry’s native email program, you can easily create a task directly from an individual email.

Step 2: Organize and File

All the “stuff” you collect needs to be acted on, and you can organize it all using Viira.  You may want to consider setting up your Projects and Contexts first. David Allen defines a project as “any desired result that requires more than one action step.”  Contexts, on the other hand, are groups of actionable items that all need to happen together, like @Computer, or @StaffMeeting.

Once you’ve got a handle on those, you can start adding actionable items into the system as Appointments (items with a due date) and Tasks (items that aren’t time sensitive).  These can be filed as a specific Project or Context…or nothing at all, if that’s your preference.

Step 3: Daily Review

David Allen warns of the danger of putting reminders out of sight, and suggests frequent reviews of your lists to make sure you stay up to speed on all your items.  To combat this, he recommends a daily review of your calendar, as it provides a “hard landscape” of what has to be done that day. Viira makes this a breeze with the Day View that stays seamlessly in sync with your BlackBerry’s calendar.

Once you get a handle on your daily schedule, take a look at your Tasks View to see what else you can accomplish.  If you’ve organized your next actions into Contexts, one look at the Contexts View will show you the items you can tackle in your current location.

Step 4: Weekly Review

Don’t forget about the bigger projects you’ve taken the time to add into Viira.  A weekly review of these areas in Projects View will ensure everything is up to date. David Allen recommends having at least one “kick-start action” for each Project amongst your Next Actions, to keep everything moving forward.

This is also a good time to empty your head of all the new projects, actions and appointments you haven’t yet captured in the app, along with clearing out actions that you’ve completed.  Remember, when everything is off your mind and at your fingertips on your BlackBerry, you’re free to focus on the big picture.

Step 5: Take a Shortcut

Now that you’ve got a handle on all your tasks and commitments, become a power user of Viira! Make the most of your BlackBerry and GTD by learning a few of the hotkey shortcuts: you can check them out at the Viira shortcut information page.

As you continue to use Viira and apply the principles of Getting Things Done with your BlackBerry you’ll likely find that your mind is clear and you’re able to consistently and effectively manage all your commitments.  As long as you continue to aim for 100% collection of all your “stuff,” and transform it all into actionable items using Viira, you’ll stay in this wonderful relaxed and productive state.

Over the past week the Karta Mobile team has been busy gleaning deeper insight into the BlackBerry platform directly from the people in RIM themselves at the second annual BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco, California.

The conference has been chock full of important announcements for the BlackBerry developer community and has been covered all across the blogosphere (here, here and here).  It suffices to say that we are all very excited to harness a lot of the innovation, new technologies and device APIs to make Viira and even better, more engaging and comprehensive GTD system for BlackBerry smartphones.

RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie Addressing BlackBerry Developers

We took notes on new technologies, best practices and ideas and even engaged in a series of round table discussions with key RIM decision makers on how to best grow the app ecosystem on the BlackBerry. It felt great knowing that our gripes, recommendations and two cents are actually making an impact on the way the BlackBerry platform is evolving.

Yes, unlike other fruit companies, RIM listens.

All-in-all, it has been a spectacular event and we are all coming back energized and thrilled about what the future of the BlackBerry platform holds in store for everyone - for developers and consumers alike.

Today has been a day of big announcements in the BlackBerry world. On the first day of the 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference, RIM announced a slew of new technologies, APIs and partnerships designed to make even richer and more powerful applications a possibility on the BlackBerry platform.

Against this backdrop, we are very excited to be making our own big announcement: the public availabiity of Viira 2.0. Viira 2.0 contains many game-changing improvements that we are delighted to be bringing to you because we know that they will help you do even more with your BlackBerry and help you get things done in your day-to-day life.

Without further ado, here are the key new features in Viira 2.0:

• Next Actions. You can select the next task that needs addressing for any given project, context, in Tasks View and even for a particular day. Simply use the VolumeUp key to promote any of tasks for the project, context or day to the top position
• Email Tasks. Create a task from incoming messages so that you never forget to reply to important emails. Instantly add it to your trusted GTD system by classifying it by project, context or day. The email task will contain an embedded preview of the email to remind you what the email was all about.
• Priorities. Organize the task order for any project, context and day. Use the VolumeUp and VolumeDown key to specify which tasks come ahead of others.
• Overdue Tasks Display. A new area in the Day View displays in red tasks from previous days that have not been completed yet.
• Multiple Calendar Support. A unique, Viira-only feature is the inclusion of appointments to your GTD organizational system. Viira 2.0 seamlessly integrates with all calendar accounts on your BlackBerry (BlackBerries maintain one calendar for each configured email address) and appointments from all calendars will appear in your Day View.

We always provide a free trial, and Viira 2.0 is not an exception. For those of you who purchased Viira 1.x, Viira 2.0 will optionally import your Viira 1.x data when launched for the first time as well.

Buyers of the previous version also get special upgrade pricing - a tradition that we will continue with future releases. Buyers of Viira 1.x can buy an upgrade for $19.99.

So give Viira 2.0 a try and see for yourself what it can bring to your day-to-day life!

The full version of Viira allows the easy move of all of your Viira data from one BlackBerry to another - for example, if you are upgrading to a new BlackBerry. This can be done very quickly with the help of the Desktop Manager software, and you will be getting things done on the go with your new device in no time at all!

To migrate your Viira data, all you need to do is back up Viira from the old BlackBerry and restore it to the new one.

We talked in a previous post how the full version of Viira offers the ability to save all your data off the device and to your computer - and get a peace of mind that your trusted GTD system is easily recoverable in case something happens with your BlackBerry. It is exactly this functionality that makes the Viira data migration to another device possible.

First, you will need to create a backup of your Viira data that is on the BlackBerry from which you want to move Viira - let’s call it the old device. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to backup the entire device in one quick step by selecting Backup Device in the Desktop Manager.

Our backup walkthrough contains more detailed instructions on how to create a backup for those not familiar with the process. We have also included some useful tips on what to do if your device happens to need some coercing in order to complete the backup process trouble-free, so make sure to read those as well.

Once you have completed the backup, disconnet your old BlackBerry and plugin in the new one to your computer (via USB). In the Backup and Restore area of the Desktop Manager, select Advanced and open the backup file that you created moments ago.

Using Advanced Backup and Restore to move Viira’s data to a new BlackBerry.

Using the arrows, move the Viira data and your Calendar entries from the backup file to the connected BlackBerry. It is important to bring the Calendar appointments and events from the old BlackBerry as well because Viira’s database keeps Appointments in sync with events in your Calendar. If Viira does not find those in your BlackBerry’s calendar it will assume that they have been deleted - and you don’t want that to happen!

Once this is complete, you are good to go and get things done on the go with Viira on your shiny new BlackBerry!

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We got a lot of messages from avid Viira users who are counting on Viira day in and day out to get things done. One thing that many requested was the ability to safely backup all of Viira’s data in case something happens to the BlackBerry on which the data is stored.

This is why starting with version 1.2 we implemented the capability to backup and restore all of Viira’s data (this capability is only available in the full version of Viira).

Quick Backup

Backup Viira by backing up your BlackBerry

The easiest and quickest way to backup Viira’s data is to backup your entire BlackBerry device. Simply connect your BlackBerry to your computer via USB, open the BlackBerry Desktop Manager program that came on your device CD and select the Backup And Restore option.

Clicking “Backup” on the screen that follows will save all the information on your device in a backup .ipd file. This file contains all of Viira’s data (as well as all your other BlackBerry data) and you can safely restore Viira’s data from it if the need for it arises.

Restoring your entire device from this backup will also restore your Viira data to where it was before.

Tip: Sometimes backing up the entire device produces a generic error message: Error backing up database(s). The source of the problem has been reported to be the databases called Browser Cache and Profiles. Going to Advanced (see below) and de-selecting those two entries from the list of things to backup can solve the problem.

Advanced Backup

The Advanced backup option is useful if you find yourself needing to backup Viira’s data more often than the rest of your BlackBerry data. It can also be useful if the BlackBerry you are trying to backup produces the generic error mentioned above.

By going to the Advanced section in the Backup And Restore part of the BlackBerry Desktop Software, you can manually select which application’s data you want to backup. Simply select “Viira Data” from the list and move the data to your computer by using the arrow.

Make sure to include your Calendar data in the list as well. Viira has a built in mechanism of keeping its appointments in sync with the BlackBerry Calendar application and not including the calendar data could result in some of your appointments being discarded in the restore process.

Using Advanced Backup and Restore to backup Viira’s data.

After moving Viira’s data to the left of the screen, you can use the File menu to save the backup data to a .ipd file. Opening the .ipd file at a later time and using the arrows will move Viira’s data from the backup .ipd to your device, thus restoring Viira to where it was before.