If you’re already using Getting Things Done with Viira on your BlackBerry, you’re well on your way to living a more organized, productive life. But if you still have lingering questions on how best to use GTD in certain situations, there are plenty of places to go online to get help.

We’ve compiled a list of the Internet’s leading authorities on Getting Things Done. From tips and tricks, to words of wisdom from David Allen himself, you’re sure to find the info you need in one of the links below.

• Otherwise known as Mecca, DavidCo is the official website of the David Allen Company. Find information on all Allen’s books, upcoming appearances and more.
• GTD Times is a division of David Allen’s network. The self-described ‘hub of all things GTD,’ this site includes a blog, newsletter signup, and links to many more GTD resources.
• Another part of David Allen’s rapidly growing empire, GTD Connect is a subscription service that puts Getting Things Done practitioners in touch with each other and allows users to participate in online classes.
• Visit the official Facebook fan page of Getting Things Done to connect with other like-minded productivity fans on this popular social network.
• Join the official LinkedIn page for GTD Enthusiasts. Open to everyone, it’s a fantastic networking group to share GTD tips and tricks. David Allen and his staff are said to stop by occasionally.
• The official YouTube page for Getting Things Done ihas informative videos from David Allen and others explaining how GTD works for them.
• Follow David Allen on Twitter for daily musings from this famous productivity guru.
• You’ve probably read all of Allen’s books cover-to-cover, but if you happen to be missing one, head over to Amazon.com’s David Allen page and complete your collection.
• Run by Merlin Mann, creator of the Hipster PDA, 43Folders.com discusses productivity, taking several cues from GTD.
• Getting Things Done is a popular topic on Lifehacker.com, a blog that offers tricks and shortcuts to living life effectively. Search the #GTD and #gettingthingsdone tags to see all the posts.
• Not to be confused with Lifehacker, Stepcase Lifehack also focuses on productivity and often mentions Getting Things Done.
• Getting Finances Done is a blog that preaches personal financial control, using many of the GTD principles.
• Written by a GTD enthusiast, the Did I Get Things Done blog has multiple updates per week on productivity and motivation.
• The official Wikipedia page for Getting Things Done gives a great overview on the productivity system when you need a quick refresher.

Finally, if you’re like us and read everything you can find on David Allen and GTD, here are links to a few prominent news articles that discuss the productivity phenomenon.

• Wired Magazine
• Business Week (don’t forget to click through to Part 2!)
• Time Magazine
• NPR

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

]]> http://blog.kartamobile.com/moving-viira-to-your-new-blackberry/feed/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/how-to-backup-your-viira-data/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/how-to-backup-your-viira-data/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:57:12 +0000 admin http://blog.kartamobile.com/?p=96 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.

]]> http://blog.kartamobile.com/how-to-backup-your-viira-data/feed/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/viira-13-released/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/viira-13-released/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:50:04 +0000 admin http://blog.kartamobile.com/?p=88 We are glad to announce the immediate availability of Viira 1.3. This release is largely made of various suggestions that many of you passed along.

With many thanks to all of you that dropped us a line telling us what features you would like to see, here is what is new in Viira 1.3:

• Track project-less and context-less tasks. Project and Context Views now provide an easy way to locate tasks without a project or a context and prevent these tasks from “slipping through the cracks”. Simply select <No Project> and <No Context> in Projects View and Contexts View and all tasks without a project or context assigned to them will be displayed, respectively. (Thanks Sean for suggesting this one!)
• Start in Last View Used . A new setting available through Viira’s options lets you start Viira in the last used view, making it easier to return to where you left things off.
• BlackBerry Storm support. As the momentum behind the BlackBerry Storm adoption grows we are pleased to the Storm to the list of supported devices. Long-time owners of and recent upgraders to the BlackBerry Storm can take full advantage of the device’s unique capabilities like the touch screen and orientation sensitivity to get things done on the go with Viira.
• Performance enhancements. An engineering optimization put in place in Viira 1.3 drastically boosts the speed with which appointments stay in sync with the native BlackBerry calendar, making it possible to integrate a large number of appointments in your GTD system. (thanks Rajesh for helping us through this one)
• Appointments sorted chronologically. Day View now lists all appointments in chronological order, making it easier to get a quick and intuitive glance of what lies ahead for any given day.
• Free trial limits raised. The Viira 1.3 Free Trial comes with raised limits on the number of projects, contexts and tasks.

As usual, Viira 1.3 comes as a free upgrade to all buyers of the full version. To get upgrade Over-The-Air (OTA) simply point your BlackBerry to our mobile site www.kartamobile.com/bb. Alternatively buyers can log in to our site and download the ZIPed installer and install.

A free trial of Viira 1.3 is also available.

]]> http://blog.kartamobile.com/viira-13-released/feed/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/getting-started-with-viira/ http://blog.kartamobile.com/getting-started-with-viira/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:42:24 +0000 admin http://blog.kartamobile.com/?p=86 Viira’s feature set has grown a lot over the last little while, and so has the need for a how-to manual to establish a set of effective and productive best practices. This is the first post in a series of many and is intended to help you jump-start your implementation of GTD on your BlackBerry and get the most out of Viira.

0. Get David Allen’s Getting Things Done

It goes without saying that Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity is an excellent and inspirational read. For those of you that don’t have a personal copy of the book I highly recommend you get one as the timeless principles inside are invaluable and make a great reference at all times.

1. Explore Viira’s Views

Viira offers 4 views: Projects View, Contexts View, Tasks View and Day View. Quickly explore each one and familiarize yourself with the capabilities that each view provides by examining what is available in the screen context menu. You can go from one view to another by pressing the context button (the one to the left of the trackball, with the BlackBerry logo on it) and clicking on the view you want to go to next.

2. Learn Viira’s Shortcuts

Viira offers a variety of shortcuts since version 1.0. The goal of the shortcuts is to make the basic operations faster, save you a few keystrokes and ultimately make Viira more intuitive to use.

Here is what you can do in Viira with shortcuts:

• ALT-N creates a new item. When in Tasks View, Day View or when viewing the tasks associated with a particular project or context, ALT-N creates a new task. In Projects View and Contexts View, ALT-N creates a new project or context, respectively.
• ALT-A creates a new appointment. Available in Tasks View, Day View and when viewing a project or context
• Enter or trackball click opens an item for viewing.
• Del, the delete button, triggers the deletion of an item (it always prompts you first to ask if you are sure about the deletion).
• Space toggles a task or appointment between complete and not complete

Each one of these operations is also available within the corresponding screen or view that you are in. As a reminder, the shortcuts are also displayed next to the list of available operations.

For a full list of available shortcuts, check out the Viira shortcuts page.

Viira Settings Screen

3. Set Your Startup View

Viira offers you the ability to customize which view gets loaded first when Viira is launched. Personally I like keeping a close eye on the appointments and tasks I have set to complete for the day ahead, so my Viira starts in Day View.

You can set the view that Viira starts in from the Options screen. Simply select “Options” from the context menu of any of the 4 views.

4. Set Up Your Projects and Contexts

Before going ahead and entering a lot of tasks and appointments, it is wise to first set up your projects and contexts, or at least enter enough of them to serve as a foundations on which to build the rest of your mobile GTD system.

5. You Are Ready!

Now that you have explored Viira’s capabilities and set up your initial projects and contexts, you are ready to go ahead and start using Viira. So go ahead, enter all those tasks that need to get completed into your new portable organizational system and start getting them done, one by one.

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