ConceptDraw MINDMAP v7 can export and import Microsoft Project files

PRESS RELEASE

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 24, 2011  ConceptDraw MINDMAP v7 can export and import Microsoft Project files from either Macintosh or PC computers. ConceptDraw MINDMAP v7 is a powerful mind mapping product that starts projects right. Effective brainstorming and requirements gathering from the project team is critical to getting things off of the ground. ConceptDraw MINDMAP on Macintosh or Windows can export to Microsoft Project data from a mind map; it can also import a project file from Microsoft Project giving team members a working visual map of a planned project.


The mind map format makes it easy to restructure project files and quickly discover status of phases, tasks and milestones using the report plug-ins available for ConceptDraw MINDMAP. ConceptDraw MINDMAP has many report plug-ins available to keep everyone up to date.



A mind map of project requirements visually represents the projects structure and can be quickly modified with a couple clicks in ConceptDraw PROJECT or exported to Microsoft Project. Using a mind map to start up projects is a quick and efficient way to get projects off of the ground. Mind maps when incorporated as part of the project planning methodology improve project outcomes, by simplifying planning and adding important contingency strategies.



ConceptDraw MINDMAP is a powerful planning tool that is closely integrated with ConceptDraw PROJECT; using ConceptDraw INGYRE2 technology, to rapidly move teams from planning to implementation. With the added ability of both ConceptDraw MINDMAP and ConceptDraw PROJECT of working with Microsoft Project .xml file format, the flexibility in usage scenarios has increased by an order of magnitude.



ConceptDraw MINDMAP and ConceptDraw PROJECT are powerful professional project management tools that increase productivity by improving team communication and providing timely project status.



Olin Reams, General Manager at CS Odessa comments, a Project Managers and their teams can now mix PCs and Macintoshes with impunity, the amount of flexibility that this can bring to a project team is incredible. There are no barriers to how you can share project data. Couple the file flexibility of ConceptDraw MINDMAP with the many project solutions available in ConceptDraw Solution Park, and you can see the tremendous value that is in our products.



Pricing and Completive Upgrades Available



Availability of ConceptDraw MINDMAP v7 is immediate. ConceptDraw MINDMAP retails for $219 USD, competitive upgrades from other paid mind mapping products are available for $109 USD, contact CS Odessa sales for details on completive up grades of any quantity.



ConceptDraw Solution Park

ConceptDraw Solution Park is an online collection of visual solutions for knowledge workers designed to provide productivity increasing solutions for all ConceptDraw products. ConceptDraw Solution Park contains many subject areas for professional applications. It delivers solutions for Project Management, Business Productivity, Universal Diagramming and Collaboration. To address personal goal setting CS Odessa has added the popular Crystal Mapping SaaS and desktop applications bringing you a powerful personal development tool to augment you and your team's work.

Using Livescribe Connect with my Echo Smartpen

Last June, at the ISTE 2010 Conference I had the opportunity to meet with Jim Marggraff where he showed me what was in store for the Livescribe line of smartpens. Well today, Livescribe released Livescribe Connect which provides users with a host of new features and connectivity. One of the most exciting features from my perspective is being able to create an Adobe Acrobat Pencast PDF which is able to be played with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. In fact today, I found out that the Acrobat Pencast PDF  works just fine with Adobe Acrobat Professional Version 9.4 which is on my Dell computer. In order to use the Livescroibe Connect features you will have to update the Livescribe Desktop software and your pen's firmware. The update went without a hitch and now the moment of truth was about to take place. I turned on my pen and did a short recording on a sticky note which I wanted to send to my Facebook page. After the recording was completed I used the convention of drawing a short line from left to right and back again and then was prompted to write the command- which I did by writing "Facebook" above the line. I was then prompted to select the page by tapping it and I finished the session by double tapping on the page. Now the LED screen on the pen prompted me to dock my pen which I did and within seconds my sticky note appeared in my Facebook page. Now anyone coming to my Facebook page can play and listen to the pencast right with the browser. Livescribe Desktop software supports a number of connectors which I'm sure you will find very handy. These include: Google Docs, Evernote, Email, Facebook, Mobile, Computer, and MyLivescribe. So if you have a Echo Smartpen then rush right over to the Livescribe website and update your software and pen so you too can take advantage of  Livescribe Connect- I'm sure you will enjoy the functionality just as much as I have!

Using Adobe FormsCentral To Create an Event Registration Form

Over the last couple of months Adobe has released a number of new online products that have made my life a lot easier. I now use Adobe SendNow service when sending large PDF's and in fact just yesterday I used it to send a colleague a large PDF Portfolio. With the the integration of SendNow with Adobe Acrobat X, with a click of the mouse you can now deliver large PDF files for delivery using this easy to use service. Recently Adobe released a new service called Adobe FormsCentral which lets you easily create, distribute and analyze online forms and surveys. Adobe FormsCentral has an easy to use but powerful online Form Builder that should have you getting your online forms up within minutes of logging into the service.

I had a chance to test drive Adobe FormsCentral this weekend to see how easy it was to create an online registration form for my upcoming  iPad Summer Institute. Adobe FormsCentral comes with built in Templates to get you quickly started . I first selected the Event Registration Form from the Template Gallery and within seconds I was able to fine tune the online form to meet my needs. I was able to insert new fields from the Insert menu and customize the form to meet my unique needs for my event. As the designer, you have controls to make each field required and if you like you can also add a Help icon to give users more explicit directions when completing the form. Adobe FormsCentral gives you a good range of field types to choose from and the online tools are fluid and logical when using. Not being a graphic artist, I am happy to say that Adobe provides the necessary tools so that when you are done the form looks very professionally done. Once you are done designing your form you are now ready to Distribute the form to your audience.By clicking on the Distribute tab you can now select from several different ways to distribute your form: email link, copy link, and embed link. Choose which ever way you would like to distribute your online form and now you are ready to sit back and start collecting the data. Adobe FormsCentral let you do a Test Submission which is a nice feature to check to see that your form works the way you want it to.

Once the forms are completed Adobe FormsCentral gives you a host of online tools to review the responses. In a future blog post I will talk more about the Response Tools and how it worked with my online Event Registration Form. If you have a chance give Adobe FormsCentral a free trial run which is available from this link. Adobe FormsCentral is available via a Basic Plan for $14.99 a month which enables you to create, customize, send, and analyze up to 5 forms and surveys in total with 500 responses per form or survey. With the Pluse Subscription Plan you can create unlimited forms and surveys and get up to 5,000 responses per form or survey. Overall, you will find Adobe FormsCentral an easy and powerful online forms design and analysis tool.

Using Goalscape in the Classroom

I had a chance just this week to reconnect with Richard Parslow, the developer of Goalscape, a unique and innovative goal setting and planning tool for the Mac and Windows computers-who shared with me some of the new development that are taking place. Richard talked about Goalscape Connect their new online tool to create goalscapes when collaborating and working with teams. To access Goalscape Connect all you need is a browser and a connection to the internet and a Goalscape account. With an account you can begin to create a new goalscape to help you visualize your goals and subgoals. Goalscape lets you set up a central goal in the center of circle with your subgoals fanning out around the central point. With Goalscape, it is very easy to see your progress and add notes and resources to each goal and subgoal. One of the key points of using Goalscape is that you can rate the level of importance of each goal and subgoal and begin to realize that if you spend more time on one goal you have less time to address another. Once your goalscape is set up you can quickly get an overview of your progress and see what needs to be done.

As humans we are all goal driven and being able to concisely articulate our goals helps us to know how and where we are going. I just started back teaching an advanced graduate course in assistive technology and asked my students to use Goalscape Connect to chart their own goals for the course. Last week I introduced them to Goalscape Connect and we did some hands on work with it. For their assignment, I asked them to use Goalscape to develop their goals for the course to help guide their learning. Understanding the principles of Universal Design for Learning (multiple means of engagement) it is important even for adult learners to have them to identity their own learning goals and objectives to help drive their learning. This week I will get a chance to see what they have accomplished with Goalscape Connect and give them the opportunity to drive their own learning. What can be more motivating that that?

As an extra treat, I have invited Richard Parslow to speak to my class via Skype to share his insights for developing Goalscape- I for one am looking forward to that. If you would like to click here for a trial of Goalscape

AssistiveTek Launches iPad Summer Institute

One Day iPad Summer Institute

Held in the Warren Middle School

Two (1 Day) Sessions of the Summer Institute will be offered on

  Dates: July 12 or July 13th

Presenters

Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. & Christine Besko-Maughan, M.S., ATP

Using the iPad to Enhance Learning & Facilitate Communication for Students with Special Needs

The iPad is a revolutionary technology that is changing the way educators present information in the 21^st century classroom.  The multi-sensory design of the iPad appeals to all learning styles and is an ideal tool for students with special needs.  In this workshop, educators will learn about a variety of applications (apps) that address academic skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, and science.  Communication apps designed for individuals with limited functional communication abilities will also be explored.  The presenters will highlight Proloquo2Go and iCommunicate, as well as other apps designed to enhance language development.  Strategies for implementation and best practices will be discussed.  Attendees are encouraged to bring an iPad for a hands-on learning experience that will transform their teaching strategies.

Seating is limited so register early!                                                    Registration Fee: $99

For more information email: brian@assistivetek.com or call 908-852-3460

School Purchase Orders are Accepted made payable to AssistiveTek, LLC,
174 Stephensburg Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865

Conference Location: Warren Middle School, 100 Old Stirling Road, Warren, NJ 07059




Online Registration  Form

AssistiveTek Introduces the HoverCam T3 Document Camera

It has been an exciting spring searching for new and innovative products for the classroom. In this blog post I will highlight the HoverCam T3 Document Camera one of the new products that is now available from AssistiveTek, LLC. Using your unspent ARRA dollars for the HoverCam T3 is a great way to ensure that teachers will have the tools they need to improve their teaching strategies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email. The HoverCam T3 is compatible with both Macs and Windows computers.

The HoverCam T3 is the ideal document camera for classrooms. It has a 3-megapixel camera and displays clear images of papers, worksheets, newspaper clippings and 3-D objects. Connect it to your computer and projector or drag-and-drop onto your interactive white board to enhance your lessons. Record your voice and HD video with one touch.

HoverCam T3 replaces bulky, lower resolution document cameras. It's ultra-portable with a tiny footprint. It is a simple but powerful device which requires only one USB cable. The HoverCam produces smooth, HD video images that are always in focus with onscreen annotation, making your visual presentation a "wow" experience.

In addition to being a presentation camera, use the T3's scanning ability to digitize your filing system, archive and manage classwork, assignments, artwork, exams and even bills and receipts. It even comes with built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software which can turn notes on paper into text that can be edited on your computer. The included HoverCam Flex Software makes managing scanned files and full screen presentations easy.   

The HoverCam T3 is priced at only $219 dollars which makes it ideal for every classroom. If you look at competitor products you will be paying at least twice the amount for the features that are built into this product.  The HoverCam T3 is compatible with both Macs and Windows computers

Highlights

·         Real time video projection, perfect for interactive teaching, visual presentations, distance learning and online demonstrations.

·         Patent pending LiveZoom™ allows smooth 8X digital zoom.

·         3 megapixel, 200 dpi scanner, with large depth of field for documents and 3D objects, ideal for everyday scanning, copying, faxing, emailing/sharing needs.

·         Small footprint, with a 4" x 5" oval base, 21" height. Weighs just 1.8 lbs.

·         Built-in microphone with one-touch recording, USB-powered, energy efficient.

·         Integration with Cloud Services, such as Dropbox, Evernote and Picasa. Record your meetings, presentations and/or lessons to share with colleagues or students later.

Purchasing the HoverCam T3 High Resolution Document Camera is a great way to spend down your ARRA Funds. Imagine what teachers will be able to do having these tools in the classroom!
When you purchase the HoverCam T3 from AssistiveTek, LLC know that you have the support of a company dedicated to enhancing education and learning in the classroom. Look for Free webinars on how to get the most out of your investment in the HoverCam T3 in the Summer 2011. To keep up with changes in the field of educational technology please follow my blog 

Informix Roadshow 2011 Lisboa (report)

This article is written in English and Portuguese
Este artigo está escrito em Inglês e Português

English version:

The Lisbon Informix Roadshow 2011 was a success. We got a full room of customers and partners to learn about the latest news in the Informix world.
We had international speakers (Juan Brogeras - SWG Information Management Sales Director SPGI, Steve Shoaf - WW sales Executive - Informix and solidDB, Jose Manuel Ruiz Gallud - Informix Technical Sales - Southwest IOT and Manuel Jorge Sousa - Vice President 4JS for Iberia)

Juan started the sessions with an overview of the Informix business, followed by Steve which explained what Informix Warehouse is and what you can do with it. This was one of the hottest topics.
Manuel proceeded with an excellent overview of 4JS and what the new partnership can bring to customers.
After the break Jose gave us the news on 11.7. By obvious reasons this was another session that raised the assistance interest.
We ended up with a client presentation from PTSI. Eduardo Santana explained us how they migrate all their Informix environments to 11.50. We found out how they did it, what they achieved and what they plan to do next to take advantage of the new features.
I wrapped the session with an overview of the information available on the IBM site about Informix, more specifically the ROI tools, the analyst studies, the documentation, the several editions and the redbooks.
After that we had lunch "outside" which given the weather was a very nice idea. Of course during the break and lunch we had plenty of opportunities to interact with customers and partners and it really made my day receiving the positive feedback about the sessions.

Above you can see Jose Ruiz in action, updating us with all the new benefits of Informix 11.7


Versão Portuguesa:

O Informix Roadshow 2011 de Lisboa foi um sucesso. Tivemos uma sala cheia de clientes e parceiros que desejavam obter as últimas novidades sobre o mundo Informix.

Estre os oradores tivemos alguns com responsabilidades internacionais (Juan Brogeras - SWG Information Management Sales Director SPGI, Steve Shoaf - WW sales Executive - Informix and solidDB, Jose Manuel Ruiz Gallud - Informix Technical Sales - Southwest IOT and Manuel Jorge Sousa - Vice Presidente 4JS para a Iberia)

Juan iniciou as sessões com um apanhado do negócio Informix, seguido pelo Steve que explicou o que é o Informix Warehous Accelerator e o que podemos fazer com ele. Esta foi uma das sessões que mais atenção suscitou.
O Manuel prosseguiu com uma excelente visão da 4JS e o que esta parceria pode trazer aos clientes.
Depois do intervalo o Jose mostrou-nos as novidades da 11.7. Por razões óbvias esta foi outra sessão que despertou mais interesse na assistência.
Terminámos com uma apresentação de um cliente, a PTSI. O Eduardo Santana explicou-nos como é que migraram todos os seus ambientes para a versão 11.50. Descobrimos como o fizeram, o que alcançaram e o que pensam fazer para tirar proveito das novas funcionalidades.
Eu encerrei a sessão com uma descrição da informação disponível no site da IBM sobre Informix, mais especificamente as ferramentas de cálculo de ROI (return on investment), os estudos de analistas, a documentação, as várias edições disponíveis e os redbooks.
Após isso tivemos oportunidade de almoçar "fora", o que dado o bom tempo que se fazia sentir tornou a refeição mais agradável. Naturalmente que durante o intervalo e o almoço tivemos oportunidade de interagir com clientes e parceiros e foi com prazer que recebemos feedback positivo sobre as várias sessões.

Em cima podem ver o Jose Ruiz em acção, actualizando-nos com todos os benefícios do Informix 11.7

IIUG 2011: Last call / Ultima chamada

This article is written in English and Portuguese
Este artigo está escrito em Inglês e Português

English version:

The 2011 International Informix User Group conference is just around the corner. It will take place in Lenexa, Kansas City between 15 and 18 May. The conference site has all the information you may need. This includes the sessions abstracts, the list of tutorials, hotel and transportation information etc.

And what a great conference this will be. Remember that we have Informix 11.7, Informix Warehouse Accelerator and the Genero partnership with 4Js.
And then you have all the permanent/usual attractions, like deep technical sessions, keynote speakers, the Sunday tutorials etc. Some of my personal favorites this year would be:

• Sunday tutorials (Flexible grid, Fastest Informix DBA, Partitioning, Certification preparation)
• Keynote speakers (Jerry Keesee - Director of Informix Database Development, Rob Thomas - Vice President of Business Development, Arvind Krishna - General Manager IBM Information Management) including this year's special with Dr. David Ferrucci the lead researcher and Principal Investigator (PI) for the Watson/Jeopardy! project
  These are great opportunities to understand IBM plans and to ask the difficult questions
  
• Several sessions on specific topics like Informix 11.7, Informix Warehouse Accelerator, Performance and Tunning, integrating Informix with other products
• Free certification opportunity
• Networking with many people from the Informix community
• Evening specials... Great fun to trigger networking
  

As I observed in last year's conference, the IIUG team does everything possible to provide you the best value for money. And they, together with all the people delivering sessions in the conference, really manage to provide great sessions, great tutorials and great entertainment.

If you never had the opportunity to go to one of the IIUG's conferences you really don't know what you're missing. If you had, you know it's worth it. Unfortunately this year I won't be able to join, but I'm eagerly waiting for feedback from the community and to check the presentation materials. To all the lucky attendees I wish you a great conference, and please blog/email about it!

Versão Portuguesa:

A conferência de 2011 do grupo internacional de utilizadores de Informix está quase a acontecer. Terá lugar em Lenexas, Kansas City entre 15 e 18 de Maio. O site da conferência tem toda a informação possível. Isto incluí as sinapses das sessões, a lista de tutorials, informação sobre o hotel e transportes etc.

E tudo indica que esta será uma grande conferência. Lembremo-nos que temos a versão 11.7 do Informix, o Informix Warehouse Accelerator e a parceria Genero com a 4JS.
Para além disso teremos as atracções habituais, como sessões muito técnicas, os oradores especiais, os tutorials de domingo etc. Alguns dos meus favoritos detes ano seriam:

• Tutorials de domingo (Flexible grid, Fastest Informix DBA, Partitioning, Preparação para certificação)
• Oradores especiais (Jerry Keesee - Director de Informix Database Development, Rob Thomas - Vice Presidente de desenvolvimento de negócio, Arvind Krishna - General Manager IBM Information Management) incluindo uma participação especial do Dr. David Ferrucci - lead researcher and Principal Investigator (PI) para o projecto Watson/Jeopardy!
  São grandes oportunidades para entender os planos da IBM e para colocar as questões difíceis
• Várias sessões sobre tópicos específicos como Informix 11.7, Informix Warehouse Accelerator, Performance e optimização, integração de Informix com outros produtos
• Oportunidade para obter a certificação gratuitamente
  
• Convivio com imensas pessoas da comunidade Informix
• Animação nocturna... Muito divertimento para proporcionar o convivio e interacção entre os participantes

Como pude observar na conferência do ano passado, a equipa do IIUG faz tudo o possível para proporcionar o melhor retorno do investimento. E eles, juntamente com quem apresenta as sessões, conseguem realmente providenciar óptimas sessões, excelentes tutorials e muito entretenimento.

Se nunca teve a oportunidade de participar numa das conferências do IIUG então não sabe o que perde. Se já teve, então sabe que valem a pena. Infelizmente este ano não me vai ser possível participar, mas fico ansioso pelo feedback da comunidade e para espreitar as apresentações quando estiverem disponíveis. A todos os felizardos que vão assistir á conferência, desejo um excelente evento, e por favor bloguem ou contem na lista de mail como está a ser.

Using Comapping for Creating a Classroom Agenda

One of the handiest tools that I use when I teach is Comapping- it has been a fantastic tool for developing the agenda for each and every class that I teach on campus. Comapping allows me to map out what I am going to cover with links and attachments that makes it very easy for my students to access and use. Once I have completed my agenda map for the classroom session, I simply Publish to Web from within Comapping and grab the embedding code that is generated. Once I have the embedding code I simply paste it into Moodle to generate the mind map. Here is an example below of a agenda map that I recently used in a class this week.