How Do You Stay On Track?

Sticky notes can be great until your desk begins to look like this...

Many people now have smartphones which can make keeping up with list even easier. Here is a look at five free iPhone applications to help you stay on track.

Errands

One of the more aesthetically pleasing apps with gradients and clipart makes for a fun productivity app. Several colors and text options make for a personalized feel while creating tasks and identifying options including adding an image. All the functions are here with some fun options as well.

Remember The Milk

Requires sign up- this one doesn't have a changeable color palette, but incorporates a simple easy to navigate orange and blue color scheme. While the functionality is simple, it requires a few more clicks than others to get to specific facets within. Finally, it does allow you to enter in detailed information, as well as making multiple lists and pinning the location of where tasks need to take place.

ReQall

Requires sign up- this acclaimed app has been featured in several top app lists. This is a much higher quality app and allows you to record your voice then translates that to text for a memo. You can add locations, sync calendars and more.

Things To Do

This is a very basic to do list creator with function over design. You can change a few colors, but nothing too much. It appears slightly bland, but contains all the functions a to-do app should have. A short title and description with optional due date is all it takes for this one.

To Dos

Another quick and easy to understand basic app for to do list. However, this allows a few more details to be added in such as, tags, priority and sharing via facebook, email or calendar. I appreciate the simple checkbox next to the title the most on this as well as the tagging possibilities. This one also is fairly bland in the color choices and imagery, but overall does everything it should- plus some.

Overall they are all easy to use and figure out. My favorite is reQall for the large variety of options, especially the speech-to-text memo recorder. I also enjoyed To Do's as a simple, but fully faceted productivity application. All of these are great for bucket list or everyday notes and grocery lists. Recently, Mashable, an online source for news related to social and digital media, reported on "5 Fresh and Free To-Do List Applications."

How do you keep up with your to-do or bucket list?


- Jennifer

The List Goes On And On

MTV has been airing a reality documentary series called The Buried Life, since the beginning of 2010. It focuses on four friends (Ben, Jonnie, Duncan and Dave) as they travel across the US to complete their own bucket list of “100 things to do before you die”, in no particular order. For every item they cross off their list, they help a stranger complete one of their dreams.

The four friends all have different personalities that blend cohesively to complete each item on the list. The show utilizes Facebook with a page full of viewer wall posts of what they wish to do before they die. Almost 1 million users "like" the show and choose to get updates from the show. Also through their Facebook you can see their bucket list and store with t-shirts printed with different items on the list. According to the list posted on Facebook they have completed 64 of the 100 items written. Now, here is a trailer for their TV show.

What do you want to do before you die?

-Jennifer

What To-Do?

My name is Jennifer. I am a senior in college and I have a list. This list could be called many things, Adventures in Vida, Bucket List, or simply a To-Do list, but no matter which name you choose it's all the same concept. Do you have a list?

I began creating my list sometime during high school as a way to never forget what it is that I truly want to do. Here is a glimpse inside that list, in no particular order:

• Travel to Australia and Egypt
• Capture a fugitive
• Attend the finals of a professional sport
• Create a billboard ad
• Spend more time volunteering
• Compete in a marathon
• Name a star
• Learn to play chess
• Find a job I enjoy and is financially sustaining
• Regularly visit Disney World

All of my items give you a glimpse into my life and what I have interest in. If you do not have a list yet I suggest making one today. There are many websites to help you along the way, including this one for some fun templates, http://www.keepandshare.com/htm/free_to_do_list.php.

Enjoy making your list and let us know, what's number one on your list? We just might use it to do a story on with suggestions!

-Jennifer

Dubai - The Place to Go for Business and Travel

Dubai is a fascinating land. It is a one of the seven emirates of the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The captivating emirate of Dubai sits on the Arabian Peninsula, south of the Persian Gulf.

Of course, you must be wondering why I'd choose to discuss Dubai. Well to be completely honest, Dubai has just simply grown into a bit of a fascination for me. And, I'd really like to travel there some day.

I'm not exactly sure when my strong attraction to Dubai began. I think maybe it started a few years ago after hearing about it in the news for the first time. But in any case, Dubai is at or near the top of my list for future travel destinations. Why specifically? I'll tell you.

Dubai is an ever growing metropolis that has exploded from the deserts of the Middle East.
                                                          (Mid 1960's)

(Today)

The emirate has become a riveting place of art and culture. The architecture is particularly impressive!

Dubai currently has the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa (see below photo).

Here's some more images of Dubai and its architecture.

There's much more in terms of attractions I could talk about, but needless to say, the sites alone are quite magnificent. However, there's another side to Dubai that's just as interesting.

Dubai is quite the business center. Not only does Dubai have one of the world's busiest airports and is a major trade hub, but Dubai is also known for having a very friendly business atmosphere. Plenty of companies, such as Boeing, have facilities there.

I could go on and on, but when it comes down to it, I just really want to visit Dubai (maybe even live there). Among other things, it has the perfect mix of business and tourism which have made it an alluring destination.

To provide you all with a little bit more insight, here's 2 great videos about some of the happenings taking place in Dubai.
Also, I hope you enjoyed this post. Be sure to tell me what you think.  - John


Art Dubai 2010 Highlights from Art Dubai on Vimeo.

Welcome To Our Blog!

We are a group of 4 Webster Students, picked to create a blog about adventures in life that we want to pursue.  Anything from learning Spanish to traveling the world!  We'll be updating you throughout the Fall 2010 semester on various topics.  Follow us on www.twitter.com/adventureinvida for the latest updates!