Keeping your emails stored in order is good practice but whats the best way to do this across multiple devices? The Label system in Gmail and the Mail app within Google Apps for Business functions somewhat different to folders in conventional email clients like Outlook, MacMail and others. Some people love this, others are more sceptic but when it's explained properly most come around - labels work, folders are yesterdays jam....

'Need' is a pretty strong word but thats how I feel about Dropbox having used it for a few years now. Who out there has good habits with backing up their important documents, photos and files? If you have Dropbox already you probably answered an emphatic YES, but if you don't well this should really be of interest to you.

Dropbox is a Cloud Storage service. Essentially, it creates a folder on your computer which is copied to a server, any changes or additions you make to files  within that folder are uploaded when you're connected to the internet. You can access your files from any connected computer using your username and password, and you can share folders with other Dropbox users with great ease - fantastic for sending lots of  files to your Graphic Designer....

One of the first things we sort out for clients with new businesses is a domain name. This isn't just for for your website - it's your companies' online identity. I'll explain this further below, but first lets look at email.
There are plenty of good free mail services out there, Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, AppleMail and more. Your ISP (Internet service provider) will no doubt offer you free email accounts also - this is a cunning way to keep you as a customer as changing ISPs will mean closing these email accounts. Once you've invested in advertising this email address you won't want to change it, so changing ISP for a better price, speed or service is no longer an option. Also, having an email address like [email protected] might be appropriate if you're renting out bouncy castles, but other cases these free domains can hinder your professional appearance. What you need to know is having email accounts on your domain is easy....

So, it's about 2 years since I modified my studio desk from a seated arrangement to a fixed standing one. While I haven't recorded any real data on productivity, I can offer some anecdotal findings. At first my feet and ankles would become fatigued so I bought a bar stool and modified this to be a little higher as the standing desk is a bit higher than a bar (to suit my height). Normally I use this seat for the first 5 minutes of a working session, then almost unconsciously I remove the seat as it simply feels far more comfortable to stand. My posture at the desk is far better and mental fatigue takes a lot longer to become noticeable.  This mirrors Radio NZs' Simon Morton's  findings in the podcast below which also explains a lot of the scientific findings around standing desks.
I'm yet to upgrade to a 'walking desk' but I do find myself shifting my stance a lot so this is something I'll try out soon.