I just saw this today and had to share it. Interesting find for this morning, since I was up late LATE last night looking at RVs. Just before I did finally go to bed, I determined that it was time to either decide to travel or to decide to stay still on my farm — but to make a decision one way or the other and quit wasting all my time juggling scenarios.

I haven’t been able to make the decision yet, but this car seems like a little of both worlds, doesn’t it? 360 degree monitor in the center? Now that’s cool.

Sleek and silver airstream car, by Ford

I wonder if this will bump-up the sales of the Airstream Basecamp?

I love the quality of this cartoon, created by Blender (blender.org) and distributed under creative commons! It’s not Disney or Pixar, and it’s not for kids (my daughter cringed several times and held her hands over MY eyes once before I fussed at her!), but it is a “just” take on retribution. Occasionally, every “bunny” feels like a little vengeance!

Big Buck Bunny

Enjoy!

Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

For the past week, every spare moment has been dedicated to the search for my own personal Holy Grail for my entrepreneurial business … A project management tool for the freelancer who collaborates with others.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? I’ve reviewed dozens (literally) of the options currently available. From the over 60 options I’ve seen, I’ve narrowed them down to just a few and then gone searching again over and over.

When I discovered Worketc.com, I started rethinking what I’d like this project management tool to do. I thought that maybe there was an “all-in-one” option out there that would replace all the little web-based apps I have started to use as well as the others I’m still seeking and/or evaluating.

Worketc.com has almost everything I want… close, but no cigar. I may have to settle for it, but before I’m willing to “settle” for anything, I wanted to define exactly what I want and search one more time.

In a perfect world, I’d be able to find a system that has all the tools I need to work more efficiently (from anywhere) the way I already work. I am no longer willing to change the way I work, the service I offer to facilitate the tools I use. Enough of that already!

With that in mind, I’ve created my “wish list” in two parts. One part is “Must Have” items and one part is the “it sure would be nice” list the third portion is me dreaming a bit, but still…

The program must have:

1. Simple intuitive interface
2. Tasks list that is sortable by project and by assignee
3. Email notification of assigned and completed tasks
4. Quick glance of latest activity on each project
5. File uploads area
6. Meeting notes area
7. Client login
8. Ability for clients to see progress
9. Client task list that they can check off

Would be nice:

1. Internal email
2. Contacts Management Database
3. Journal function
4. Searchable Notes area
5. Ability to create tasks via email
6. Timer (punch clock) and time sheet
7. Simple invoicing
8. Simple accounting
9. Multiple calendars (for each involved party, listing their tasks)
10. Ability to import calendars into Outlook and to subscribe in gCal

In a perfect world:

1. An offline option that syncs with the online option
2. Interactive whiteboard area for visual tools when meeting with clients
3. Ability to upgrade to self-hosted on my server
4. VOIP option built in for use with client and collaborative meetings
5. Ability to record and store whiteboard/telephone/webinar meetings in the project file area
6. Ability to host up to 20 people for a webinar
7. Ability to backup to/use from a thumbdrive
8. Skinnable and brandable
9. Logon widget for wordpress for clients to use from my website

I’ve said for some time that my business really isn’t that complex, and it isn’t. A tool like this would meet most of the needs I have in an easy-to-use, customer-friendly and portable option.

I love CashBoard for my timer, invoicing and simple accounting online. I’d like it even better if I could merge those features into an all-in-one freelance solution like this to work from anywhere. I can imagine the day when I would only need to find a computer with a browser to work from anywhere, and then could sync that data with my own freestanding version daily at my own computer as an “onsite” backup.

With that freestanding version, I could also continue working even if the Internet was down or unavailable or otherwise “wanky” and then sync the next time I connected. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Today, I’m back to the drawing board again. Now that I’ve finally reviewed enough to know what’s available and have considered more thoroughly what I need, what I want and what additional features would make it a “silver bullet” for my business… I need to try to find what will most closely meet my specs.

After the third round of shorting, I have a list of ten (some free, some paid) including (in no particular order):

• Webasyst.net
• EasyProjects.net
• 5pmWeb.com
• CentralDesktop.com
• CreativeProOffice.com
• OfficeZilla.com
• Sosius.com
• ProjectOffice.net
• OnstagePortal.com
• MyQuire.com
• WorkETC.com

But I may go back to the proverbial drawing board again. None of these offers everything I want, and many only offer a small number of the items in my “must have” list. The weekend is still young.

By the time this weekend is over, I’ll have found a workable solution — even if I can’t have all my desires filled by a single option. I’ll review again and pick the best of the lot and get my data settled in a new home. I’ll let you know what I find.

In the meantime, if anyone has a suggestion that will satisfy my list, I’d LOVE to hear from you!

I’m loving Pandora. I really am. I like “discovering” new music that comes pre-matched to my musical tastes. It never gets old and there’s always some new artist, style or song to enjoy. If you haven’t tried it yet… go … do it. Now.

I have also found a literary version of the same “database analysis approach” to recommending new things to try, it’s called WhatShouldIReadNext.com. So if you want to get some qualified recommendations for your next book, give it a whirl.

Once you find the book you want to read, why not read it in the same way NetFlix lovers watch movies? Check out BookSwim, it’s the NetFlix of books. If you prefer to read your book recommendations online, why not try DailyLit - and read the books you want in “bitesized” pieces via email or RSS. That way, you can read it on your cell phone/smartphone as easily as on your computer monitor. (Try on one of the free titles for size before committing to buy.)

My favorite scent, my “signature” scent is Satsuma. It’s a perfume oil from the same-named fruit (mixed with goodness knows what to make it sell). It’s not expensive, it’s not flowery, it’s just simply perfect.

I’ve tried more “grown up” scents over the years and, honestly, most of the “designer” fragrances give me a headache. I always come back to Satsuma.

Tonight, on a whim, while I was ordering more of my favorite oil, I Googled the term and found a couple of pretty interesting sites. One, Satsuma Press Designs looks like a great little stationery designer. I’m going to have to look more into that the next time I need custom work done. I also really like the simple satsuma blog of the business owner, Lynn.

On her Etsy page, I noticed a great take on the mini business card that really turned my head. I think I need something like that for my wicked blog cards. They are so simple and pretty!

I also found a great little renewable bamboo baby blanket and accessories site called Satsuma Designs. And a sushi place that made my mouth water on site… too bad they are located in California.

This interesting little tiny home is built on the top of a billboard support. I find it interesting, since just the other day (being the alternative housing nut that I am)… I looked at a billboard with the surrounding platform and thought to myself, that would be a cool place to put a tiny house… as long as you didn’t have to climb to the top with an armload of groceries.

And voila! Someone else has already developed that idea into this cocoon-shaped house. Kinda cool. See a larger version of this house on Flickr.com.

GrassRoads.Blogspot.com recently published some great shots of Pakistani “Magic Buses” (including the one to the left). I’ve always thought that the gypsy look with wagon homes was a cool, overdone look, but this style is even MORE ornate and creative!

There was a book I read back in 1989 — I actually got it from the public library in Lexington Park, Maryland — that had tons of photos of gypsy and alternative mobile homes. Most were hand-built and all were amazing.

I think I can trace my fascination with tiny homes in general and mobile homes (non-traditional) to that book, way back when. I only wish I could remember the NAME of the book.

I’d love to have it in my own personal library now.

Ok, I don’t know about you, but I think this is just creepy. I like my technology, but this brings to light all my upbringing during the age of Battlestar G and Terminator movies: Nexi on YouTube

I found a cool “tiny house” RV online today — a 1978 31′ Airstream on eBay that is simply too pretty not to go and ogle. This classic Airstream has been taken down to the ribs and built back beautifully — and better than it was originally. (The owners took the 6-Million Dollar Man approach… “We can make him stronger, faster, better…”) And better he is.

The pricetag is a bit higher than your average Airstream, at $170K, but it’s oh-so-nice. Look at all the custom Airstream photos here.

Need another bonus? This particular Airstream was featured on Wonderfalls (a great little TV series — and one I enjoy on DVD at my house). So it’s not just pretty and cool — it’s also FAMOUS! *grin*

Download a PDF of interior Airstream renderings here.

Although all the houses (and features) aren’t directly related to Tiny Homes, I just love this website, aptly named “Off Beat Homes” which displays unusual homes, details and treatments. I particularly like the idea of a tiny house with a fairytale styled roof. (Isn’t that sweet?!?!)

You may also enjoy looking at these unusual home and building photos, courtesy of HotHomesOfUtah.com (now this is an interesting way for a real estate group to draw in traffic to their website, bump up their rankings and amuse the general public, all at the same time!) Or, you may want to look through these pages of strange houses and these oddities.

Another crazy house located today:

Found at archinect.com.

Are you just getting started as a virtual assistant, freelancer, remote professional or outsourcing provider? Are you wondering how to find the clients? Manage time and billing? How to get your business on the web?

Maybe you are an old hand and providing services remotely (like me) and what you REALLY want to know is how to gracefully “fire” a client that is no longer a good fit, or you may want to determine if it’s time to try your hand at blogging, or maybe you want to update your existing website to be more effective for your mature business model?

If you want an economical way to find solutions for any of these issues, you may want to sign up for the RemoteProfessionals.com Mini-Conference to be held on April 17th. It’s a great way to get answers from the people in the know!

Presenters include:

• Tiffanie Lyon of Lyon Sales Institute, LLC
• Marsha Kopan of Executive Secretarial Services
• Anna Baron of the Virtual Link
• Karen Reddick of V-and-E-Services
• Mike Price of MLBroadcast.com
• Andrea Pixley of AndreaPixley.com

If you are interested, move quickly. Registration for the virtual assistant mini-conference closes soon, and the workshop sessions are limited to only a handful of earlybirds — keeping the workshop classes small makes them more effective! I’ll be there… maybe you will be too!

(NOTE: And if you are just starting out… you may be interested in the one year “startup membership” given as a complementary bonus to all non-members who purchase all-day access!)

I was reading about the latest type of mobile processor by Intel today and the writer, a Brian Caulfiled, wrote one of the funniest comparisons I’ve seen in awhile:

“An atom-powered device sounds powerful, even if one might hesitate to crack it open. By contrast, the Celeron sounded like a speedy vegetable.”

It’s been a long day, and maybe I’m just punchy, but I loved it!

(Note: Mr. Celery photo from BlueRocks.com.)

So, if I were to be independently wealthy … and if I were willing to wait until the second half of 2008 to get it … would this new surround-video, curved monitor from Alienware be configurable for a Linux system?

Go salivate for yourself here: http://video.techrepublic.com.com/2422-13791_11-183969.html

Ok, this one is a new concept in my tiny house experience. How would you like a fold-up house that is only 8 foot across during transport, but rather spacious when it’s set up?

It only takes a couple hours to go from transport stage to fully habitable in this “habitaflex house”

Be sure to check out the sizes and the floorplans on this customizable folding housing/working/office unit. When folded out, the houses range from 18×22 to 34×22 ft. Amazing design!

Ok, today I made the decision that I was going to sell Serenity, my Airstream trailer. My dream was always to have an Airstream Bambi, and pull it with a 4-WD small to medium sized vehicle. I purchased a larger RV because my former spouse refused to consider a Bambi as a real travel option. Now, I’m going to look for a smaller option to avoid buying one of those uber-large trucks to pull the RV. I’d rather not. I have a little Honda scooter, and I’d like to have a bambi with a bike rack to hold it and pull it with a Jeep or an old Land Rover. But I digress…

Tonight, I was over on eBay preparing to list my Airstream when I started looking around (I have a bad case of the can’t-help-its when it comes to such things) and I found the following listing: (more…)

I love the concept of a roll-up computer the size of a largish dinner napkin. Don’t you?

The design (and it is a design concept only, btw) is like a latex tablet pc that’s uber-thin. Kinda cool.

I’ve been tweaking all my systems lately and I wanted to share the list of firefox addons I’ve settled in to use. These are all tried and true — no browser-breakers here. (more…)

I saw this little work of art while driving around Danville, Kentucky the other day, and I just had to grab a shot of it.

(It looked particularly interesting cruising the parking lot — with the post-its on the wheels twirling around.)

Take a walk on the woodsy side with this enchanting tiny house from Whales — built by hand with straw bales, imagination and little else. Simply amazing low-impact housing with a sense of magic and wonder — and all built for 3000 British pounds.

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