todoMatrix & ideaMatrix: New SI-1 Releases Available
 

All -

Today, we have posted the highly-anticipated "SI-1" release that a number of you have heard about from conversations with REXsupport. We wanted to say a special thanks to two Jedi Knights from our user community, mgerbasio and cmacdonald, that played an important part in driving the requirements and nuances for the SI-1 release. Both went above and beyond in communicating their thoughts in a positive, proactive, and patient way - thanks a lot guys!

So what is the SI-1 release? SI stands for 'system integration" and SI-1 is the first of three defined SI projects that we have. SI-1's goal is to convert any blip that happens in one's life into a reference item, a task to accomplish, a goal to remember, without re-typing or cumbersome cut-navigate-paste. We see the BlackBerrytm as a revolutionary and enabling tool for this approach because it is always with you and when configured properly, all one's communications flow through it, making it the perfect collection point for this real-time-life-integration approach - PC's are deskbound and therefore, quite limiting.

We are not the only ones with this thought. Our goal is very much in line with the goals of IBM's Activity-Centric Computing (dyson-video.mp3) that is being highlighted in the newest Lotus Notes / Domino products, where activities like an incoming email, phone calls, or visited website URLs can be instantly transformed into a followup item within one's management system. David Allen (of GTD Getting Things Done fame) (see www.Davidco.com) highlights having a follow-up system that is trustworthy and efficient, so the philosophy field on the activity/task topic is crowded. Our BlackBerry-centric observation is that wireless, always with you, computing technology is the key technology enabler that makes everything come together, but that's probably plenty of REXphilosophy for one day... lets move on to the details of the release...

Specifically, the SI-1 release adds click-menu based injection of work, tasks, and reference information from wherever it is found on the BlackBerry into todoMatrix and ideaMatrix. Seven data injection points from standard RIM BlackBerry applications / API's have been provided in the SI-1 releases of todoMatrix and ideaMatrix:
1) E-Mail Inbox / Outbox
2) Phone / Phonelog
3) Address Book
4) BlackBerry browser
5) Tasks applet
6) Memopad
7) Calendar

Starting with this release, a BlackBerry professional using todoMatrix and ideaMatrix can schedule or save information for later follow-up with a couple of easy clicks, setting alerts and other elements, and then return instantly back to the point of origin.

The second important piece of the SI-1 release is that we enhanced todoMatrix's and ideaMatrix's ability to trigger events such as instantly dialing a phone number, sending an email, or visiting a URL with the browser from our view-mode screens. We also added a number of smaller enhancements, remapped the [D] hotkey to be a instant done/notstarted toggle in todoMatrix (thanks stinsonddog for observing that every current BlackBerry unit has a dedicated DEL key and our mapping of the D-hotkey as delete was redundant), and fixed a few issues we had with double-byte encoding (Chinese) data (thanks pengrus).

Each injection point is a bit different and offers varying levels of capability, depending on the richness of the RIM provided API. RIM is opening up API's with new levels of the operating system - for example, a person using a Pearl with 4.2 will see a better injector capability from us in memopad than will a 4.1 person with an 8700, because of limits in the 4.1 level API.

As one sample, here is a six-screenshot-sequence from the e-mail injection point - the other application injection points are similar:

1) Start in BlackBerry E-Mail inbox -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection1.jpg

2) Menu click and choose "Inject into ideaMatrix" (or todoMatrix) -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection2.jpg

3) Select what information you want to inject -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection3.jpg

4) Select a destination folder, keeping yourself well-organized -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection4.jpg

5) Add any alert option or simply save it -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection5.jpg

6) Instantly return back to your BlackBerry E-Mail inbox -
http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/injection1.jpg

If you are a todoMatrix and or ideaMatrix user, download your free software upgrade wirelessly - the recommended procedure is found on our Frequently Asked Questions page at:
REXwireless FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions / Help

Lastly, since someone is bound to ask, the future SI-2 project is extending the integration to Microsoft Outlook-Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Novell Groupwise. REXwireless Software no longer releases planned availability dates. SI-3's details remain company confidential.

Enjoy!

--the REXguys

REXwireless helps gung-ho top-ten-percenters do more - a lot more - with their BlackBerry. REXwireless Software is an official BlackBerry Alliances Partner. Free software trials and video demos are available at REXwireless.com (www.REXwireless.com)

http://rexwireless.com/bbfimages/bballiancesm.jpg

REXwireless Software Products in Brief:

todoMatrix
todoMatrix is a world-class to-do / task management / project management application. todoMatrix can manage an unlimited number of personal and delegated tasks, organized by project drawers and folder, cross indexed by time and assigned delegate. todoMatrix is a favorite of professionals that subscribe to the "Getting Things Done (GTD)" methodologies of David Allen (see davidco.com).

ideaMatrix
ideaMatrix is an unlimited, free-form idea and notes management database and features REXwireless's quick free-form Indy*Search. ideaMatrix is a highly-flexible application and is used in many different ways. In addition to the ideaMatrix's primary mission of instant-recall "Post-it Notes" and ideas on your BlackBerry (Post-it is a trademark of 3M Corporation 3M | Post-it® | Home), top ten uses from a recent sampling of users included:
1) Customer Relationship Management Information [Sales Professionals]
2) Personal Journal / Accomplishment Log
3) Student Note Taking in Class [Classroom Education]
4) Comprehensive Conversations Log
5) Medical Reference Information for Doctors [Medical Industry]
6) Investment Opportunity and Note Tracker [Investment Professionals]
7) Time log / logging [for Lawyers / Legal Industry (and billable consultants)]
8) Fitness / Workout Diary
9) Diet / Food Intake Tracker
10) Light Reader for Book and Magazine Article Summaries

REXdesktop
REXdesktop is a web-based browser system that enables secure access to your REXwireless BlackBerry-resident databases and wireless synchronization using a broadband-connected Windows PC, Apple Mac, or Linux desktop.

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Important Notice:

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images, and symbols are the exclusive properties of and trademarks or registered trademarks of Research In Motion Limited - used by permission. IBM, Lotus Notes, and Domino are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft Outlook and Exchange are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Novell Groupwise is a trademark of Novell Inc. Post-it is a trademark of 3M Corporation. Getting Things Done and GTD are trademarks of David Allen & Co. And, last but not least, Jedi Knights is a trademark of LucasFilm, Ltd.

What can you say - its a brave new IP world.

Excellent addition! TodoMatrix is the most powerful application for my blackberry.

The email and call functions are very useful.

Thank you for the fix with double-byte encoding (Chinese) data. You have delivered everything that you promised.

A quick question:
Since TodoMatrix becomes so powerful that it integrates all major components of BB, have you considered to increase the character limitation so that it won't be a problem to add a long email to TodoMatrix? I often get the "FIELD FULL" error message when I inject an email to TodoMatrix.

A feedback:
The email injection does not work well with HTML emails.

Great job, Rex Team!

For those reading this thread, I will be devoting a page to these products. The REXguys know what they are doing, now if they could only fix my plumbing.

Excellent addition REXguys! GettingThingsDone easier is what technology is supposed to deliver and this new SI-1 (more to come) clearly gets things done easier in a very organized and efficicent way.

What an awesome addition, thanks Rex Guys

Stinsonddog - looking forward to that page

I put some real basics up tonight. This one is going to be like the GPS page and take a bit. There are so many options. Lots of screenshots to do.

RE: question & feedback
 

RE: Field Full, todoMatrix will continue to have a field limit into the future and ideaMatrix will not - we remain focused on keeping todoMatrix really quick, even as a person passes hundreds of folders and thousands of tasks in their Matrix. There are substantial differences between tuning the underlying databases, especially as we add more dimensions in the upcoming 5D releases. We would suggest injecting full e-mails into ideaMatrix, not todoMatrix, and using your inject "E-Mail Headers + Clipboard" option from todoMatrix to capture the key nugget of data needed for followup. ideaMatrix offers a basic alert so it can be used as a reminder if needed.

RE: html e-mail injection, we inject what the e-mail program sends us, and use the standard BlackBerry edit/view control to display it. We will look at ways to improve and process html injection in the coming months but don't expect that our programs will render full html soon - the more likely scenario is converting html into straightforward text.

Thanks a lot!

-- the REXguys

How about a "Inject into todoMartix" and have email header only with "Received", "From" and "Subject" only. I think it would be easier considering the limit on the todoMatrix field lenght. The problem with email + clipboard is I never know what is in the clipboard so I can't just get the header.

By the way, nice job.

Regards-Michael G.

Additional Inject Task from Email Option
 

Mike,

This option will be added to next month's release.

Thanks,

--the REXguys

Great. One other thing I'd like to see is when a email or phone log message is injected into one of the applications, for me, I generally need to get back to that person within a day. I'd like to see the due date automatically default to one day. Since you would have to change it anyway, if you didn't want the default date, this would certainly be a time saver.

Regards-Michael G.

Automatic alert / due date on phone callback suggestion
 

We will want to make this user set parameter, as everyone has a different perspective on how much time to bump it forward. This will take a bit more time. We will try to work it into the schedule and a new release but it probably won't make the next cut. Thanks for the suggestion.

--the REXguys

Injection Buttons on BB Pearl
 

One minor complaint is that the "inject what?" buttons are not fully readable on the Blackberry Pearl. Both the clipboard and the full message say "E-mail Headers +..." and then are clipped off. Is there any way to format this to be 2 lines?

My review is now 85% complete. Screen shots are done and some editorial. Will be adding some additional materials on getting started and real life experiences, and I would be interested in people emailing me with their thoughts too.

Stinsonddog's Blackberry Tips - todoMatrix and ideaMatrix

I just read your 85% complete review- pretty impressive.

I have a quick question - I'm on BIS - when e-mailing a todo, can you select the address its coming from? Can I send my wife a todo from my personal e-mail address, and a work one from my work e-mail address? (OK, so sending my wife a todo probably isn't a realistic example, but you get the idea)..

Thanks!
Don

Believe it sends from the address set up under Options>Advanced>Message Services which is where you set your default. You can't change the default or choose an alternate at the email window, nor can you have more than one which is why I suggested you have to define a group to do that, but they are not sure that works and I have not tried it.

Let me know if you would like to know more.

Two great programs
 

I have used both Todo and Idea Matrix for almost a year now. I initially liked the concept, although I felt the price was a little expensive. What I can honestly report after extensive experience is that this is the most useful software I have on my BB for organizing my professional life and it is worth every penny. The Rex guys have been responsive to every issue, request, question, etc. When I say responsive, I mean I often heard from them within minutes, day or night - Rex is a great company to do business with.

I know everyones needs are different, but Todo and Idea Matrix are so versatile that I continue to find new ways to use it to increase my productivity. The new improvements make already great software even better.

That is why I have added them to my must have list of apps. I do think my three gripes about alpha sort, editing from the detail view via Alt-scroll, and and the lack of jump to folder are really critical access/functionality issues, as all the power in the program can't be accessed if you get bogged down.

New versions posted of REWwireless software applications
 

All,

A few problems with our 2007.01.25 releases have prompted us to post new versions of todoMatrix and ideaMatrix. Specifically, the 01.25 version had a couple of issues that concern alerts and synchronizing tasks/notes and alerts with REXdesktop. Only tasks / notes acquired from the "injector" interfaces from the standard BlackBerry applications have a problem in 01.25.

Users may download the new versions using their BlackBerry wireless browser by navigating to http://REXwireless.com/download. After upgrading, we suggest reviewing any tasks or notes that came in via an injector to ensure alerts are set as desired.

We included some enhancements that were scheduled for the next release, including stinsonddog's suggested folder-jump [J] hot*key for navigation / moving tasks and alpha sorting.

Thanks!

--the REXguys

I took advantage of the ability to reset my trial period to check out this new release.

I had a couple of questions, which were promptly answered by John J at Rex Wireless. His outstanding support was the tipping point to purchase the silver matrix package - he even sent an e-mail to me to alert me that a fix had been posted for a minor issue I came across. Since he earlier told me it was going to be posted later that day when I asked the question, I did not expect a follow up e-mail to tell me it was posted.

Stinsonddog's review also went a long way (so I'm blaming Rex support , and you Stinsonddog, if my finance minster (AKA wife) sees the transaction on the bank account):smile:

Don

The new injection stuff for tagging emails and phone calls for followup reminders and next actions is excellent. However, does anyone have good info on when the rumored 5-d version will be out and what it will do exactly? Rex support was quick on replying to me but didn't give up much on details or est availability. I wonder if anyone else has received a better detailed answer.

Is anyone beta testing this ver yet?