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Daylite 5 adds refinements to the business management app
Marketcircle's Daylite has been around for a number of years, pulling in Best of Show awards at Macworld/iWorld and kudos from happy users. The application, which comes in Mac, iPhone and iPad versions, is a full-featured system for keeping track of your business. Whether it's calendar, email, or contact management; project tracking or following up on business opportunities, Daylite is hands-down the best and most comprehensive tool for managing a business. Now the company has just introduced Daylite 5, the latest version of the multi-platform solution. Priced at US$299.95 per user, Daylite 5 includes licenses for the Mac, iPhone and iPad apps, as well as for the Mail Assistant (used to link Daylite and Mail) and Daylite Server. Existing Daylite 4 users can update for $199.95, while Daylite 3 owners can make the jump for $249.95. What does the new version provide? A lot of refinement to an already polished set of apps. The new Insight View is described as a "visual summary of your data" that "helps you discover patterns and answer questions about your business." By displaying a number of graphs on one screen, it's easy to see patterns appear and then make comparisons. Clicking on a bar chart drills into summaries, and dragging across a timeline allows even further focus on project details. My personal new favorite feature is the timeline, which provides a quickly scrolling list of project information and associated emails to give a history of what went on during a period of time. Hovering on a small graphical timeline to the left of the timeline detail allows you to quickly jump to a specific date, while filters create a way to grab only certain pieces of information -- like emails associated with a project -- while getting the others out of the way. One feature that Daylite users had been asking for is now present -- repeating tasks. Regularly scheduled tasks such as project status meetings can be set to repeat daily, weekly, monthly or for any other time period. The iPad and iPhone apps have received an amazing makeover, with a flat, simple design that would make Jony Ive happy. Searching is available from the Daylite home screen, and synchronization with the Daylite server is done in background. Those of us with mature eyes love the way that Daylite now uses the text size that's chosen in the Settings app so that it's possible to read details without squinting or holding the iPhone screen two inches from our faces. On the Mac app, the sidebar now has the ability to have folders and subfolders added to group items, and since those folders can be opened and closed, it's possible to hide those projects or groupings that are unimportant at a particular time. You can even hide the sidebar altogether to make more room on your workspace. The Daylite Mail Assistant now has the capability of allowing you to update details in Daylite right from within Mail.app. If a contact's information (email, address, phone number, etc...) has changed, or if you need to change the status of a project, there's no need to jump into Daylite -- it can all be done in Mail. Marketcircle has also provided more advanced filtering capabilities to allow you to dig into your data -- for example, you can search all contacts that have no opportunity associated with them to provide a list of customers you should cold call. Finally, the Mac app has received a redesign that provides a visual look and feel that is closer to the iOS apps. Things are less cluttered and much easier to read in the revised app. Marketcircle has obviously listened to Daylite customers in making the changes to Daylite 5, and all of the apps now have a much more streamlined and polished feel to them. For existing Daylite users, making the jump to Daylite 5 might cause some temporary heartburn as you get used to the new features and find your way around, but you'll quickly get back up to speed and be able to accomplish more in less time.
Marketcircle releases Billings Pro for iPad
At long last, Marketcircle has released Billings Pro for iPad. The time-tracking and invoicing app has made the leap from the desktop to Apple's tablet, and offers independent and small-business owners the freedom to get things done while out in the field. Here's a look at the most recent version of Billings Pro for iPad. Earlier this year, Marketcircle discontinued Billings and encouraged users to switch to Billings Pro. Why? One of the main reasons was sync. Many users need to generate invoices on the go, and have them waiting on all compatible devices. Since Billings required manual sync of two devices on the same Wi-Fi network, that had to change. Billings Pro syncs data between Marketcircle's servers and the user's devices. This isn't client/server syncing that sends data on demand, but real-time sync that is handled seamlessly in the background. It's what Marketcircle calls "distributed computing." Development When working on a version of Billings Pro for the iPad, Marketcircle's developers focused on these guiding ideas: Users will use this while "in the field" with their customers. The iPad would let them design an invoice that looked and, in many ways, behaved like a paper invoice. The result is Billings Pro for iPad. Looks The app uses a paper/folders metaphor. It looks nice and is immediately understandable. The home screen features three main sections: Invoices, Projects and Clients. Each section is organized in a clever way. The row of invoices shows what's overdue or what's about to come due first. Projects are sorted by modification date and clients, again, by when you most recently worked with one. Use The invoices are well executed and look nice. When editing an invoice, it looks similar to its paper counterpart. In fact, since the full-sized iPad's screen is about the same size as an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper, it's like working with a real-world invoice. From the invoice editor, you can enter new client information, add a slip, change existing client information and more. Billings Pro for iPad makes it easy to customize invoices, too. You can add a background or other images that are consistent with your company or band, all from within the iPad app. If a photo is in your camera roll, you can add it. Color and font options are available, too. If you're the type who gets carried away with cosmetic changes, don't worry. Marketcircle will save you from yourself. You only can use two fonts (one main and one accent) and three colors (a base and two accents). Each invoice gets a unique number, of course, and that requires communication with the server. If you're outside of an active, compatible network as you make an invoice, it will be placed in a queue for sync as soon as a network connection is available. Conclusion Billings Pro looks great on the iPad and should serve mobile business owners and freelancers well. I used Billings for years and look forward to making the transition to Billings Pro myself. Billings Pro for the iPad is available for free from the iOS App Store. Billings Pro requires a subscription that starts at $5 per month for a freelance plan which includes 5 invoices, 5 estimates and 5 statements each month. You can also pay $99 for a year subscription that provides unlimited invoices, unlimited estimates and unlimited statements. All plans allow you to add unlimited number clients and projects.
Daylite 4.3 adds new forms and attachments to management app
Marketcircle's Daylite app has been updated with some exciting new features for business, project and client relationship management. Both the iOS and OS X versions have their own specific new improvements, creating a well-rounded management suite for home or mobile use. Daylite 4.3 for iOS users can look forward to these new features: Linked Forms: Users can now create and edit forms on the go that are linked to specific records. Even while away from the office, you can quickly keep track of changing information from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. Attachments: Store files directly in the Daylite database to be shared, downloaded and previewed directly on your iOS device. Resource Calendar: A calendar to keep track of resources, like if you have a meeting room booked at a specific time. Relationships: Daylite users can now view and edit relationships between people and companies remotely. Daylite OS X users are also getting an update to version 4.3 bringing these new tools: Duplicate Records: Easily duplicate records into new forms to save time and money on re-entering data. New Report and Print Layouts: Further streamline your business with new report options like Won Opportunities, Activity Time by Category and Incomplete Tasks. Smartlists for Birthdays and Anniversaries. Enhanced column sorting options based on keywords, appointments and tasks. In addition, both the iOS and OS X versions now have support for Spanish and Dutch language options. Daylite 4.3 for OS X and Daylite 4.3 for iOS will be available in the App Store sometime today.
TUAW and MacTech interview at WWDC 2012: Marketcircle
In this video, Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine) interviews AJ of Marketcircle Inc. (makers of the Daylite contact manager suite + Billings tools for Mac and iOS) at WWDC 2012. AJ was kind enough to tell us about his thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect Marketcircle's plans moving forward.
Daily Update for May 29, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
WWDC Interview: Marketcircle
Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Alykhan Jetha of Marketcircle Inc. at WWDC 2011. Alykhan was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward. TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
Discussing the Mac App Store and Billings with Marketcircle
As the first iOS feature to go back to the Mac, the Mac App Store presents unique challenges and benefits to developers. I spoke with Marketcircle CEO Alykhan "AJ" Jetha about his team's experience with moving Billings (our previous coverage of this app) to the Mac App Store, as well as the restrictions that keep their other applications out. TUAW: How soon after learning about the Mac App Store did you decide to use it to sell Billings? AJ: It was a no-brainer; an easy decision. We knew right away that we'd want Billings in the Mac App Store. What was the process like, and how did the vetting process compare to that of the iOS App Store? We submitted the first version on November 3rd. It got initially rejected because we were using the Sparkle update tool. Of course, Apple wants us to use their own. So, we removed that, but left a checkbox in the preferences that offered to check for updates automatically, and got rejected again because of it. We removed that and re-submitted, then ran into a private API call. We worked that out, resubmitted, fixed one more minor issue and were approved a couple of days before the store went live.
Daylite Touch for iPad brings project management to your fingertips
The folks at Marketcircle have released Daylite Touch for the iPad, which joins the iPhone and desktop versions to further extend the productivity solution across Apple's hardware. You can read this blog post from Marketcircle about the app. Much more than a task tracker, Daylite offers complete project management for individuals and large companies alike. We've been beta testing the iPad app for a while now, and we are glad to share our experiences with you. Please note that Daylite 3.13, also available today, is required to run Daylite Touch 1.6. Some other good news from Marketcircle is that they've changed the licensing structure. Now it's based on a per-user basis (instead of per device), as customers often use more than one iOS device. Getting started As we said, Daylite includes everything you want: projects and tasks, contact management, a calendar, leads (they call them "Opportunities") and more. You can use it as an individual, but its power becomes obvious when managing a team. The iPhone app added portability, allowing workers in the field to access information in a shared database via Daylite Server. Since changes made on the iPhone are synchronized in real time with the desktop version, remote workers and office-bound supervisors can stay on the same page. It works quite well. So why add the iPad? %Gallery-108581%
TUAW review: Billings Pro
Billings Pro builds upon the award-winning (2009 Apple Design Award) client-tracking and invoicing software, Billings, by Marketcircle. This major release introduces support for multiple users, server software, and new client side applications for both the desktop and iPhone. While many independent workers have enjoyed Billings and Billings Touch for years (myself included), small business owners with several employees have been left out. Billings Pro fixes that. We were able to spend some time with Billings Pro, and we're happy to offer our review. Click the link below to read the full report and see additional galleries of screenshots from Billings Pro Touch and Billings Pro for the Mac. %Gallery-104989%
Marketcircle releases Billings Pro
After some teasing and a closed beta, Marketcircle has finally released Billings Pro 1.0. As the big brother to Billings, the pro version offers multi-user support for small businesses. I've used Billings and Billings Touch for years, and love them dearly. Of course, I'm a "business of one," so I don't need multi-user support. Many do, however, and Marketcircle intends to bring the great Billings experience to them. Additionally, they're going for ubiquitous access from the Mac, iPhone and the web. Billings Pro is a multi-user time tracking and invoicing application. Time tracking is super easy. All you must do is click aspect of the project you're working on, start the timer and you're off. When you're done working, simply stop the timer. All data is synchronized automatically. This release offers new tools for the manager, like what they're calling "Timecard," which lets users track mileage, project expenses and time spent working via a modern web browser, including Mobile Safari. There are several payment options. First, users can purchase Billings Pro for a one-time fee of US$199.95 per user. Once that's done, you own it. There are no monthly or annual fees. Additionally, users can upgrade from Billings 3 to Billings Pro for $174.95 per user. Those with more modest needs can take advantage of a monthly, per user "pay as you go" option for $24.95. Marketcircle is also offering a Billings Pro Starter Bundle which comes preloaded with Billings Pro, Billings Pro Touch, Timecard, Switchboard and a full year of Premium Support, starting at $1,429.50 for up to 5 users. Of course, that's only the surface of Billings Pro. We're working on a full review and will have that out for you soon. Good luck to the folks at Marketcircle.
Daylite coming to the iPad
Marketcircle has confirmed that Daylite will be coming to the iPad. I've been using Daylite and Daylite Touch for years (here's our initial look at Daylite Touch). It's a terrific productivity suite that keeps me on task and working (plus it looks great). Daylite Touch syncs with the Daylite server I've got happily running on an old G4 iMac. As I said, I love it, but I've also been wondering if and when it'll move over to the iPad. Work has begun on the app and they intend to have parity with the current version of Daylite Touch, so synchronization and licensing will be the same. I'm most eager to see how it makes use of the iPad's larger screen. The calendar in the screenshot at right looks great and so much roomier than the iPhone version. Good luck to the Marketcircle team. We're eager to see what you make.
Marketcircle announces Billings Pro, needs beta testers
Marketcircle, the Canadian software firm that brought you Daylite, Daylite Touch, Billings, and Billings Touch has just announced the next generation of their time-tracking and billing solution. Billings Pro takes advantage of many of the features built into other Marketcircle products and takes Billings to a new level as a multi-user application. The new application will include a server piece (like Daylite), a way to use the application offline and then sync to the server (once again built upon Daylite), over-the-air sync (as with Daylite Touch), and Marketcircle's expertise in desktop and mobile user interfaces. The application is still in development, and beta testing won't begin for a few months yet. If you're an existing Billings user and would like to receive consideration as a possible beta tester, fill out this online form and you may hear from Marketcircle in a few months. At this time, no ship date or price has been determined for Billings Pro.
Marketcircle gives orphaned NUDC users some love
A well-known software vendor is rushing in to help out Mac users who have become "orphaned" by the recent failure of Now Software. Marketcircle, developers of Daylite, have set up a web page on their site to help out existing users of Now Up-to-Date and Contact (NUDC) who may be looking for a new solution. The page starts off by noting that Daylite may not be the perfect solution for some NUDC users, and then details the similarities and differences between the applications. There are even instructions on how to customize Daylite to make it more familiar looking to NUDC users, and hints on how to make the migration between the two applications. To help ease the pain of moving to a new platform, Marketcircle is also offering a 30% discount on Daylite to former Now Software customers who are going to need a new application. Details on how to take advantage of the Daylite discount can be found here. Of course, Daylite isn't the only solution that former NUDC customers can move to; the original developers of Now Up-to-Date are the brains behind BusyCal and BusySync, and they have just reprinted a blog post about how to migrate your NUD information to iCal so that it can be used with the products of BusyMac software.
Billings Touch hits the App Store
We mentioned its imminent arrival a few days back, and now it's here: Billings Touch [iTunes link] hit the App Store last night (Free, $15 in-app upgrade for full functionality). It's packed with time and expense tracking features, client management, invoicing, and other necessities of the freelancer/small businessperson. It's packaged to go, too. Billings Touch syncs with the desktop version of Billings over WiFi, but one of the coolest things about it is that it's a standalone app. Without any help from its older sibling, it can handle everything a professional on-the-go would need to get paid. Track your mileage and your expenses, add clients ... then track your time (timers run even when the app is closed), add fixed-price slips, put it all together and send a professional-looking invoice right from your phone. Mark your payments received and Billings Touch will do some bookkeeping for you, and keep you posted about who's overdue and what's coming up. Billings Touch also implements the "Blueprints" functionality from the desktop version, allowing you to create presets for your work slips. Include the title of the task, the rate, etc. and making new slips can be just a quick tap of the finger, ready to start timing. That's especially important on the iPhone because time spent typing out task names on your little keyboard is rarely billable. I do wish I could add a receipt photo to my expense slips, and WebDAV sync would be killer, but this app really doesn't leave me wanting. I've beta tested it for a while now, and I can happily say that it's an amazing companion to Billings, and a complete package on its own. My opinion after trying just about everything on the market: Billings and Billings Touch make an unbeatable pair, and this is the time-tracking app to use if you want a complete, professional solution from client contact and estimate to invoice and statements. Billings Touch is a free download on the App Store, and it comes with a good amount of functionality. However, syncing and invoicing require an in-app purchase of $15US, but it's a pretty cool way to let you try out the app before you make a purchase. Billings on the desktop remains priced at a competitive $39.99US. Have a peek at the gallery for an overview of the interface and some of Billing Touch's capabilities. %Gallery-81668%
Billings 3.5 paves the way for Billings Touch
Billings, my personal favorite time-tracking, estimating and invoicing application has just updated to version 3.5. The developers, Marketcircle, are labeling it the "Trojan" release due to its mostly-under-the-hood improvements. Under the hood, but not insignificant. The major changes are related to a database engine overhaul (subtly continuing the car metaphor for your reading pleasure) and improvements to the way Billings interfaces with Address Book. Rest assured that "Trojan" refers only to the nature of the updates, not to any kind of malicious software). I'm certain that those covert improvements, while exciting for current users, probably won't be enough to stir the passions of others. The fact that Billings 3.5 is now able to sync over WiFi with your iPhone might be cause for celebration... if only we had a version of Billings on those clever devices. Fear not, Billings Touch has been submitted to the App Store and is nearing availability as you read this. As a beta tester, I can't talk about the features of Billings Touch, but I think it's all right to tell you that it's everything I'd hoped it would be when AJ first mentioned it. Billings is $39.99US, and Billings 3.5 (free upgrade for 3.0 users) will be required to sync with Billings Touch. Check out a free trial at billingsapp.com.
TUAW and Marketcircle team up for a Daylite / Daylite touch giveaway
The Labor Day weekend here in the US always heralds the unofficial end of summer, which means it's time to stop playing and to start getting back to productive work. Marketcircle, the makers of the Daylite Productivity Suite and the companion Daylite Touch app for iPhone and iPod touch, has combined forces with TUAW to help you get out of your summer sloth! Whether you're a student or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the Daylite Productivity Suite (click here for a TUAW review) is a powerful tool for keeping track of your calendar, your contacts, projects, emails, and just about everything else in your life. Coupled with Daylite touch for mobile access, you'll get your priorities straight in no time at all. Marketcircle and TUAW want to give away copies of the Daylite Productivity Suite to two lucky TUAW readers, each with a companion one-year license for Daylite touch. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below describing your top organizational priority. Here's the requisite legal jargon: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment below describing your top organizational priority. The comment must be left before September 7, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One copy each of Daylite Productivity Suite and a one-year license for Daylite touch. Click Here for complete Official Rules. As always, keep visiting TUAW for more exciting giveaways!
WWDC quick cut: AJ from Marketcircle on Billings' ADA
We caught AJ from Marketcircle again shortly after a surprise win in the Apple Design Awards for Billings 3. Here's a quick reaction! Direct Link
WWDC Live: AJ From Marketcircle
AJ, CEO of Marketcircle (Billings, Daylite, Daylite Touch) sat down with us to talk about WWDC, new iPhones, Snow Leopard and the upcoming Billings Touch, which I'm personally pretty excited about. Read the rest of the post for the video of our chat. I apologize to AJ and our readers for what is, by the sound of it, some iPhone interference on the soundtrack. Update: This video has been moved to YouTube and is now watchable.
TUAW review: Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch
Marketcircle's Daylite is a popular business productivity management application for the Mac platform, and it was recently updated to version 3.9. While this sounds like it might have been just another version upgrade, it was actually a major update to Daylite. Coinciding with the release of Daylite 3.9, Marketcircle also released Daylite Server and Daylite Touch, two new components that bring the power of Daylite to the iPhone and iPod touch platforms.We'll be talking with Marketcircle CEO Alykhan Jetha (AKA A.J.) this Sunday, April 19th, at 10 PM EDT on the TUAW Talkcast, so be sure to listen in and bring any questions that you'd like to ask A.J. about Daylite.
TUAW Macworld Video: Marketcircle announces Daylite Touch
For businesspeople who want to take their work with them everywhere, Marketcircle has just created a new way to keep updated on projects, contacts, calendars, and more through the iPhone -- Daylite Touch.We interviewed Marketcircle CEO Alykhan Jetha this morning at Macworld Expo 2009, where he gave us a demo of the many features built into Daylite Touch. The app, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2009, will be licensed with another announced product -- Daylite Server -- and will be free of charge to Daylite users. Jetha also noted that Daylite Touch will require the upcoming Daylite 3.9.Daylite Touch syncs with Daylite Server via Wi-Fi, 3G, and EDGE connections, and doesn't overwhelm the user with too much information on one little screen. This is one of the more complex iPhone apps I've seen since the iPhone arrived on the scene, and a lot of time and effort was obviously directed at the user interface.Click Read More to see our interview.
