mind mapping
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Everything cool about Curio just got better
Curio, one of my long-time favorite brainstorming and project management applications, has received a massive update with version 8. If you've never seen Curio, it's a highly visual environment for collecting information, lists, mind maps, websites, PDFs, emails and much more into organized projects and "spaces." You can collect, present, share and manage all kinds of information using an organization method that works for you. Whether you prefer a spatial, visual layout or a more rigid view of your data, Curio provides an amazing set of tools. The release notes for version 8 are rather immense, but definitely worth looking through. Here are a few highlights: All-new interface (fewer visible buttons, but more power) Improved mind-mapping tools Improved sharing options for projects, spaces and figures Repository-based group access to resources Split view for working in multiple spaces in a project Mountain Lion Reminders/iCal integration Bookmarks More robust audio/video recording Improved Evernote integration The list goes on. It's honestly more than I could cover in this post. There are even features which aren't specifically called out in the release notes, but which make me a bit giddy. For example, drag an OPML file (from a mind map or outliner application) onto a project space, and Curio will ask you what to turn it into: mind map, index card, outline, etc. Brilliant. You can purchase Curio 8 for US$99, and current users of either the Mac App Store version or a version purchased from Zengobi directly can upgrade for $49.99. There is a free 25-day trial available at Zengobi's site, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Mindjet 9 for Mac due June 23, iPad/iPhone versions mid-June
If you're a mind mapping maven, you'll be happy to know that one of the premiere apps in the market (more than 1.8 million paying customers), Mindjet, is moving forward to a new Mac version of MindManager. Version 9 of MindManager is scheduled to ship on June 23, and will cost US$129 for upgrades or $249 for new licenses. It will add several new features, including a presentation mode, "quick entry" option, WYSIWIG printing, offline import/export for Office and iWork, dynamic content (schedules and Internet links), plus a project management mode adequate to light PM tasks. We'll take a detailed look at MindManager Mac 9 when it gets closer to shipping, but there's another piece of the puzzle: mobile. Mindjet will be releasing separate iPad and iPhone apps ($8.99 and $6.99, respectively) right around mid-month. Both apps promise a best-in-class mind mapping tool on iOS, with Dropbox integration and MindManager desktop compatibility for round-tripping your maps. If you're curious about mind mapping, check out Brett's previous coverage. The MindManager 9 Mac press release is below. Show full PR text Mindjet Announces MindManager Version 9 for Mac New Features Help Mac Users Envision Their Best Ideas San Francisco – June 1, 2011 - Mindjet®, the leading provider of business productivity software and SaaS applications that visually connect ideas, information and people, announced today the release of MindManager® Version 9 for Mac®. New and improved features help users move seamlessly from initial brainstorm to creation of presentations and project plans. Enhancements include new quick entry mode for brainstorming, powerful filtering capabilities to aid prioritization, and new interactive slide show capabilities that let users organize ideas, deliver dynamic presentations, and instantly incorporate feedback, all within the same visual environment. MindManager Version 9 for Mac can immediately be ordered for the upgrade price of $129 USD, or $249 USD for a new license, at https://secure.mindjet.com/WebApp/catalog/catalog.aspx. MindManager Version 9 for Mac will be generally available on June 23, 2011 in English, German, French, and Japanese language versions. Mindjet's latest Mac release, along with recently announced iPad and iPhone apps (see separate release at: http://www.mindjet.com/press/releases/832), provide a complete suite of information mapping products for Apple product enthusiasts. Supporting information: MindManager information maps let users quickly capture ideas and assemble them in visual maps that combine the ease of a whiteboard with the flexibility of drag-and-drop editing. Built-in tools for organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling, along with Apple iWork® and Microsoft Office® integration, let Mac users quickly turn ideas, requirements, and raw research into polished presentations and detailed project plans. With over 1.8 million users, MindManager is the world's leading information mapping solution for both businesses and individuals. Unlike documents, presentations, and e-mail, which constrain you to working on one page at a time, MindManager's visual information mapping lets business professionals easily capture, organize, and communicate ideas and information, so you can organize input from multiple sources, clarify thinking, develop meaningful project plans, structure coherent strategies, and deliver compelling communications, all within a single environment. With MindManager Version 9 for Mac, users will be more organized, communicate more effectively, and ensure project success. o MindManager maps can be used as virtual whiteboards to easily capture ideas and visually organize projects, presentations, and strategies. ï· Facilitate brainstorming and collaborative problem solving. ï· See the big picture and all the relevant details in a single dynamic view. o MindManager is a single solution to both organize and present content in a visual format that increases understanding and retention. ï· Conduct engaging meetings and ensure participation by easily incorporating feedback on the fly. ï· Use interactive maps to selectively present the right level of detail for each audience. o MindManager enables users to successfully document all aspects of any project and gain alignment from key stakeholders. ï· Lay the foundation for successful project implementation by mapping out tasks, resource assignments, and schedules. ï· Enable efficient decision making by aggregating information into a central map for easy review of all relevant details. New Features of MindManager Version 9 for Mac For current MindManager customers, MindManager Version 9 for Mac delivers new capabilities to support brainstorming, via a quick text entry mode and presentations with an interactive slide format. A new user experience is established through more intuitive menu options, powerful filtering capabilities, and new iconography, as well as noticeable performance improvements. MindManager Version 9 for Mac introduces local integrations, enabling users to easily export map content into Microsoft Office and Apple iWork applications without connecting to the Internet. Interactive Slide Presentations o Present work in easy-to-follow slides. Pick and choose topics to present, adjust their order, and control exactly how you want each branch to appear. Present different levels of information to various audiences, without the inconvenience of creating multiple versions. Ensure participation and alignment by incorporating feedback as you present. Quick Entry Mode o Facilitate collaborative problem solving, capture stakeholder requirements, and improve meeting management via "quick-entry" capture of ideas and information. The ability to quickly enter input ensures that valuable ideas generated in brainstorming sessions and other meetings gets documented and retained for later organization, prioritization, and analysis. Advanced Importing/Exporting o Conveniently import and export content to and from existing MindManager maps. Provides in-product compatibility with Microsoft Office Mac 2011 and iWork applications, even when offline, thanks to integrated (local) import/export functions. o Import content from Microsoft® Word and Apple iWork Pages® to work with all relevant data in a single visual environment. o Create content and then export to Word, Pages, Keynote®, and various other formats. WYSIWYG Printing o WYSIWYG® printing easily controls how maps are presented. Print the entire map on a single page, including topic notes. Each slide that has been created can also be printed, so you can print out exactly what is needed. Enhanced Menus o Formatting Tool bar – Users can now format text similar to how text formatting is done in iWork Pages. o Improved Inspector – Inspectors have been modified for improved usability and users can also open multiple inspectors which improve overall efficiency. o Improved Notes – Topic notes can now be formatted in-context of the notes area rather than in the Inspector which should Other Key Features: Industry-Leading Information Visualization – Capture, organize, and work with ideas and information in a wide variety of interactive visual formats, including information maps, outlines, organization charts, tree diagrams, and more. Project Planning and Task Management – Streamline the project planning process and ensure visibility into all aspects of a project. Easily gather requirements and gain stakeholder buy-in on strategies, schedules, and more. Assign and track priorities, resources, and schedules to ensure project tasks stay on schedule. Capture Content and Add Context – Easily capture stakeholder input, draw connections, and reorder content. Use icons, tags, topic shapes, callouts, boundaries, colors, topic sorting, and numbering to provide additional context. Add hyperlinks, attachments, notes, and images to provide additional levels of detail. Information Map Presentations – Communicate effectively to multiple audiences with MindManager's interactive slide presentations. Easily tailor the level of details presented for each audience and capture critical feedback right in the presentation. Integration and Sharing – Save time with powerful integrations. Import from Microsoft Word, Apple iWork Pages, and Freemind®. Export to Word, Pages, or Keynote for your final output. Integrate with iChat® to send or receive maps during a chat session. Also, share your maps via email, as web pages, images, or dynamic Adobe® PDF files. Dynamic Content – Synchronize your relevant calendar items and contacts with MindManager via dynamic Microsoft Entourage and Apple iCal®, and Address Book dashboards. Bring the Internet into the map with a built-in web browser for in-context search and research results. Navigation, Viewing, and Printing Controls – Navigate and control the levels of details displayed with powerful features like topic focus, show or hide branch, collapse map, quick filter and select, and more. Automatically fit or balance your map within the screen. Use WSYISYG printing of entire maps or selected sections. Supporting Quotes: Stuart Zola, Neuroscience PhD, Research Center Director: "I'm a brain scientist and MindManager Version 9 for Mac works like your brain works. The product's new presentation capabilities take me away from one-dimensional PowerPoint®'s, and allow me to quickly shift focus between big-picture-thinking and detailed topic areas – a critical advantage whether you're presenting strategic plans or focused insights." Max Scheder-Bieschin, CFO, Berkeley Bionics®: "MindManager 9 for Mac bested my expectations. It is a complete solution with new capabilities that make mapping more intuitive, quicker, and more powerful than ever. With MindManager for Mac, I now have a business productivity engine." Howard Veit, President, Veit Consulting: "MindManager Version 9 for Mac makes ideas come alive for my healthcare clients, so that we can put our best thinking and strategies into immediate action. MindManager Version 9 for Mac, with new quick text entry, means that these working sessions are now more productive than ever." Chuck Frey, Mind Mapping Software Blog: "Mac users rejoice! Mindjet has heard your cries for a version of MindManager that equals or exceeds the capabilities of its Windows counterpart. MindManager 9 for Mac is a robust, feature-rich mapping solution that will delight Mac users." Blaine Mathieu, Chief Products Officer, Mindjet: "From architectural improvements that increase performance and speed to demanded-for features, like our new slideshow capabilities that let your better control the output of your content, MindManager Version 9 for Mac is a top-flight mapping application for the Mac users." Blaine Mathieu, Chief Products Officer, Mindjet: "MindManager Version 9 for Mac is a significant upgrade for Mac users with added communication and sharing capabilities, quick information capture, new and improved templates. Faster and more robust performance mapping has come to the Mac." SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Supported Operating Systems: Mac OS® X 10.6 or later System Requirements: Mac computer with an Intel® processor 733 MHz or greater (1.67 GHz or greater recommended) 512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended) 100 MB disk space 1024 x 768 or greater Additional Requirements for Certain Features: Internet Connectivity Adobe Acrobat ® Reader 9 Apple Keynote '08 and Pages '08 Microsoft Word '08 and PowerPoint '08 Pricing and Availability MindManager 9 for Mac is available in four languages: English, German, French, and Japanese and can be purchased through Mindjet.com for the upgrade price of $129 USD or as a new license for $249. Customers who purchase MindManager 9 for Mac before June 22, 2011 will receive Eltima™ Paintr™ for Mac bundled with their purchase. Supporting Resources: MindManager 9 for Mac: ï· Download the MindManager 9 for Mac datasheet: http://mindjet.com/mac ï· Watch a video of MindManager 9 for Mac in action: http://mindjet.com/mac ï· See images of MindManager 9 for Mac: http://mindjet.com/mac Mindjet: ï· Mindjet Blog: http://blog.mindjet.com/2011/05/mobile-strategy ï· Mindjet on Facebook®: http://www.facebook.com/mindjet ï· Mindjet on Twitter®: http://www.twitter.com/mindjet ï· Mindjet on YouTube®: http://www.youtube.com/mindjet ï· More Mindjet news: http://www.mindjet.com/press/reviews/overview About Mindjet: Mindjet provides business productivity software that helps business professionals visually organize and act upon ideas, information and resources to drive productivity, team effectiveness, and business innovation. Mindjet products include industry-leading visual information mapping software and online services, as well as applications that incorporate Mindjet's innovative visualization technology to improve the usability of leading business applications. Used by nearly 1.8 million users around the world and by business professionals in 45 of BusinessWeek's® 50 "World's Most Innovative Companies," Mindjet solutions clarify thinking, dramatically boost productivity, and increase team effectiveness for better informed decisions. Mindjet is headquartered in San Francisco, California and has offices throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Mindjet products are available for free trial or purchase at www.mindjet.com/products/overview and through an extensive partner network at www.mindjet.com/community/partners/overview. ### Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple, iWork, Pages, Keynote, iChat, iCal, and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
New Core version of Curio in the Mac App Store
We've mentioned the brainstorming, mind mapping, project managing notebook application Curio a few times before. The full version, Curio Professional, runs US$169.99, and the Standard version is $119.99, and both are well worth it in this blogger's opinion. Today, however, Curio announced a new Core Edition in the Mac App Store, with a tasty price of $39.99. The Core version retains many of the essential tools from the full versions, including the freeform note-taking and brainstorming style of the original. You can place rich text figures, flowcharts, mind maps in various configurations, shapes with gradient fills and shadow effects, connection lines, tables and more right into your workspaces. You can also embed documents, images, movies and other media. You have lists, outlines, and even to-do lists available. Sort your ideas on index cards and rearrange them in the freeform space. Tagging, checkmarks, percent complete, priorities and ratings, as well as advanced search features make project management easy. There is also a wide array of import and export options, which keeps your data portable and makes presenting your ideas a simple task. At the new price of $39.99, it's worth a look for users who've been holding out, as well as for folks who've never heard of Curio before. While there's not a free trial of the Core version available (Mac App Store-style), Zengobi just informed me that there is, in fact, a 15-day trial version (extendable to 60 days) of Core available at www.zengobi.com/curio/core. Consult the comparison matrix to see what features are available in the Core version vs. full versions.
MindMeister comes to the iPad
Looking for even more productivity on your iPad? MindMeister has released an iPad version of their collaborative mind mapping application, allowing iPad users to mind map locally and sync with the web version to share ideas with others. We've mentioned MindMeister before, and they were part of our suggestions for mind mapping on the iPhone, but ever since the dawn of the iPad, I've been waiting for it to come to the big screen! MindMeister on the iPad may not be the most complete mind mapping application available for the iPad, at least as far as bells and whistles. It does its job well, though, and the synchronization with the web version is a huge selling point, at least for me. The web version is my favorite online mind mapping tool, with its real-time collaboration features and very useful integration with external web services. Being able to update and edit my online maps from my iPad is very exciting, indeed. If you're a mind mapper, or someone who's looking for a new way to share ideas and collaborate with friends and co-workers, definitely check this app out ($7.99US on the App Store). There's a version for the iPhone ($6.99US), and a companion iPhone app for sending quick notes to your maps instantly, called Geistesblitz (free), too. The app functions fine on its own, but really shines when combined with the web version. The Basic plan for the web app is free with 3 maps at a time, and you can get unlimited maps for $59US a year. Check out the pricing plans at the MindMeister website.
Notable iPad apps
The iPad is great for a lot of tasks, but one area of potential appeals to me more than any other: brainstorming and note taking. I'm not alone, judging from the outcropping of specialized apps for doing just this. I haven't had the time (or money) to hunt down and experiment with every note-taking app in the App Store jungle, but I wanted to highlight a few that have stuck out in my search for the quintessential app for idea capture and retrieval. I'm skipping over some of the apps that I consider to be obvious (albeit excellent) choices (e.g. Evernote), mostly because they've already been covered on TUAW, often repeatedly. This is not to belittle them, just to keep things fresh. Mind Mapping The first few on my list are mind mapping applications. Mind maps are the easiest and most intuitive way for me to take notes and brainstorm ideas, so that's what I look for first. It's hard to beat a pencil and paper, or even a screen with a full keyboard and keyboard navigation, but some touch-based apps do it just about right. One of the best I've found is iThoughtsHD (US$7.99). It makes it relatively easy to jot notes in a mind map format, with options for node color, icons and organization. It can expand and contract nodes, branches can inherit their parent's options, and you can manually or automatically organize and space out your map. You can add new child and sibling nodes by tapping and dragging, or use handy buttons at the top of the screen. It can import and export maps via WiFi transfer, Box.net and email attachment. When it comes to formats, it handles just about everything I can personally think of, including Novamind, MindManager (6 and 8), iMindMap, XMind, Freemind, and others, as well as multiple image formats. Read on for more mind mapping and note taking apps for you and your iPad.
MindMeister for iPhone, mind map in the cloud!
I've mentioned some options for iPhone-based mind mapping before, but I'm pretty excited to let everyone know about the release of MindMeister for iPhone (iTunes Link). MindMeister is a web-based mind mapping application with excellent import and export features for most major formats. They've been focused on collaboration from the beginning, allowing realtime editing of mind maps by multiple participants, and including Skype integration. The iPhone version allows you to download your maps from your account (or start from scratch) and sync changes back to your maps, share maps, and export as MindManager, Freemind, Word, PDF or image files. MindMeister for iPhone (and iPod touch) is an evolution of the MindMaker application, which was acquired by MindMeister. While the online version of MindMeister allows for a range of icons, images and metadata on each node, the iPhone version currently lacks a lot of this functionality. However, it provides a fast, simple way to edit the text of nodes, adding to existing maps or creating new ones on-the-go. The navigation is an intuitive pan-and-zoom, tap-to-edit interface which is pretty standard among iPhone mind-mapping apps. It also incorporates the GeistesBlitz feature of MindMeister, which allows you to instantly add ideas to a default map, or create a basic map from scratch, through email or a variety of other methods (there's a REST API available if you feel like adding your own points of access). As an aside, I'd like to point out that the online version has some cool tricks. For example, you can import a tab-indented outline from a text file and turn it into a map automatically (just go to "Import Mindmap" and select a text file). Also, if you're editing a map, select a node and then click the image or note button ... not the dropdown menu, just click the button. It will do a quick search of Google Images or Wikipedia, respectively, and insert the results. Don't like the image it found for your text? Click again. Try it, it's fun. While I'm not completely sold on iPhone mind-mapping (paper is pretty fast), the syncing, sharing, rapid-entry features of MindMeister make it my top pick. It's not just about device portability, it's about data portability; with MindMeister, my maps can end up in just about any format I want them to, and I can share them directly and get feedback instantly. MindMeister for iPhone is currently $6.99 in the App Store. If you're a MindMaker user, it's a free upgrade. The MindMeister.com online service has plans ranging from free to $6/month, with a $15/year academic option.
XMind goes open source
XMind -- a powerful, Java-based mind mapping and charting application -- has been open-sourced (it's free!) with version 3.0. While it's not my absolute top pick for mind mapping, it ranks up there. I did have a license for the paid version, and I can tell you that it packs plenty of punch. It has all of the extra features I like: boundaries, relationships, summaries, notes, markers, outline view, floating topics and more, as well as intuitive keyboard navigation for rapid-fire brainstorming. One of my favorite features was the drilldown; pressing F6 focuses in on the current topic, displaying only it and its descendants. Shift-F6 takes you back up. It's similar to MindManager's "Focus" feature, but faster (and more limited in scope). And for those who want (or need) to, just set all of the shapes to underline, turn on multiple branch colors and tapered lines and presto, you've got an honest-to-goodness Tony Buzan-style mind map ... or as close as you'll get without buying Buzan's software (which, despite it being relatively expensive and lacking in system integration, I am regularly tempted to do) or breaking out the colored pencils. You can also create Org and Fishbone Charts with XMind. It imports FreeMind and MindManager maps as well as Marker Packages, and can export to HTML, image, Marker Package or Text. The HTML export is ... okay. FreeMind actually creates more useful HTML pages, but it works. Overall, it's great stuff, and it's exciting to see it open sourced. So, how did software that once cost $299 end up being free? It appears to be a change in the business plan, with a subscription model for "XMind Pro" replacing retail sales. I'm a little sketchy on the details, but the Pro version seems to include online collaboration for XMind users, Gantt charts and a Presentation mode (among other features), with a range of subscription prices: $6USD for 1 user/1 month, $400USD for 10 users/1 year, and everything in the middle. It's not necessary to have a subscription, however, to use XMind. Just download a copy (or even the source code) and let the brainstorming begin. Oh, and tell your PC friends, too; like many Java apps, XMind also comes in Windows and Linux flavors.
Mind mapping on the iPhone
I'm a fairly rabid fan of mind mapping. I use it daily for everything from mundane tasks like writing packing lists to more energetic pursuits such as frenetic brainstorming sessions. Accordingly, I've taken an interest in the development of two iPhone applications specifically geared toward the mind mapping enthusiast, especially the ones who are prone to ideas which just can't wait until they get back to their desk. MindMaker (iTunes link) is a $4.99USD application which provides a basic interface for iPhone mind mapping. The first screen is a list of maps which can be added and deleted in the typical iPhone fashion, and clicking a document title opens a map for editing. Within a map, double tapping on a "node" will select it, double tapping again will edit its text, and child nodes are added by tapping the plus sign (+) in the bottom toolbar. Pinching zooms the map in and out, and swiping in the white space allows rapid navigation. Like I said, it's basic. It gets the job done, though ... if you're fast enough on the iPhone keyboard to make it more effective than working on paper.
Back to School: collecting and organizing information
TUAW's going Back to School! We'll be bringing you tips and reviews for students, parents and teachers right up until the bell rings in September. Read on for high school & college-level help. I covered a few good research tools for students in my last post. Before I dive into some of the excellent writing tools and packages available, we're going to take a look at some methods and applications for putting thoughts, notes and references together in a format that makes the actual writing part much easier. Whether you're taking notes as you research, collecting documents or actually mapping out the first draft, these tools can be vital for organizing research, overcoming writer's block and making sure that things flow smoothly once writing begins.
MindNode - Free mind mapping for Leopard
Mind mapping seems to be one of those things that you either get, or just don't. For those who do, there's a new player in town. MindNode is a free Leopard-only mind mapping application from Markus Müller, based in Austria. The application is by no means feature-rich; in fact, it's so simple as to be a bit disarming at first. But what it lacks in features, it makes up for in elegance. The interface is incredibly clean. To create a new node, simply double-click anywhere on the window, or press the Tab key when focused on a node to create a new child node. To create a node at the same level as the one that is currently in focus, press option-Tab. As new nodes are added at the same level, they surround the previous nodes. For example, the second new node appears below the original one. The third appears above. Below, above, below, above. While this is an easy way to keep everything grouped together, it's not particularly useful if you're using MindNode to create a list with any sort of ordering. Some would argue that mind maps should not worry about ordering since it should be all about capturing ideas. But given that mind maps are useful in large part because they allow for graphical organization, this behavior is a bit unfortunate. Other than that one small beef, MindNode is a nice, small, but useful tool that will be right at home in your Applications folder for the next time you find yourself needing to do some brainstorming.
Mindjet maps best San Francisco to-dos
OK, I'll confess: I really wish I could go to Macworld Expo next week. Since I'm in the unfortunate 40% of TUAW bloggers who aren't making the western swing, the most important question for me is "How can I live vicariously through my colleagues, and help them make the best choices about where to eat, things to see and places to go?"The folks at Mindjet (makers of mind mapping application MindManager Mac 6) feel my pain. The Mindjet blog, celebrating the company's first appearance at the Expo, is featuring a mindmap San Francisco-style covered with suggested dining, tourist activities and local intelligence. You can send in your suggestions as well and possibly win a copy of the MindManager application.Here's my dining suggestion: if the weather holds up, take the F streetcar down to the Ferry Terminal Market for lunch. Back in August (at WWDC) it was the best place to take in the view and some excellent sushi; might be too chilly in January to sit outside, but you never know.[via Macworld]
