During the past month or so, I have been working with a developer and designer to create a new home for this blog, built on the popular WordPress platform. The new design resembles a news magazine, and is designed to expose more of this blog's content to you, the reader. It also gives me capabilities that just weren't possible on the TypePad blogging platform:

• Track the most popular posts
• Feature key posts on the home page
• Enable you to search the blog's full contents
• Add various resources to this blog
• Get posts noticed and favorably ranked in Google (which is almost impossible when your blog is a sub-domain of TypePad)

The new blog is at this URL: http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com.

Please update your browser bookmarks or favorites.

The new RSS feed is: http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com/feed/

If you've been tracking the posts on this blog using an RSS feed reader, you must update to the new URL, because this blog will no longer be updated.

I hope you enjoy the new blog!

Paul Urban, CEO of Essential Mind Mapping, has created a multimedia educational course on mind mapping that will officially launch on Monday, June 16, 2008. In the meantime, he has created a sneak preview page that provides an overview of the materials that will be included in this course. the full 5-day will include a printed book, videos and podcast interviews with leading mind mapping experts, an online forum, webinars and more.

The course will be restricted to the first 100 people who register; Urban anticipates that the course will cost US$147-197. He says in his blog that he's finalizing a special bonus that may affect the final price. To hear about this course as soon as it's released on Monday, scroll to the bottom of the page and fill out the sign up form.

InformationTamers.com, a web site created by the developers of Topicscape, a 3-D mind mapping software program, walks the reader through concise and engaging analysis of different information management solutions, and their strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few highlights:

Indexing software: This genre of programs indexes the contents of your computer's hard drive and then enables you to conduct keyword searches it. This type of software was of limited use to the author because it was hard to come up with a precise search term that would deliver the results he was looking for. Like using a web search engine, these indexing programs often returned too many irrelevant results.

Mind mapping/concept mapping software: These tools moved information management into the realm of a “visual road map,” which made it easier to “see” pieces of information and how they fit into the larger whole. But he found this model of visual mapping to be somewhat limiting for two reasons: First, the strict adherence to hierarchy – in other words, a node in a map could be the child of one other node. The other shortcoming, in his opinion, was that as the volume of data contained in a mind map increased, it tended to get very large and ponderous to work with.

PersonalBrain: This software program overcame some of the shortcomings that the author experienced with mind mapping software, namely that an item in a map could now be the child of multiple nodes. In other words, it was a better platform for visually describing complex relationships between items. Also, the fact that you could place any topic in the center of the screen, which caused the entire map to rotate around it, made large maps somewhat easier to work with. But the author found that large maps were still hard to work with, even on a high-resolution computer monitor. Also, because you could center your map on any topic, he found that PersonalBrain lacked a sense of “place” – which means that he found it hard to determine where he was within the overall structure of a Brain map, which made it harder to zero in on the information he was looking for.

Topicscape: The author became part of the development team for this 3D mind mapping program, where he was able to help design an interface that overcame the limitations of these other information management paradigms. The solution was to represent topics, their parents and children as 3D “cones,” to use screen real estate more efficiently, while also clearly displaying the relationships between the topics in your map. These “cones” look something like mountains on a 3D plane. Topics can be related to multiple other topics, and each topic or node can contain multiple attachments. This allows users to develop very complex visual databases of knowledge and information, while still retaining the ability to navigate through it efficiently.

To be completely honest, when people would ask me why I never covered Topicscape in this blog, nor did I include it in my list of mind mapping software, I dismissed it as not being a “true” mind mapping program. I thought it was an intriguing information visualization tool, but I failed to see how it handled hierarchies of topics. Now that I have read this excellent backgrounder, I have a better understanding of the problems it was designed to solve, and how it does incorporate some of the principles of visual mapping. I plan to download the trial version of Topicscape and explore it more closely, now that I have a better understanding of it.

If you are a fan of visual mapping and information management, I think you’ll find this article to be very interesting!

One feature of the enhanced MindMeister Geistesblitz enhancements that I missed during the last upgrade is the ability to send topics to your default map, or create an entirely new map, via e-mail. The process is very simple: First, you must enable your MindMeister account to utilize these e-mail tools. When you do so, the application automatically generates 2 e-mail addresses. One is used to add topics to your default MindMeister map. The other is used to create entirely new maps.

To use this intriguing new service, you simply compose an e-mail, placing each topic on a new line. Child topics are designated by preceding topic text with an indent or tab. In the example above, I wrote an e-mail to create a new map that explains the process of setting up Geistesblitz E-mail.

Note the topics that contain indented sub-topics below them. MindMeister parses your message and creates a new map, shown at right.

Here is a link to the page where the developers of MindMeister explain how Geistesblitz E-mail works.

This could be a great tool for businesspeople who want to capture ideas, but are only traveling with a Blackberry or other mobile device that supports e-mail or SMS. You can simply send your ideas and reminders to MindMeister, and then login to your account later to arrange the new topics to meet your needs. I think that's really, really cool, and I don't know how I overlooked it when MindMeister 2.0 was launched. I owe a hat tip to the LifeHacker blog for discovering this neat functionality!

SimTech, the developers of MindMapper, will release a new USB Edition of their flagship mind mapping program later this week. I've had a chance to play around with it for the last month, and I'm mighty impressed with how well it works.

The entire MindMapper 2008 Professional program - not a stripped down version - comes on a 2 GB USB key, which is partitioned to allow you to store your mind maps and other key files on it. When you plug it into a Windows PC, MindMapper starts up automatically, and displays a dialog box with the following choices:

• Start MindMapper
• Open USB folder
• Browse tips (opens a web page on the USB key, with tutorials for the program's many features)
• Minimize (to Windows' system tray)

Patrick Koh from SimTech says the USB Edition contains a few extra capabilities that enable it to work better from the USB key, such as being able recover from accidental formatting or file deletion from the USB drive. Also, the first time you insert the storage device into your computer, you can select from localized versions of MindMapper in English, German and Dutch. The USB version of MindMapper is protected; it cannot copied or loaded onto your computer. It must always be launched via the USB key. When you unplug it, MindMapper exits automatically after saving your data.

I asked him what motivated his team to develop this version of MindMapper?

"The idea came from many sources. Road warriors wanting to use MindMapper when they were away from their laptops. Corporate employees who wanted to use MindMapper in a conference room. Also from people who didn’t like the process of registration and activating the software. Then we noticed some security companies were using USB keys to launch their software to repair infected PCs. So we took this idea and found a way to launch MindMapper when you just plugged in the USB key."

Who is the USB Edition designed for?

"Our initial target segment were the road warriors. But we think it will also appeal to many people in the corporate environment. Even regular workers can copy their work on the USB, take it home, and work on MindMapper at home and have all their data accessible in the USB drive. This concept of portable software and install-free, instant-on software will be attractive to many people."

I used the program on both my work and home PCs, and it ran without incident. My work laptop is packed with mind mapping software, because I evaluate so much of it for this blog. But my home PC, which is quite old and has limited memory and hard drive space left, doesn't have any mind mapping software installed. So it was quite nice to be able to start a map at work, then take it home, plug in the USB key and continue working.

Kudos to SimTech for exploring this idea and developing this program. It's definitely one of those "why didn't anyone think of this before now?" kind of products!

SimTech says the list price of MindMapper 2008 USB Edition will be US$179.95, but they plan to run a promotion when the program launches at only US$149.95. As soon as SiTech launches their USB Edition web page, I will post the link here. But in the meantime, you heard it here first, folks!

SimTech, the developers of MindMapper, will release a new USB Edition of their flagship mind mapping program later this week. I've had a chance to play around with it for the last month, and I'm mighty impressed with how well it works.

The entire MindMapper 2008 Professional program - not a stripped down version - comes on a 2 GB USB key, which is partitioned to allow you to store your mind maps and other key files on it. When you plug it into a Windows PC, MindMapper starts up automatically, and displays a dialog box with the following choices:

• Start MindMapper
• Open USB folder
• Browse tips (opens a web page on the USB key, with tutorials for the program's many features)
• Minimize (to Windows' system tray)

Patrick Koh from SimTech says the USB Edition contains a few extra capabilities that enable it to work better from the USB key, such as being able recover from accidental formatting or file deletion from the USB drive. Also, the first time you insert the storage device into your computer, you can select from localized versions of MindMapper in English, German and Dutch. The USB version of MindMapper is protected; it cannot copied or loaded onto your computer. It must always be launched via the USB key. When you unplug it, MindMapper exits automatically after saving your data.

I asked him what motivated his team to develop this version of MindMapper?

"The idea came from many sources. Road warriors wanting to use MindMapper when they were away from their laptops. Corporate employees who wanted to use MindMapper in a conference room. Also from people who didn’t like the process of registration and activating the software. Then we noticed some security companies were using USB keys to launch their software to repair infected PCs. So we took this idea and found a way to launch MindMapper when you just plugged in the USB key."

Who is the USB Edition designed for?

"Our initial target segment were the road warriors. But we think it will also appeal to many people in the corporate environment. Even regular workers can copy their work on the USB, take it home, and work on MindMapper at home and have all their data accessible in the USB drive. This concept of portable software and install-free, instant-on software will be attractive to many people."

I used the program on both my work and home PCs, and it ran without incident. My work laptop is packed with mind mapping software, because I evaluate so much of it for this blog. But my home PC, which is quite old and has limited memory and hard drive space left, doesn't have any mind mapping software installed. So it was quite nice to be able to start a map at work, then take it home, plug in the USB key and continue working.

Kudos to SimTech for exploring this idea and developing this program. It's definitely one of those "why didn't anyone think of this before now?" kind of products!

SimTech says the list price of MindMapper 2008 USB Edition will be US$179.95, but they plan to run a promotion when the program launches at only US$149.95. As soon as SimTech launches their USB Edition web page, I will post the link here. But in the meantime, you heard it here first, folks!

On October 2-3, 2008, come join me for a new conference on how to use visual mapping to your advantage in your organization. Learn how to take graphical communications (ie. mind mapping, concept mapping, and flow charting) to the next level and see just how powerful a tool this can be, to help you realize your personal, academic, or business goals. Make yourself more valuable!

College of St. Elizabeth
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ 07960 USA

Learn more and register today

Here are the top 10 reasons why this is a don’t-miss conference:

1. It’s an opportunity to increase your value to your employer by becoming a more visually-oriented thinker, decision maker and problem solver.
2. Learn how to take your company's information management strategies to the next level of effectiveness.
3. Discover how to use visual mapping as a systematic framework for business improvement.
4. Learn how visual mapping can help you to streamline your business processes and procedures.
5. Learn about the latest trends in visual mapping software.
6. Discover how to develop a comprehensive and effective marketing plan utilizing visual mapping
7. Network with and learn best practices from your fellow visual mappers.
8. Realize your information management potential and conquer information overload
9. Reframe your understanding of information and knowledge capital
10. Become a superior information manager who can utilize and integrate linear and non-linear information models in your research, reports and projects

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The developer of web-based mind mapping application Bubbl.us recently posted an update to their blog, which indicates they are getting close to releasing Bubbl.us 2.0. If you recall, Bubbl.us was one of the very first web-based mind map apps about two years ago, but since then it has lagged behind as competing Web 2.0 tools have taken the lead.

Here's what the develotpment team is working on:

• The ability to multiple select bubbles
• Map navigation using arrow keys
• Collapsible branches
• Reversible arrows and line captions

After these improvements are completed, they plan to make some improvements to the file management interface and add real-time collaboration. They will also launch a beta of Bubbl.us, in order to collect bug reports and get it stabilized for release.

[Web-based mapping tools ]
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InnovationGear has just announced the release of version 3.0 of its MindVisualizer Standard mind mapping program. New in this release are 4 new export formats: to PDF, Excel, OpenOffice document and OpenOffice spreadsheet. This new version also includes several printing enhancements, including the ability to split large maps into smaller pages, and the ability to print a map as an outlined list. It also includes numerous other enhancements to existing features, plus performance fixes. A trial version is available for download from the InnovationGear website; the developer says you can try it out, even if you previously downloaded a trial of an earlier version that has timed out.

Mindjet announced today that it has hired two new vice presidents - a VP of marketing and a VP of products. In the company's  news release, it states that it has made these hires to "prepare for web expansion."

Neil Mendelson, the new VP of products, comes to Mindjet from Business Objects, where he led development of its first software-as-a-service offerings - in other words, Web 2.0 stuff! Although the news release doesn't explicitly state anything more about Mindjet's strategy, other than the cryptic headline, it would appear that the company plans to launch a new web-based visual mapping tool. Very interesting!

I am scheduled to have a conference call with Mindjet CEO Scott Raskin in mid-June, which should result in more details about the company's plans. Stay tuned to this blog for more details as they develop.

A few weeks ago, I pointed to a post by Shelly Hadyuk from TheBrain Technologies, in which she made the case that traditional hierarchical mind maps may not be the best way to present complex information and knowledge. This post generated more comments than any other in the history of this blog (22 to date). Most readers agreed with Shelly’s assessment, and were excited at the prospect of being able to represent more complex relationships in their visual maps. Here is a sampling of reader comments:

This reader addresses the limits of hierarchical mapping: "I find the radial tree structure of mind mapping very limiting. It works OK for representing a restricted set of knowledge, but if you need to dissect a large problem it fails, as you cannot rotate the problem around (you are always in the pathway of a set hierarchy). That means you’re limited in your problem solving or analytical approach by the way you structure your tree."

One reader compares the branches of mind maps to tables in relational databases, where multiple tables of data can be linked in multiple, complex relationships: "I believe we should take the next step and (be able to) link any record to any other record in whichever table (map topic). Then the notes in mind maps can be truly object-oriented and the mind maps (can show) multiple perspectives."

This reader envisions a visual mapping tool where selecting one topic causes related topics to re-cluster themselves into a new constellation, which will reveal new insights and connections: "If this is the beginning of a trend in mind mapping software, it's good news! I imagine ‘picking up’ a semantic network by the mode I'm interested in, ‘shaking it out’ so the links cascade down, studying it, then selecting a new node and repeating the above process."

A PersonalBrain power user tells us how he employs the program: "As an avid user of both MindManager and PersonalBrain, I believe that both have their place. However, I think that in order to deal effectively with the glut of information we receive daily, we need to organize beyond simple hierarchical systems, and work in conjunction with our brains…  I currently have nearly 14,000 thoughts in my brain (his PersonalBrain file, not his “wetware” brain), and am able to see connections beyond the normal hierarchical view. I use PersonalBrain as my main interface, storage system, information management tool, creativity laboratory, presentation system, etc.  Everything else links to it and through it, including MindManager, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.."

PersonalBrain is a great tool, but the interface still needs work, according to this reader (I agree - CF): “My biggest struggle with MindManager is that each topic can only be a child of one other topic. Relationships are visually cumbersome at best. If PersonalBrain (TheBrain’s single user mapping software) gets more polished (the user interface feels pretty cludgy right now), I would be hard pressed not to switch over. The ability to navigate nodes and see the relationships to other concepts is extremely powerful."

If you want to read all of the comments or share your opinion on this topic, please add your comment here.

I recently posted a review of ConceptDraw MINDMAP Pro 5 to my InnovationTools website.  Read on to learn all about the new features and functionality of this new version, and why I consider it to be an excellent tool for business users, especially in the areas of project management, brainstorming and adept handling of mind maps and linked sub-maps.

Mind Technologies just announced to its resellers that it will launch a new version 10 of Visual Mind on May 30, 2008. Enhancements include:

• A ribbon toolbar, which will expose more of the program's tools to users.
• The image library is now categorized by type, and you can create an image "favorites" group for quick access to frequently-used images.
• Keyword search of the image library
• The ability to drag and drop external images into a Visual Mind map
• A new auto-capitalize feature, which automatically capitalizes the first letter of the first word of each topic in your map.
• A problem with producing PDFs from Visual Mind maps on the Microsoft Vista operating system has been solved.
• A Software Development Kit (SDK), which will enable third party developers to integrate their applications into the new Visual Mind ribbon toolbar.

I have downloaded the beta version of Visual Mind 10, and will be playing around with it in the coming weeks. I will let you know what I think.

In the transition from the industrial age to the information age, we are now faced with a growing volume of visual, non-linear information. But as a society, we are largely visually illiterate. Dave Gray, writing in his CommunicationNation blog, recently touched on this apparent paradox.

In this post, Dave is writing about PowerPoint, a visually-oriented business tool that is almost ubiquitous, but is poorly utilized. The problem, he explains, isn't due to Microsoft. It's primarily because we live in a visually illiterate society. In this context, he defines literacy as the ability to not only view and interpret visual media, but also to be able to effectively create it - in much the same way that traditional literacy implies the ability to read AND write. Visual illiteracy leads to the much-dreaded "death by PowerPoint" syndrome, caused by the inability of many people to effectively use this software.

One major problem, Dave theorizes, is that our school systems aren't doing enough to prepare today's students for tomorrow's visual-centric world:

"Our world is changing fast – faster than we can keep up with our historical modes of thinking and communicating. Visual literacy – the ability to both read and write visual information; the ability to learn visually; to think and solve problems in the visual domain – will, as the information revolution evolves, become a requirement for success in business and in life.

"We’re leaving an industrial age and entering an information age, yet we continue to teach, and operate our schools, as if they were factories. In an information age, visually literate societies will succeed and thrive. Shouldn’t we be one of them?"

What does this have to do with mind mapping software? It probably has much to do with the fact that it isn't more widely accepted as a genre of productivity software. Yes, its influence is steadily growing, but some managers don't like it because they prefer to consume information and data in linear form. So what happens is that many companies have small "islands" of users of mind mapping software, which prevents larger numbers of workers from benefitting from the collaboration and communication benefits it has to offer.

Gideon King has announced that NovaMind 4 will soon be updated with several improvements that will enable users to enhance the look of their mind maps:

• The ability to fit branch images automatically into the branch (scaling them to fit)
• The ability to fill the branch with the image (cropping as necessary)
• The ability to stretch the image to fit the branch by scaling the width and height independently to fit.
• Reflections on the images - cool!
• 4 styles of "glassy" button styles for branches and connection lines (rectangular, chamfered, rounded and oval)

To understand how these options will affect the look of your maps, please click on the image above. Clearly, these visual enhancements echo the semi-transparent, glassy user interface features of the Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard operating systems. These features are in beta testing and should be released soon. Watch the NovaMind site for more details.

NovaMind Development also recently announced a new ScreenWriter enhancement for NovaMind for Mac.

Visual mapping is growing in importance, so it's not surprising that it finally has its own conference. Fellow blogger Dr. Brian Friedlander has launched the IQ Visual Mapping Conference, which will be held October 3-4, 2008 at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ, USA (in close proximity to the New York City and Newark airports). Its main focus will be on helping attendees to transform their organizations and streamline their personal information management using visual mapping strategies. There will also be ample opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing.

Topics that will be covered during this important event include:

• Project Mapping: Visual Thinking in Project Management
• Utilizing Visual Mapping for Personal and Professional Motivation and Goal Setting
• Increasing Personal and Business Productivity through Visual Mapping Strategies
• Visual Mapping as a Systematic Framework for Business Improvement
• Visual Mapping Software- Tools of the Trade
• Using Visual Mapping Tools for Marketing Your Business
• Using Visual Mapping Tools in Academia

Brian will host the conference; the speakers include a veritable "Who's Who" of key folks in the world of mind mapping, including Adam Clayman, Stephanie Diamond, Arjen Ter Hoeve, Kyle McFarlin, Wallace Tait and me! If you've read this blog for any amount of time, many of these names should sound familiar. They're some of the "best and the brightest" people in this area of expertise!

As one of the speakers, I've had first-hand access to the planning for this conference, and I think it's shaping up to be a great conference. One of the biggest challenges that mind mapping software faces is that not enough executives know about it. This conference should help to address that.

For more details about this important conference, please click here. To register, please click here.

Mindjet, the developer of the popular MindManager mind mapping software, announced today that it has acquired JCVGantt Pro 3 from Gantt Solution. This MindManager add-in makes it very easy for project managers to transform the tasks in their maps into Gantt bar charts - a key tool for project planners. JCVGantt Pro 3 will now be available through Mindjet and its distribution network for US$129.

In recent years, several competing mind mapping programs have added the capability of Gantt charts to their core functionality. This move doesn't get Mindjet to quite the same place, because you still need to purchase JCVGantt and install it separately, but clearly the developer feels the need to offer more of a strong, integrated solution to project managers, one of the biggest groups of users of mind mapping software.

This is the first time Mindjet has acquired one of universe of add-in suppliers, but I suspect it won't be the last. My gut feeling is that the developer plans to make several other acquisitions that will further improve its value proposition to prospective buyers.

About a month ago, I asked the community of bloggers who cover mind mapping software to give me their perspectives on how this type of productivity tool can help you to recession-proof your career. My thought was that mind mapping software has the potential to help you to add more value to your employer – and therefore make you less likely to be laid off when their employer downsizes staff to weather a recession.

I didn’t get many responses, and so I just put this idea on the back burner. Apparently Vic Gee from the Mind Mapping Blog felt as strongly about this subject as I did, because he contacted me several times, asking if I ever did anything with his submission. So he went ahead and published it on his website, which you can read here or in the compilation of tips below.

Vic’s persistence has caused me to rethink my original decision. So here are my thoughts on utilizing mind mapping software to recession-proof one’s career:

Who gets laid off in a recession? To answer this question, let’s consider a ship as a metaphor for this scenario. On an ocean-faring vessel, what gets thrown overboard when seas get rough? Everything that's non-essential to the survival of the ship. So it is with corporations today. Recessions are a prime time for companies to trim "dead wood" - people whose skills are no longer current - because they can do so with relative impunity. One of the big areas where you can improve your skills is in creative problem solving. And a key tool for doing that is mind mapping.

Be an opportunity finder. A downturn is a prime time to identify new opportunities – cost-saving opportunities, new product line extensions, business processes that can be simplified and creative new business models - where others only see liabilities. Mind maps can help you to conduct this research, explore gray areas and "white space" opportunities. In particular, I recommend that you spend time using your software to brainstorm creative ways to generate revenues or cut costs – two areas that top management always appreciate help with in a recession.

Polish your reputation as a can-do problem solver. Understand your organization's short- and long-term strategic goals, and position yourself to meet those goals and provide creative solutions. As one executive once remarked (I don’t recall the source): "Be amazing, be remarkable, be brilliant, be the very best at what you do."

Alberto Martinez, Mind Mapping Everywhere Blog

By increasing my productivity, then I will be a recession-proof worker. If we define productivity as results divided by investment, then visual mapping techniques do help to reduce the amount of time needed to get results in many different ways.

One key question is how do visual mapping skills contribute to my productivity? Here are some of the ways that visual mapping helps me:

Gathering information data, and connecting them to provide new, different and fresher ideas. Because mind mapping software provides new methods to connect information, thoughts, notes and so on, it can help you to discover new paths to get the best solutions to your goals in a time-saving way. Many times, getting the best solution comes down to having the best information and the best tools to extract meaning from it.

Visual mapping techniques also provide extraordinary tools to improve your organization (defining tasks, deadlines and priorities). They provide this information in a ‘brain-friendly’ representation, so you get your whole brain working together to help you to solve problems and generate ideas. This can help you on your path to productivity.

Finally, visual mapping tools help to stimulate pre-analysis of information with  a clear strategic vision. For applications like strategic planning and business process mapping, mind mapping software can help you to determine a faster path to reach your goals, as well as help you to uncover ways to reduce your risks and maximize your profits.

Vic Gee, The Mind Mapping Blog

Surviving in a shrinking economy and nervous times is most often about being better than the next guy or gal. But it's not enough just to be better, if you are a cog in the machine, or even a bigger wheel, you need the higher levels to know that you're better. The fastest and most memorable way to get that message across is visually.

My advice to the real survivors is:

• Don't just know what you know, show what you know.
• Don't just know what you're planning, show what you're planning.
• Don't just know what you're doing, show what you're doing.

A well-organized mind map or series of maps can show all that quickly, and doesn't depend on the boss sitting down to read a report. As a consultant I've consistently found that the higher the level of a decision-maker is, the more often they want a diagram or some other visual encapsulation of a complex problem. They rarely want detail.

Once you have hooked senior management's interest visually, using mind mapping software to go to the next stage shows that it's not just a party trick. Showing that a mind map that kicked off a presentation is linked directly to data that tracks, for example, progress or costs can be truly impressive. One of the "dashboard" add-ins for popular mind mapping software can help you pull that one off and keep it up to date automatically.

Or a project's main mind map, or series of maps, can be linked directly to files of information. Direct, clickable links on the maps allow project team members to find information they need quickly, just where they'd expect it to be, because they've worked with the same mind maps as they were developed.

Finally, out of the many possibilities, here's another chance for you to shine. If you work in an environment where there are too many meetings, mind maps can keep a meeting focused, record next actions and decisions made as you go alone, as well as making the meetings more effective, and shorter, as a result.

You'll be remembered and appreciated for that!

During the last year and a half, a number of web-based tools for mind mapping have evolved quickly into competent business applications. Several of them are now approaching the functionality of desktop mind mapping software.

I've been planning to create a comparison chart that details how the offerings of each of the major developers of web-based mind mapping software tools compare, but just couldn't seem to get around to it - until recently. During a recent web search, I came across a chart produced by blogger Tiffany Brown that compared MindMeister, Mindomo, Mind42 and Comapping, and provided brief reviews of each of the programs. It was dated July 2007 - almost a year old, an eternity in Web 2.0 terms - and so I contacted Tiffany to see if I could use her chart as a jumping off point to an up-to-date comparison. She said yes!

I first made a detailed set of features and performance criteria, drawn from a similar chart that I offer for desktop-based mind mapping software, and added in other capabilities that are unique to these web-based tools. I then sent the form to each developer, asking them to fill in the required data. Finally, I compiled their answers into a detailed side-by-side comparison chart, which is now available for you to download.

This detailed chart covers criteria such as:

• Overview (versions, pricing)
• Map formats supported
• Map level features
• Topic-level features
• Import options
• Export options
• Publishing options
• Collaboration
• Other features

This is the most comprehensive comparison of web-based mapping tools ever created. And it's yours by clicking here.

By the way, if you're interested in reading Tiffany's original report, my comparison chart contains a link to her blog post at the bottom of the last page.

During the last year and a half, a number of web-based tools for mind mapping have evolved quickly into competent business applications. Several of them are now approaching the functionality of desktop mind mapping software.

I've been planning to create a comparison chart that details how the offerings of each of the major developers of web-based mind mapping software tools compare, but just couldn't seem to get around to it - until recently. During a recent web search, I came across a chart produced by blogger Tiffany Brown that compared MindMeister, Mindomo, Mind42 and Comapping, and provided brief reviews of each of the programs. It was dated July 2007 - almost a year old, an eternity in Web 2.0 terms - and so I contacted Tiffany to see if I could use her chart as a jumping off point to an up-to-date comparison. She said yes!

I first made a detailed set of features and performance criteria, drawn from a similar chart that I offer for desktop-based mind mapping software, and added in other capabilities that are unique to these web-based tools. I then sent the form to each developer, asking them to fill in the required data. Finally, I compiled their answers into a detailed side-by-side comparison chart, which is now available for you to download.

This detailed chart covers criteria such as:

• Overview (versions, pricing)
• Map formats supported
• Map level features
• Topic-level features
• Import options
• Export options
• Publishing options
• Collaboration
• Other features

This is the most comprehensive comparison of web-based mapping tools ever created. And it's yours by clicking here.

By the way, if you're interested in reading Tiffany's original report, my comparison chart contains a link to her blog post at the bottom of the last page.

Shelly Hayduk, writing in TheBrain Blog, recently posted an article that suggests that traditional hierarchical mind maps may not be the best way to present complex information and knowledge. She points out that almost all software interfaces today are limited to organizing information into hierarchies, where a piece of information can only be categorized into one place. A case in point: the traditional file manager view in Microsoft Windows, where the directory tree resembles an expandable and contractible outline.

Here's where things get a little controversial: While Shelly acknowledges that mind mapping software offers an improved information hierarchy, it shares the same limitation as the directory tree of your computer's filing system, because each topic can have only one parent. If you want to create a link from one topic to a branch that is distant from it, this is somewhat hard to represent visually, especially in a very large map.

In contrast, PersonalBrain, the desktop software developed by her employer, is designed to create complex connections between widely disparate topics. Each node in the visual map can have connections to numerous other topics, enabling you to display non-hierarchical relationships between pieces of information. As a result, Shelly says TheBrain can be used to display and manipulate maps consisting of several thousand nodes, while giving a more complete picture of each node's multitude of relationships.

Please note: This isn't meant to be a commercial for TheBrain, but to highlight the philosophical differences between TheBrain's approach to visual information management and that of "traditional" mind mapping software.

What do you think? Have you downloaded and evaluated PersonalBrain? What was your experience? How well does it do at helping you to visualize relationships between ideas in your maps? I look forward to your feedback.

Gideon King, the founder of NovaMind, is a big fan of Squidoo, a free service that enables registered users to create resource pages on various subjects. But rather than create a set of links to cool mind mapping resources, Gideon has decided to take a different approach: to utilize this service to develop a series of articles about applications of mind mapping software.

This Squidoo "lens" on Using Mind Mapping to Clarify and Strengthen Your Business is a case in point. In it, Gideon explains how to use mind mapping software to create a company mission statement, how to set goals, plan your website and sell your ideas, all illustrated with brightly colored mind maps. They all recommend that you download and utilize a copy of NovaMind to create these maps, of course, but thankfully Gideon employs a "soft sell" approach. The bottom line is that he has created an informative article that many new mind mappers are likely to appreciate. He has also created lenses on How to Mind Map and Business Continuity.

CS Odessa, the developer of ConceptDraw MINDMAP, has announced that it plans to launch a new software program called ConceptDraw Office that will seamlessly integrate the capabilities of ConceptDraw (for business diagramming), ConceptDraw Project (for project management) and ConceptDraw MINDAP into one powerful visual documentation tool.

"The key innovation behind ConceptDraw Office is that for any particular project scenario there is an appropriate visual representation for the respective information. Sample usage scenarios include brainstorming project ideas using a whiteboard-like view, organizing results into highly informative mind maps, and transforming data into detailed project plans and Gantt charts," the company explained in a news release dated May 6th.

ConceptDraw Office appears to be designed to provide project managers with an end-to-end solution - covering everything from brainstorming the front end of a new project (utilizing the brainstorming mode from ConceptDraw MINDMAP), developing detailed project plans (again in mind map mode), and producing GANTT charts and Work Breakdown Structures. Project monitoring and progress tools will include project resource usage reports, a visual project dashboard and other reports, task lists and task status reports (presented in map mode), plus a project summary report.

Other programs enable you to manage part of this "birth to death" project process, but to the best of my knowledge, no one has offered an end-to-end, visually oriented project suite like ConceptDraw Office. It will be priced at US$499.

Click here to learn more about ConceptDraw Office, and here to view screenshots of this new productivity tool.

One of the beauties of open source software is that any programmer can take its existing source code and add to it - or "branch" it off in exciting new directions. Eugene Antimirov recently reported in his blog that he has created a version of Labyrinth (an open source mind mapping app written in Python) that is adapted for the Nokia N800, a clamshell style cell phone/PDA, utilizing its Maemo open source operating system. He reports that it's still in "alpha" stage (not ready for prime time, probably still a bit buggy).

For more information about Labyrinth, please visit its web page.

Thanks to Kevin Tofel from the jkOnTheRun blog for uncovering this little gem.

According to a report on Web 2.0 blog Mashable.com, Mead Corporation recently launched a new web-based mind mapping tool for students called MeadMap. The technology for MeadMap is provided by Comapping, which entered into a strategic relationship with Mead to provide a web-based visual mapping tool for the education market.

The interface looks just like Comapping, with a ribbon toolbar and a main topic in a gray vertical pane on the left side of the workspace, with branches radiating to the right. Mead and Comapping executives say that the two Web 2.0 applications will become more differentiated in the near future, as Comapping continues to target business users and MeadMap becomes more customized to meet the needs of students. Mead has deep roots in the education market, and could give this new Web 2.0 venture some major traction. It will be interesting to see how MeadMap evolves in the months ahead!

If you'd like to play around with MeadMapping, the two companies have graciously agreed to provide the readers of this blog with a special promotional code that you can use to sign up for 6 months of access. Normal pricing is US$12 for 6 months, or US$20 for a year. The Mind Mapping Software Blog promotional code is MINDTYP01, and is good for the first 500 users. Click here to register for MeadMap.

During the last year or so, I have maintained an extensive chart that compares the features of 22 desktop mind mapping programs. Normally, I only make this available as a bonus report for my e-books. But because it has generated such strong interest from so many people, I have decided to make it available as a separate report, for one week only.

The Mind Mapping Software Comparison chart covers over 80 features and program characteristics - the most exhaustive summary of these programs you'll find anywhere. Categories covered include:

• Operating system(s) supported
• Program versions
• Map formats/views offered
• Topic features
• Map-level features
• Advanced features
• Tablet PC support
• Overall interface features
• Microsoft Office integration
• Export formats supported

This information-packed chart is regularly updated as new versions of these software programs become available. In fact, for the sake of accuracy, I ask each software developer to update its own listing with all of the latest information, rather than relying on me visiting each developer's website. Several developers also recommend new features to be added to the chart, ensuring that it's as accurate and complete as possible. The chart even contains links to each developer's website for your convenience.

Because I have offered this comparison chart as part of a premium e-book package, I need to attach a value to it, so I don't upset my existing customers. Therefore, you can purchase it for only $9.95 - but only for a limited time – one week. After Friday, May 9, 2008, it will only be available as a bonus report once again.

So if you've ever wanted to know what other mind mapping software programs are on the market and what they have to offer, now's the time to invest in this inexpensive yet comprehensive software comparison chart.

Click here to order it

Dave Gray, the CEO of XPLANE, has launched a multi-part "Visual Thinking School" on Squidoo. It consists of a series of "lenses" (resource pages) that together form a "mini-course" on various facets of visual thinking, including:

• An introduction to visual thinking
• Visual communication skills - how to make your messages more clear, concise and consistent
• Visual vocabulary - Learn about a set of elements, or visual "words" that make communicating visually possible
• Visual thinking tools - This lens is still under construction, but Dave's tools of choice are pencil/pen and paper.
• Visual thinking spaces - Some work spaces are more conducive to visual thinking than others. Dave shares some tips for setting up your workspace to support it.
• Sketching - All about learning to "see" visually - it's not as hard as you think!
• Signs, symbols and icons - These elements are ways to represent a complete thought in a simple way. Dave explains how to utilize them.
• Information design - This is the discipline of developing structures which allow people to find information that's relevant to them (e.g., website design and structure is a great example)
• Visual mapping - A way to think through complex problems or solve problems - visually. This mini-course does focus on mind maps, concept maps, flow charts and other techniques.

Dave is a pretty brilliant guy. Even though most of these presentations don't deal directly with mind mapping or mind mapping software, many of the underlying principles and concepts are here, and are explained briefly and clearly. I highly recommend that you check out these visual thinking resources!

After several months of silence, Stefan Schuster, the developer of Mind42, recently posted an update to his blog about this web-based mind mapping application. After working his way through some server issues, he has returned to developing new features for Mind42, which he hopes to move out of beta testing in the near future.

New in the latest build are these features:

• An improved map dialog, which now includes thumbnail previews of each of your maps stored on the web service.
• Image/PDF export, one of the most wanted features by users of Mind42. You can now export your maps to PDF or PNG (an image format).

It's nice to see that Mind42 continues to move forward. After a strong start, this collaboration-focused visual mapping tool appeared to be dead in the water. That's the problem, I suppose, when the developer is one person - he or she may get sidetracked by other priorities for a period of time, and then the application languishes for a while...

Developer Codemart GmbH announced the launch of MindMeister 2.0 yesterday. MindMeister has been one of the most popular web-based mind mapping tools since its introduction in 2007. This new version of the application includes many new features, plus a new Team Edition. Here's a summary of what's new in MindMeister 2.0:

• Task support: Topics can now contain task information, such as priority and percentage complete.
• File attachments: Premium users of MindMeister can attach files to map topics.
• WunderLink performs a Yahoo search and inserts the number one search result in your map. Why would you want this? It could be a terrific way to bring new creative stimuli into your mind map - sort of an idea catalyst - cool!
• WunderNote performs FreeBase (a competitor to Wikipedia in the collective human knowledge space) look-ups based on the name of the currently selected topic, and inserts the results in a topic note.
• Sub-sharing for maps: People you have approved to collaborate on a map can now invite others to edit it. Of course, this is an option you can turn off if you're not comfortable with it!
• Formatting and navigation enhancements: You can now apply text styles selectively to child ideas. MindMeister 2.0 now offers improved formatting of first level branches, and the ability to expand and collapse map levels.
• Note and link enhancements: The notes editor is now larger, and offers more text formatting options. MindMeister 2.0 adds a links widget in the sidebar, plus a "Show popular links" command for more idea stimulation.

The Team Edition of MindMeister, previously available as a web service, also gains some new features. For example, you can brand the login page with your corporate logo. You can also access your team's MindMeister workspace through a branded subdomain (such as acmecompany.mindmeister.com). You can also import your team list into MindMeister Team Edition using a CSV file, which should help you to get your team collaborating faster than ever with this robust, web-based mapping tool.

I can see that I'm going to need to spend some serious time with MindMeister 2.0 to find out how all of this cool new stuff works. I'll let you know what I think of it some time next week, I hope!

MatchWare, the developers of the excellent OpenMind 2 for Windows, recently launched a Mac OS X version of their flagship mind mapping software program. It appears to have all of the features and functionality of the Windows version, including export to Microsoft Word, HTML websites and an interactive Timeline view. OpenMind Mac Edition is priced at $279 USD; the program is available at select Apple retail stores or directly from MatchWare.