Personal information management (PIM) refers to the practice and the study of the activities people perform in order

to acquire, organize, maintain, retrieve and use information items such as documents (paperbased and digital), web pages and email messages for everyday use to complete tasks (work-related or not) and fulfill a persons various roles (as parent, employee, friend, member of community, etc.). One ideal of PIM is that we always have the right information in the right place, in the right form, and of sufficient completeness and quality to meet our current need. Technologies and tools such as personal information managers help us spend less time with timeconsuming and error-prone activities of PIM (such as looking for information). We then have more time to make creative, intelligent use of the information at hand in order to get things done, or to simply enjoy the information itself. Interest in the study of PIM has increased in recent years. One goal in the study of PIM is to identify ways to introduce new tool support without inadvertently increasing the complexity of a persons information management challenge. The study of PIM means understanding better how people manage information across tools and over time. It is not enough simply to study, for example, e-mail use in isolation. A related point is that the value of a new tool must be assessed over time and in a broader context of a persons various PIM activities

There are a number of tools available for managing personal information, but these tools can become a part of the problem leading to information fragmentation. Different devices and applications often come with their separate ways of storing and organizing information. NOTE: Many people confuse PIM tools with the study and practice of personal information management itself. See personal information manager for information about tools for personal information management PIM shares considerable, potentially synergistic overlap with disciplines such as cognitive science, humancomputer interaction, information science, artificial intelligence, database management and information retrieval. PIM relates to but differs from other fields of inquiry that study the interactions between people, information and technology. a discussion of time management or task management on a personal level quickly takes us back to a discussion of PIM. Both time and task management make heavy use of information tools and external forms of information such as to-do lists, calendars, timelines, Gantt charts, etc. This information, to be managed like other information. A personal information manager (often referred to as a PIM tool or, more simply, a PIM) is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study. As an information management tool, a

PIM tool's purpose is to facilitate the recording, tracking, and management of certain types of "personal information". Personal information can include any of the following Personal notes/journal Address books Lists (including task lists) Significant calendar dates o Birthdays o Anniversaries o Appointments and meeting Reminders Email, instant message archives Fax communications, voicemail Project management features RSS/Atom feeds Alerts References (including scientific references, websites of interest)

Some PIM software products are capable of synchronizing data with another PIM tool over a computer network, including mobile ad-hoc networks, or MANETs. This feature usually does not allow for continuous, concurrent data updates, but rather enables point-in-time updating between different computers, including desktop computers, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants. Prior to the introduction of the term PDA by Apple in 1992, handheld personal organizers such as the Sharp

Wizard and the Psion Organizer were also referred to as "PIMs". Personal Information manager technology has been heavily discussed in the past decade due to constant bouts of criticism and praise. These modern managing technologies have been said to change the way our brains work by neurologists who are concerned with humans' ability to interact effectively and with modifying their capacity to the fullest potential. Additionally, studies are currently being conducted to determine how the use of PIM tools such as lists, calendars, address books, etc. affect today's youth. Currently, one third of the average youth's waking hours are spent using a technological tool's screen Campaigns for lessening the public's use of PIM tools and new communications technologies through "media abstinence" are becoming increasingly popular. On the contrary, while an increasing number of people seem to become addicted to PIM tools and other new communications technologies, these technologies are growing in praise for their ability to connect people and effectively keep them connected while increasing organization and allowing for new brain function mechanisms. The time management and communications functions of PIMs largely migrated from PDAs to smart phones, with RIM (Research in Motion), Apple and others all manufacturing smart phones that offer most if not all of the functions of earlier PDAs. The convergence of many communications technologies, including telephone, email, social media, news and journalism, and radio transmission, in a compact, ubiquitous device, along with the ability of these devices to create, transmit and

publish voice, text, photos and video almost instantaneously is a development that many social commentators expect will revolutionize the way humans interact with each other, and with government and the media. Open source applications PIM applicati Platform(s) Notes on Linux, Mac OS Free form approach Chandler X, Microsoft based on Lotus Windows Agenda Linux, Microsoft Evolution Windows, Unix, GNOME all operating systems with Haystack POSIX and Java Java-based Semantic Microsoft Desktop wrapper Open IRIS Windows around Mozilla Suite, Open Office Glow, etc. Integrates with Emacs BBDB for contact management support, Crossweb browsers for org-mode platform hyperlink storing support. Free iPhone app available (MobileOrg)

PIM applicati Platform(s) on Linux, Microsoft Kontact Windows, Unix, Mac OS X, KDE Linux, Open Solaris, Mozilla Solaris, Mac Calendar OS X, Project Microsoft Windows, OS/2 CrossSpicebird platform Crossical platform

Notes

Mozilla Thunderbird remake

Freeware applications PIM Platform( applicati s) on Microsoft Windows Web Notes Organizes information via full power outline and tag assignments. (Tags can contain text, numeric, or date data. Date data automatically mapped to calendar.)

Ecco Pro

Google

PIM Platform( applicati s) on Calendar application Mac OS, Palm Microsoft Desktop Windows Planz Windows XP, Vista, 7

Notes

Provides a single, integrative document-like view of personal information as an overlay to the user's file system.

Remembe Web r The Milk application Yahoo! Web Calendar application Windows Has a freeware offline client Web Live (Windows Live Mail) for Microsoft application Calendar Windows only

Non-free applications PIM Platform(s) application Web Backpack application Contactizer Mac OS X Notes Todo list and calendar

previously known as "OD4Contact" 3D Microsoft organizes information into 3D Topicscape Windows landscapes Windows, Mac Calendar, Contacts, Projects, Daisho OS X, Linux Email DEVONthink Mac OS X

PIM Platform(s) application eM Client Entourage EverNote FileMaker Franklin Planner family Microsoft Windows Mac OS Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows

Notes Email, Calendar, Contacts, IM, lot of imports, mobile devices synchronization, skype integration, full synchronization with Gmail

Modeled on Benjamin Franklin's writings; includes earlier "Ascend" and current "PlanPlus" products

Linux, Mac OS Lotus Notes X, Microsoft Windows Lotus Microsoft Organizer Windows Meeting Linux, Mac OS, Maker Solaris Microsoft Microsoft Office Windows Outlook mobile Microsoft PhoneTools Windows NoteScribe Microsoft Windows Create and store notes in a hierarchical category tree, organize information

PIM Platform(s) application Linux, Mac OS, Novell Microsoft GroupWise Windows, Web application Now Up-toMac OS, Date & Microsoft Contact Windows Microsoft OneNote Windows PrimaSoft Microsoft Organizer Windows Deluxe/Pro Personal Microsoft Knowbase Windows Web Plaxo application Things Tinderbox Treepad Wrike Yojimbo Zoot Mac OS Mac OS Linux, Microsoft Windows Web application Mac OS Windows

Notes

Freeform note-taking organizer. Portable.

Task management and scheduling

Human-computer and human-information interaction The study of PIM is also related to the field of humancomputer interaction (HCI). But PIM research puts emphasis on the broader study of how people manage their information over time using a variety of tools some computer-based, some not. The User-Subjective Approach is the first approach dedicated specifically to PIM systems design. Its theoretical foundations were first published in a Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology paper in 2009.

Some of the softwares of PIM

Evernote is a suite of software and services designed for notetaking and archiving. A "note" can be a piece of formatted text, a full webpage or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo, or a handwritten "ink" note. Notes can also have file attachments. Notes can be sorted into folders, then tagged, annotated, edited, given comments, searched and exported as part of a notebook. Evernote supports a number of operating system platforms (including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS and WebOS), and also offers online synchronization and backup services.

Evernote makes it easy to remember things big and small from your notable life using your computer, phone, and the web.

Take notes anywhere. You're always moving, your notes should be too. With Evernote, your memories are on every computer, phone and device you use.

Remember things you like. Save everything cool and exciting you see online and in the real world. Snap a photo, record some audio and save it.

Plan your next trip. Keep all of your itineraries, confirmations, scanned travel documents, maps, and plans in Evernote, so you'll have them when you need them.

Save favorite webpages. Save entire webpages to your Evernote account with our nifty browser extensions. You get the whole page: text, images and links.

Work with friends and colleagues. Share your notes and collaborate on projects with friends, colleagues and classmates.

Keep everything in sync. With Evernote, all of your notes, web clips, files and images are made available on every device and computer you use.

Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chats over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system. Skype has also become popular for its additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer, and videoconferencing. Skype has 663 million registered users as of September 2011. The network is operated by Skype Limited, which has its headquarters in Luxembourg. Most of the development team and 44% of the overall employees of Skype are situated in the offices of Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia Unlike other VoIP services, Skype is a peer-to-peer system rather than a clientserver system, and makes use of background processing on computers running Skype software; the original name proposed Sky peerto-peer reflects this.

See how easy it is to use Skype

Video Calling Free video calling makes it easy to be together, even when you're not. Now with group video.

Call phones and mobiles Call people on their phones at the best rates from 1.9c***/min or even cheaper with a subscription.

Instant Messaging Quick question or a friendly catch up, type and chat whenever you need to.

Skype Manager Manage Skype for everyone at work. Get Skype Manager

How to make free video calls

How to call phones and landlines

How to use Skype at work Do even more with Skype

One click internet access

Get online and pay as you go with Skype Credit through WiFi providers at over 200,000 hotspots with Skype WiFi.

Facebook on Skype Call your Facebook friends directly from your News Feed and Phonebook in the new Skype for Windows.

28,489,728 people online right now Every minute of every day, millions of people around the world use Skype to keep in touch for free.

Remember the Milk (RTM) is an application service provider for web-based task- and time-management. It allows users to manage tasks from computer as well as offline. It is being developed by an Australian/international team.

Just a few things you can do with Remember The Milk

Manage tasks quickly and easily. Get reminded, An intuitive interface anywhere. Receive reminders makes managing via email, SMS, and tasks fun. Set due dates easily with next instant messenger Friday or in 2 weeks. (AIM, Gadu-Gadu, Extensive keyboard Google Talk, ICQ, shortcuts make task Jabber, MSN, Skype management quicker and Yahoo! are all supported). than ever.

Organize the way you want to. Are you a list lover? Create as many lists as you need. Into tagging? Use the task cloud to easily see what you have to do. Want to store notes along with your tasks? You can do that too.

Add tasks wherever you are. Locate your tasks. Work together to Adding tasks is as simple as firing off an Use the map to see get things done. email (even from where your tasks are Share, send and located in the real publish tasks and lists your phone). See an world. See what's with your contacts or important date on the web? Add it to your nearby or on your the world. Remind way, and plan the your significant other list with Quick Add. best way to get to do their household things done. chores.

Take your tasks Plan your time. with you. See what's due today Access your tasks on and tomorrow, and your web-enabled the things you've mobile device. Print missed. Prioritize, your entire list or a estimate your time, handy weekly planner and postpone with which shows ease. Set tasks to upcoming tasks. View repeat every week or your tasks on your after 2 months. calendar with Apple iCal or Google Calendar. Subscribe to feeds with

Search your tasks the smart way. Find the tasks you want with advanced searching. Save your searches as Smart Lists, and easily see tasks that match your desired criteria.

Atom/RSS.