In this post, I'll share my thoughts on GyroQ and a simple screen movie to show how I use GyroQ and why I consider it a valuable addition to my productivity toolbox.
What GyroQ Does
First, GyroQ allows me to quickly capture ideas and actions via a small pop-up window, regardless of the program I'm currently using.
Second, GyroQ automatically populates a MindManager Map with all of the the thoughts and actions I've captured.
How it works
GyroQ is keyboard driven. I press CTRL+Q to launch the GyroQ pop-up capture window. By default GyroQ allows me to capture into a single in-tray in MindManager. I chose to take advantage of the four additional categories for a total of five capture categories. I like the fact that MindManager does not have to be running and that ideas and actions I've captured remain in the queue - the GyroQ - until I am ready to process them. When I am ready to process my captured items, I simply press the "Send Queue" button and watch while GyroQ opens the designated MindManager map and populates it with the items from my queue.
How I use it
I use it as an on-the-fly idea capture tool - this is my primary use and where I've found the greatest benefit. I;ve also found it useful when I need to do a quick brain dump and I don't want to load MindManager at that time
Why I think it's cool
I can quickly and easily capture a thought or idea, regardless of what program I am using at the time. I can [optionally] categorize my captured thoughts to simplify future processing. For example, I choose to group my captured items by area of focus to make my weekly review easier. Because it takes less time to capture an idea, I'm more likely to get things out of my head.
Once again, the folks at Gyronix have provided the Mind Manager community with a powerful tool to make it easy to capture ideas and actions into a mind map.
Personal wish list: I'd like to see Gyronix to create a version for that will also capture into Lotus Notes so that I can make it the front-end to my eProductivity Template for Lotus Notes. I understand, from talking with Nick Duffill, that they plan to license customized versions of GyroQ, so perhaps my dream can become reality. In any case, it's a great product and I encourage you to keep an eye open for it.
To watch my screen video on GyroQ
I'm testing a new embedded video add-in for DominoBlog, created by Tanny O'Haley, which allows me to easily include video in my blog posts.
Click here to go to the video preview of GyroQ. I hope you find this helpful.
To learn more
Visit http://www.gyronix.com/gyroq
10/17/2006 UPDATE:
I've just been given a handful of invitations for GyroQ. If you'd like to receive one click here.
Please Note: I do not receive any compensation for sharing these invitations. I don't even care of you buy GyroQ using my invitation. I'm happy to recommend GyroQ because I use it and I think it's a useful product. - Eric.
Discussion/Comments (24):
Does it work the the TIP on your tablet?
Posted at 08/21/2006 14:45:31 by Warner Crocker
No idea yet. My tablet is on its way back from a 4 week visit to the Toshiba repair depot to get the dust removed.
Posted at 08/21/2006 16:44:40 by Eric Mack
Fred's posted another great review of GyroQ on The Mind Mapping Web Blog:
{ Link }
Posted at 08/21/2006 16:45:13 by Eric Mack
Interesting - thanks, Eric. For me, the lack of completion is a deal breaker, mainly because I use tags to annotate my ideas/comments/etc. More at "My Big-Arse Text File - a Poor Man's Wiki+Blog+PIM": { Link }
Posted at 08/22/2006 19:15:17 by Matthew Cornell
Hi Eric I am having problems playin the video. When I click on the image the a get a player but no video.
Posted at 08/23/2006 10:53:48 by Mike
Mike, the video is designed to play in Windows media player.
That said, perhaps you can share some details about your environment (via email, please) and Tanny or I will see what we can figure out.
Eric
Posted at 08/23/2006 12:03:07 by Eric Mack
Eric,
Thank you very much for the quick review of GyroQ.
A couple quick questions:
1. Is GyroQ limited to mindmanager? or can it be used for Outlook and/other PIM softwares?
2. Do you prefer Mindmanager over OutLook as your trusted system? If so, can you kindly share your thought why so?
Thanks in advance,
John
Posted at 08/26/2006 11:57:45 by John
I don't see the point. I do exactly the same thing in MindManager. In fact that's one of the advantages of having it. I have a "top" map named All My Work that has links to major categories of items plus some short cuts to current project maps. Sub maps are likewise organized. If I have a thought on some project, I can readily go to the appropriate map. I even have a scratchpad map for ideas unrelated to projects and a "reference" map for various types of information and research I might call on later. On most of my project maps, I have a "research" node and an "ideas" or "notes" node to which I can attach stuff on the fly.
Why don't you want to keep MM open (other than the excellent reason that it tends to rudely hog the CPU periodically)?
Seems like your tool requires you to figure out which maps everything belongs on when you sit down to process it, whereas I like to go to
Posted at 10/19/2006 9:49:58 by Jim McDaniel
Jim
The purpose of GyroQ is to consciously separate interruptions (including when you "interrupt" yourself with a great idea) from thinking, processing and deciding. Your approach for keeping MindManager open the whole time is great, and we know there are other power users who do the same thing. But GyroQ is mainly designed for typical users who use MindManager for an hour or two each day. Above all, it is meant to be simple to use, but there are also a lot of power user features beneath the surface. GyroQ can send ideas or actions straight to the "in-tray" of a number of different maps, or can prompt for a destination map. So it could fit right in to your system. It also lets you capture ideas on multiple systems and feed them into common maps. It really depends on how much processing of ideas and interruptions is appropriate at the moment when they occur. David Allen tells us that this should be kept to a minimum for a "mind like water".
Posted at 10/19/2006 12:47:36 by Nick Duffill
Is there anyway to automate the "Send Queue"? It would be nice if every 5-15 minutes it Sent the Queue to MindManager if it was open. If it's not possible, I wonder if someone can make an Autohotkey script that'll do it.
Posted at 10/28/2006 21:06:32 by Tim
You can achieve this by installing GyroActivator, putting the code below in a file with a .gyr extension, and then launching that file with "Windows Scheduled Tasks" (under program files, accessories, system tools)
{send; run:queue:'GyroQ\GyroActivator-Queue.txt';}
Posted at 10/29/2006 4:25:36 by ActivityOwner
Thanks for the quick response. Does that mean that I need the developer's edition?
Posted at 10/29/2006 6:15:01 by Tim
Yes -- You also need to install GyroActivator. Contact Gyronix for download information.
Posted at 10/29/2006 11:28:17 by ActivityOwner
I have tried GyroQ and found it to be a great product.
Posted at 02/21/2007 6:51:39 by Mohamed Adam
If anyone could help I'd appreciate it. I'm using GyroQ, but in the daily capture map the tags do not appear. I'd like to use the tags to categorize these items. When I right click on the item in the daily capture map, there is an option to install the GyroQ tags, but that yields a message saying this item has no valid GyroQ tag. I've done searching online and consulted the help menus... what am I missing?
Thanks.
Posted at 05/18/2007 10:12:27 by Michael Eldridge
GyroQ comes with a default set of "tags" that you can access by hitting "Control-Q" and pressing the "tag" button.
You can also install custom tags by getting "packed text" that encodes the tag into GyroQ.
One way that Gyronix does this is to distribute maps with the "packed text" for a tag in the notes of topics. If you click right on the topic, you can "install GyroQ tag" to get the tag installed (and hence the menu command that is confusing you).
The word "tag" might be a bit confusing. It might be better referred to as a "script", "sequence", or "GyroQ macro".
Posted at 05/18/2007 14:22:05 by ActivityOwner
Thanks, Activity Owner. Michael, be sure to check out ActivityOwner's site, too. He's done some amazing things with GyroQ.
Eric
Posted at 05/21/2007 19:55:07 by Eric Mack
GyroQ is mainly designed for typical users who use Mind Manager for an hour or two each day. Above all, it is meant to be simple to use, but there are also a lot of power user features beneath the surface. GyroQ can send ideas or actions straight to the "in-tray" of a number of different maps, or can prompt for a destination map....
Posted at 06/29/2009 4:00:34 by GyroQ Application.
Newbie here. I don't entirely understand. I understand the basic concept of GyroQ which sends items entered to the default Capture Map in my case. So when I go to the Capture Map to process I might have 20 items. I understand that to make things simpler you are supposed to be able to make links to your most used maps to facilitate easier processing. I don't seem to be able to do this. How do I set up the link which will allow me to automatically send to that map. Do I drag and drop? I'm a little in the dark here. Could someone please direct this newbie to an example of how to achieve this?
Thanks for any assistance you can offer.
Posted at 07/27/2009 17:25:22 by Lyla Willows
GyroQ 2 will work with MindManager Pro 6, Pro 7 and MindManager 8 but you can only associate it with one of these at a time (you get to select your MindManager Version when you install GyroQ)If you change versions of MindManager just reinstall GyroQ and choose again.
Posted at 08/18/2009 22:11:26 by Shivan
For some reason, the move to another map macro is not working. I keep getting the following error:
'An error occurred while trying to access this macro: c:\program files\GyroQ\GyroQ-MoveTo.MMBas
Please check that the macro is valid.'
Any thoughts?
Posted at 12/08/2009 21:32:43 by Dennis
No idea. Probably worth checking GYROQ Support.
Posted at 12/08/2009 21:51:22 by Eric Mack
I gotta agree with you. GyroQ ROCKS! What makes it really shine is that it doesn't get in the way of your creative flow. It just does its job and then retreats to the Windows system tray. It has a simple, elegant design that does one thing, and does it very well.
Posted at 09/01/2010 5:10:24 by казино
Discussion for this entry is now closed.