After a conversation today about the latest iPhone rumors, a coworker was recently impressed with how much I knew about the latest gadgets, rumors, and trends in technology. He asked how I kept up with it all – which is a valid questions when you think about how much information is out there. TV, radio, cell phones, the internet, laptops… there are a ton of ways to get information, but very few helpful ways to disseminate that information into comprehensible pieces.
I told my coworker about RSS and was really surprised he hadn’t heard about it before. My Google Reader (feed reader of choice) is essential to my daily routine. I even have a link to Google Reader on my iPhone so I can check it from anywhere!
So this post is my encouragement for anyone and everyone out there to start using a feed reader to help you keep up-to-date with what interests you. You want to keep up-to-date with politics? Subscribe to your favorite political blog or even CNN’s political news feed.
You prefer to keep up to date with iPhone rumors? There are plenty of blogs that you can follow with only a click or two.
So, to help you get started with Google Reader be sure to check out Andy Wibbels’ How-to Video. But in reality, it couldn’t be easier to get started with Google Reader… so get going!
There are a TON of apps that I could spend days rambling about, but one of my favorites that I always convince family and friends to install is Quicksilver.
Not sure what Quicksilver is? It’s a luncher, a search tool, a shortcut tool, a butler, a maid, and a kitchen sink. It’s everything! And every day I read about people who have created yet another plugin to further enhance the program.
But if you’re new to Quicksilver, or want to just see what all the fuss is about, then check out the two screencasts that my friends over at TheAppleBlog cooked up. These videos for beginners will introduce you to the wonderful world of Quicksilver. And I promise you, once you’ve seen Quicksilver… you’ll never go back!
Download Quicksilver here.
When I saw this design by Yann Le Coroller today I cried… just a little.
This ultra portable “Mactab” is designed as the complement to MacBook. The incredibly thin wireless keyboard is also used as a protection cover for transportation. It stays in place with a combination of magnets and notches. On the back of the computer, a hinge allows it to be put in a vertical position so you can use Mactab comfortably on your desk.
There’s not much else to say, so I’ll just let you just stare… I know I did.
If you’re like me, your desk looks a little like this:
With the growing number of peripherals we are accumulating every day – external hard drives, printers, scanners, speakers, iPod docks, camera docks, etc. it’s tough to keep your desk clean enough to actually use.
But I came across an amazing tutorial by www.decluttered.com which outlines the way to transform your desk into this:
with nothing else but some cable ties and some MDF pegboard. Genius! Simply Genius!
I’m a big fan of Merlin Mann and his quest for apps, tricks, and tips that help people to become more productive in work – and in life in general.
And I loved his recent post on Apple’s Mail.app and the use of Smart Mailboxes. I’ve always known that smart mailboxes existed in Mail.app, but I’ve never taken the time to explore the possibilities of using them.
I guess my biggest problem is that I can’t see my problems clear enough to find a solution. For example, I often run into the problem where I’m trying to find an email that I read just the other day, but can’t seem to find it anywhere. But instead of thinking of Smart Folders like Merlin did, I usually just spend more time looking. Put another way, sometimes I find myself working harder and not necessarily smarter.
In any case, if you use Apple’s Mail application, you should read Merlin’s article on smart folders and consider setting up the a few he suggests, or try and create your own that help you work smarter.
As Adobe announced its new lineup of CS3 flavors, I couldn’t help but feel a little confused. The myriad of options reminded me too much of the dozens of flavors of Vista that Microsoft came out with recently. I’m all about choices for consumers… but there’s a point when too many choices just breeds confusion. So since Microsoft and Adobe seem to have adopted the same business model, I figured why not join together and combine Vista with CS3 – offering consumers 4,232 configurations of vista flavors and CS3 versions.
But straw that tipped the scales in my little theory was my attempt to use Adobe Acrobat Professional during work today. After a lengthy boot time, I was prompted (again) to update the software which had accumulated 4 updates from the last time I had used it… yesterday. It was then that it hit me how bloated and heavy Adobe Acrobat was. Similar to many Microsoft products, the software started out great – useful, fast, innovative, small – but then grew in features and menus and widgets to scare any normal user.
So with both companies offering too many product options to count and both companies offering about a dozen updates a week… their combination would be a match made in heaven, wouldn’t it?
