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You Shouldn’t Always Look for the Right Tool

2009 by 12 Comments
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When I was 13, I set my room on fire for the first time.  I had found an electric fan that I assumed had been wired together by my uncle (and electronics guru).  When I plugged it in, there was a loud pop, some sparks and a flaming piece of the switch flew to the floor and started burning the carpet. I took off running downstairs for the fire extinguisher in the kitchen.  My mom (who happened to be in the room) calmly walked over and put the fire out by stepping on it. It turns out that the fan had been wired together by my 11 year old brother, who had hooked a 12 volt automotive fan into a regular household wiring cord with an automotive switch, shorting the connection between the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: ,

The Power of Paper

2009 by 6 Comments
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Everyone has their favorite and least favorite tools.  For example, I love my computer, but tend to despise fax machines.  Today, I had a bunch of work to do that would have been much easier with a fax machine.  I managed to do everything I needed using a scanner and email, but I was finally forced to admit that there is still room for a fax machine in my tool set.  I still don't really like fax machines, but sometimes it is the perfect tool for the job.  Today, I felt like I was using a screwdriver to drive nails--sure, the nail will go in eventually, but a hammer is really what you need.  It would be silly to decide that I don't like hammers, so I'm going to use a screwdriver, but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Organize Tagged With: , ,

TripIt Review

2009 by 3 Comments
tripit1

Though vacations are intended to be a time for creating a stress-free environment and enjoying some time off, they can quickly turn into another stressful situation. Most people will know what I mean when they remember the map shuffling, wrong turns and itinerary confusion. In other words, mass chaos! Though it is probably not possible to eliminate the stress of traveling, there are some effective tools that can help vacationers organize their travel information into a single, decidedly un-confusing plan. One such tool is a product called TripIt. This helpful web-based tool allows the user to integrate all of their travel plans for a trip into a central document. The program takes … [Read more...]

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SugarSync Review

2009 by 3 Comments
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Ever felt like you were tied down by carrying around too many gadgets? For those that use both Macs and PC's, transferring files across platforms can be time consuming or downright difficult, causing many to cart around two different machines to have access to both sets of files. However, the developers at SugarSync have come up with a better way of doing things. Staying connected There are a few programs out there that sync mobile devices with your computer. SugarSync not only does this, but also syncs files across the Mac and PC operating systems and automatically backs up those files to your own, personal SugarSync web site. This web site is secure, and allows the user to … [Read more...]

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Perfect Tools

2008 by 9 Comments
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One of the biggest hindrances to personal productivity is the search for perfect tools. Let's consider an analogy. John is a carpenter and he wants to be the most productive carpenter he can possibly be.  To reach this goal, he decides he needs the best tools possible, so he sets out to find the perfect hammer. John visits many stores and tries out different hammers.  They all work fine, but he notices subtle differences.  He finally settles on a wonderful  hammer that he uses for a week, but then he discovers that it gives him a blister, so he sets out to find a better hammer. John may or may not ever find the perfect hammer.  However, the productivity gain between a "good" … [Read more...]

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Paradox of Powerful Tools

2008 by 10 Comments
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I once worked with an organization that was using two different word processors. They had an old mainframe system with an integrated office suite that been in use for years. The mainframe was accessible from dumb terminals as well as from the newly added PCs. As they added PC's, more and more employees began switching to Microsoft Word. I once worked with an organization that was using two different word processors. They had an old mainframe system with an integrated office suite that been in use for years. The mainframe was accessible from dumb terminals as well as from the newly added PCs. As they added PC's, more and more employees began switching to Microsoft Word. Word was a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: , ,

Some Online Tools

2008 by Leave a Comment

Rajesh pointed me to Jiffle a web based program for scheduling meetings that integrates with Outlook and Google Calendar. One of the more interesting uses is allowing customers to directly schedule and appointment when you whenever you are free. It looks like it provides many of the features of an Exchange server--without the server. Louise wrote to tell me about PassPack an online password manager. It will let you autologin to your saved sites and will generate passwords for you. … [Read more...]

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