A normal day for most busy people consists of a constant string of tasks: go to work, get the kids ready for school, unload the dishwasher, mow the lawn, etc. The problem is, there isn't any room in the day for exercise! At least, it seems so. Students in college, professors, businessmen and women, and others from all fields of work often confront this same dilemma. There are many pressures on how we spend our bit of free time. However, the quality of the exercise done often trumps the quantity of it. Here are some ways to get the most out of your few minutes of exercise time. 1. Take a walk If you have few options, taking a 10-15 minute walk over your lunch break is a nice way to … [Read more...] about 5 Exercise Tips for Busy People
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Dropbox Review
We have been looking at several different types of file sharing and online storage tools here at Productivity 501. Each one has useful features that make it stand out. The same principle continues with this review of Dropbox, an online utility that works on computers running Mac OS, Windows or even Linux. Dropbox Features One of the neatest things Dropbox can do is that it will sync files from one platform to the next. For example, if the user wants files from his or her Mac synced with those of their PC, it is no problem for the product to move between operating systems. Any changes are synced with all enabled computers through the web. One neat thing is that the program shows the … [Read more...] about Dropbox Review
Virtual Assistance Companies
In light of the recent rise in popularity of virtual assistants, we thought that our readers would find a listing of virtual assistance providers to be useful. Executive Secretarial Services This company provides expert virtual assistance in paralegal matters, freelance office management and secretarial services. Kim Hughes and Company Kim Hughes and Company gives expert advice and assistance in real estate. They specialize in assisting real estate professionals attain their goals. Loose Ends Loose Ends is a VA company that provides a wide variety of services, a few of which are graphic design services, project management services and blog support services. Business … [Read more...] about Virtual Assistance Companies
Working Offline with Gmail
There is a new experimental feature in Gmail that will let you read the reply to emails when you aren't online. It is done using Google Gears which is an add in for browsers that let the store data locally and run offline. Google previously brought this offline functionality to their RSS reader. … [Read more...] about Working Offline with Gmail
Excercise and Cognitive Performance
Most of us have gone for a walk to clear our heads at one time or another. Most often, we tend to take this form of exercise while working on very mind-intensive problems, such as studying or reading a hard-to-understand piece of material. According to some researchers, there may be a connection between exercise and clear thinking. According to this article, your daily run may not only keep you in good health physically, but may also help "clear the cobwebs" from your mind. One of the more widely publicized benefits of exercise is its positive effects on stress levels. As our society moves toward technical jobs rather than those involving physical labor, the number of people living a … [Read more...] about Excercise and Cognitive Performance
Making Habits of New Years Resolutions
New Years resolutions are a very familiar concept to most of us. The tradition of these habit-changing goals originated in ancient times in Babylon, according to most academic sources. The Romans picked up and carried on this tradition and interestingly enough, one common resolution was to ask forgiveness from enemies of the prior year. In Medieval times, the date for the New Year was changed several times, but was eventually returned to January 1st. Cultural Differences According to this article by Brooke Williams, some cultures take their New Years resolutions quite seriously. The Chinese, for example, have made house cleaning an important customary event on the first day of … [Read more...] about Making Habits of New Years Resolutions
Webnotes Review
There are many jobs and tasks today that involve very extensive research and preparation. With the advent of the internet in recent times, the search for information for students, employees and those at the executive level is much simpler and more convenient than it was several decades ago. The internet has many advantages that we could discuss; however, it does have one shortcoming for those that are conducting extensive research. If the articles were on paper already, the researcher could easily jot down some notes directly on the paper, sharing his or her thoughts with colleagues and fellow students. It could be argued that the person could print the information from the web pages, … [Read more...] about Webnotes Review
HyperSpace
HyperSpace is small OS that lets you boot up a computer very quickly for basic tasks like web browsing and email. It doesn't replace windows, but provides a lightweight environment that boots in seconds with very low battery consumption. It looks like a great way to check your email when you only have 5 minutes and don't want to spend half of that time just getting your computer OS up and running. If you find yourself constantly running out of battery or waiting for your laptop to boot, this might be worth looking into. … [Read more...] about HyperSpace
Study Tips
Many people will be going back to school this semester, and we thought that a list of study tips would be helpful to students as they start out a new set of classes. Study your notes after each class period, not just before tests. Start reviewing a week ahead of time if you can. That way you'll have a margin for error. Find a good, quiet place with few distractions to study in. Study in sections. For example: one hour of studying, 20 minute break, and so on... Study during the day if you can, rather than leaving it for the evening. Take a look at your classwork and determine early on which one needs the most time devoted to it. That way, you know which one you might need to … [Read more...] about Study Tips
Skydeck
Skydeck is a new service that integrates with your cell phone to give you a number of features. It syncs with your textmessages, transcribes your voicemail and lets you call people from your computer using your cell phone as your caller id number. You can then do stuff like search through all of your voice and text messages just like you'd search through your email. Plans are $10 to $30 and you have to have a Blackberry or Android phone. If you place a lot of outgoing phone calls, the ability to make them from your computer may make the service pay for itself. On of my favorite Skydeck features is the way it handles new phone numbers. When you dial a number on your phone, Skydeck will … [Read more...] about Skydeck