Ask the Commenters Roundup [Hive Mind]
- I have an empty Atloids tin, what should I do with it?
- I just reinstalled Vista. Suggest some great non-productivity utilities.
- Is Firefox performance effected by the leftovers of removed extensions?
- How can I stop my computer from giving annoying warnings on shutdown?
- I have a brand new Blackberry, What are some must have applications?
- Is there a way to force mailto: links in Firefox, to open in a new tab?
Merlin Mann on Maximizing Your Time [Weekend Watching]
Google asked productivity blogger Merlin Mann to visit their campus and share some insights into getting things done. His presentation covers several interesting aspects of time management and productivity including renegotiating your commitments, controlling who has access to your limited resources like time and output, and qualifying how your commit yourself to tasks to create a more sane work environment. The video is thirty five minutes and worth the watch for a solid set of productivity principles to help you start this coming week on the right foot.
If you enjoyed the video, we've previously covered other great presentations from Merlin, Inbox Zero and Attention Sinks and Time Burglars. For more productivity insights from Mr. Mann check out How I Work: Merlin Mann.
Make Your Own Custom Gummy Candies [Weekend Project]
What could be better than making your own gummy candies? Making your own gummy candies in the shape of an iconic toy. Not only did SFHandyman, a user over at the DIY blog Instructables, write an incredibly detailed tutorial on how to create your own gummy candies he used Lego bricks as his mold. His tutorial covers how to create a food-safe silicone mold, how to mix the gummy candy itself, and slew of tips and tricks. He has tips on how to make sure the candy is clear, how to add flavors and colors, and how to make sure your molds set properly. Even if you don't want to go to the length of creating your own custom mold, the recipe can be used in any mold you can get your hands on including candy and soap molds.
Set up a Gift Wrapping and Mail Station [Holidays]
Cut down on holiday stress this year by setting up a station for gift wrapping and holiday mailing. Last year was the first year in my life I didn't wrap a single present the week of Christmas, let alone on Christmas Eve, and I chalk that up entirely to having a gift wrapping station. Over at the holiday-loving blog Organized Christmas they have a guide to setting up a wrapping and mailing center in your home whether you have an entire room to dedicate to it or a temporary space on half a kitchen table. Many of the tips center on temporarily repurposing household objects for double duty as wrapping aides:
Long, low molded plastic boxes with storage for bows and gift cards slide easily under beds or on a linen closet shelf. An over-the-door shoe bag will keep scissors, bows, tags and ribbons visible as you work.
Even if you live in a studio apartment, it's still possible to convert a bed into a temporary gift wrapping station by placing a heavy sheet of cardboard on the bed to protect it from your fast and furious wrapping paper cutting. Have your wrapping paper well organized, but still wrap presents like you did in second grade? Learn how to properly wrap a gift. For additional holiday suppy organizing tips, check out how to organize your gift wrap supplies. Photo by Compromised Exposure.
Liberate Yourself from Old Email Addresses [How To]
If you've been on the internet for any substantial amount of time you've likely accumulated your fair share of email addresses. Old school addresses, an assortment of free web-based addresses from Hotmail and Yahoo, and so on all contribute to you having too many addresses and little desire to keep checking the old ones. What can you do to cut down on your email excess? Wired Magazine has a how-to guide to help you consolidate your past email addresses without simply abandoning them into the digital void.
In other words, you are a slave to an e-mail address that you don't want or which makes you use an interface that sucks. You can't give it up because thousands of your close personal friends only know you as ClassOf92@aol.com or ILoveNKOTB@hotmail.com. A blind switch to a new e-mail address is out of the question — you probably don't even know everyone who has the old one, and grandma wouldn't understand anyway.
The guide details how to set up a new email service, they use the robust GMail, and properly configure it to take in email from the old addresses and notify the people still using them of your current address. Taking a page from Gina's Future Proofing Your Email playbook, they suggest registering a domain name to keep a permanent address even as the services you use change over time. For more tips on wrangling multiple email accounts with GMail, check out how to consolidate multiple email addresses with GMail.
Five Best Video Chat Applications [Hive Five]
When you really want to stay in touch over a long distance, a simple phone call or voice chat pales in comparison to a face-to-face video chat. You can look your long-distance significant other in the eyes while you talk; your parents can watch their grandkid grow up; and under the right circumstances, video chat can also be an excellent tool for work-related calls and collaboration. The question is, what tools should you be using to get the most out of your calls? Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite video chat applications, and today we're back with the five most popular answers. Keep reading for a closer look at the best video chat tools, then cast your vote for the one you love best.
Google Video Chat (Web-based, Windows/Mac OS X)
Google launched video chat inside Gmail earlier this week, and already it's become a popular option for video chat (that's the power of the GOOG!). Its quick popularity is in no small part thanks to its seamless integration with Gmail—if you've already got a Gmail account, using it is kind of a no-brainer. You will need to install a free plug-in to get started with Google's video chat, but this one works no matter what operating system you're using. Video chat integration isn't yet available on all accounts, but if it hasn't already, it should be coming to a Gmail account near you very soon.
TokBox (Web-based, Supports all platforms)
TokBox is a web-based video chat application. Apart from its standard homepage, where you can login and initiate video chats with anyone through your web browser, TokBox has made its name by integrating with other services. For example, you can install the TokBox for Facebook Firefox extension to start quick video calls with any of your Facebook friends. Likewise, if you're a fan of online instant messaging application Meebo, you can start a video chat from a Meebo IM session using TokBox. If you'd prefer a desktop component, TokBox also has an Adobe AIR desktop app available on their homepage.
Skype (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Skype is a popular VoIP application capable of making PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calls; as long as you've got a webcam, any PC-to-PC call can instantly become a video chat. With the release of Skype 4.0 Beta on Windows, video chat on Skype has been bigger and better than ever. Skype's cross-platform compatibility and generally smooth video are the key elements that keep users coming back to Skype for their video chat needs.
iChat (Mac OS X)
iChat is the default instant messaging application bundled with Mac OS X. iChat boasts multi-user video chat (up to 4 people at once), iChat Theater for sharing and viewing files during a video chat, and a Backdrops feature that allows users to customize what's behind them (e.g., you're in Paris). The downer: iChat is only available on OS X.
Vsee (Windows only)
Vsee is a free Windows videoconferencing application. In addition to VSee's straight up video chat options, it's also designed as a collaboration tool. So, as their demo video explains, you could collaborate with a colleague on a Photoshop document (even if that person doesn't have Photoshop installed) through screen sharing, and you can share that file (or any document, for that matter) by dragging the file onto your chat video. VSee Free supports video chats with up to four people simultaneously, while the paid version supports up to eight at a time.
Now that you've seen the best as chosen by your peers, it's time to vote for your favorite.
This week's honorable mentions go out to Meebo and Digsby, both of which support video chat through the above-mentioned TokBox.
Whether or not your fave made the short list, tell us more about the video chat app you love in the comments.
The ABC's of Self-Development: Accomplishments, Beliefs, Challenges [Learning]
America has chosen our next president. Everyone who voted made their decision for change and growth at least in part based on these three specific concepts. Over time, we will judge the next leader based on his accomplishments. We will continue to support him if we believe he will really make things better. And, we will trust the man we feel is up for the challenges we will surely face over the next four years. It seems that everyone around us is looking forward to our country learning and growing...are you? Photo by dejahthoris.
Consider your own self-development and leadership plan for the next few months. Are your accomplishments enough to keep you going? Do you believe you are prepared to serve your clients? And, are you adequately prepared with the information you will need to face the upcoming challenges? Here are a few ways to get there.
1.) Make it easy to get new information in.
Watching a TED talk or PopTech talk each day (7-23 minutes in length) is a great way to get started. Learning about what's happening "out in the world" will better prepare you to engage with people in conversation, get to know what's important to them, and be someone they trust for years to come. Complement your "world news" diet with these inspiring talks.
2.) Reach out and meet the people you can learn from in your community.
Want to meet someone? Reach out, call or write them a letter and ask for the introduction. Whenever I read a book, hear someone speaking on the radio, or am told about someone doing something incredible, I look them up, and invite them to meet over coffee. So what that not every person says yes...it works and I've met some amazing people!
3.) Pick up the phone and write a card to reach out and touch someone!
When I taught high school from 1995-2000, I called five students a day...every day. I talked with them—as well as their parents—sharing my enthusiasm for my "product," and "sold" them on returning the next day engaged, prepared and ready to participate. Today, I send a minimum of one note card a day sharing my gratitude or acknowledgment for things people are doing. Who can you call or write today?
4.) Spend time sharing with a "listener."
Share your goals, roles, plans and challenges with someone who will listen, accept and help you create new solutions for implementing your ideas. Sometimes just hearing yourself talk will inspire you to action!
How are you planning to learn and grow yourself and your relationships? Let us know in the comments.
Jason Womack travels the world teaching people and their companies about workplace effectiveness and productivity. He is a small business entrepreneur, a former teacher, a busy business traveler, and an active triathlete. He can be reached at 805-640-6401 and by email at jason@jasonwomack.com.
This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]
- Live Mesh Adds Mac, Windows Mobile Clients (Mac, Windows, Windows Mobile)
"Live Mesh, the cloud-based Windows Live service that can synchronize files to the cloud or across computers, has gotten quite a few updates since we last checked out the "tech preview."" - Best Android Apps to Boost Your Mobile Productivity (So Far) (Android)
"The first phone running Android has been out in the wild for two weeks now, and every day new applications have appeared in the Android Market that add fun and functionality to your handset." - Gmail Backup Archives Your Email Account (All platforms)
"Gmail Backup saves and restores complete archives of your Gmail email account using Gmail's built-in IMAP capability." - Sharepod Frees Your iPod From iTunes (Windows)
"You don't have administrative rights or iTunes at work, but you want to be sure you can beat box along to your favorite Kenny G album blasting from the Dell OEM speakers in your cubicle?" - AlwaysVPN Takes U.S.-Only Sites International (All platforms)
"AlwaysVPN, a free virtual private networking service, is promoted as a safer way for anyone to browse the web or trading files over a public net connection. It works for that purpose, sure, but it also lets anyone on the disappointing side of a U.S.-only service like Hulu, Pandora, or Fancast get around that often arbitrary restriction." - Parallels 4 Released, 50% Faster than Parallels 3 (Mac)
"The original Windows-on-Mac virtualization software Parallels—which we've used to run Windows and Mac apps side-by-side, set Windows programs as defaults on a Mac, and boot our Boot Camp partition from inside OS X—has just updated to Parallels 4." - Go-oo Takes the Bloat Out of OpenOffice.org (Windows, Linux)
"Free application Go-oo is a fork of the popular Microsoft Office alternative OpenOffice.org with a focus on improved speed and performance." - WinAudit Creates Seriously Extensive System Profiles (Windows)
"Free system profiler WinAudit is similar in some ways to the previously mentioned System Information for Windows, being a no-install-needed executable and offering exhaustive amounts of data on your system." - WinWget Makes Automated Downloads a Breeze (Windows)
"Any Unix-friendly dude or lady will tell you that Wget packs a ton of power for such a small terminal command." - MiniTask is a Lightweight To-Do Tracker (All platfroms with Adobe AIR)
"Free Adobe AIR application MiniTask is a lightweight task manager with a surprising number of features."
Turn a Scanner into a Camera [Weekend Project]
If you have an old flatbed scanner laying around or you've decided your scanner is a useless gadget, repurpose it weekend. The industrious tinkers at Make magazine have put up a tutorial on turning your scanner into a primitive camera. The results have a distinctly spooky appearance, almost reminiscent of vintage daguerreotype photographs. The project doesn't require taking apart the scanner or permanently altering it in anyway, so you can experiment freely without actually sacrificing your scanner to the tinkering gods. You'll need some inexpensive parts like black foamcore board, a magnifying glass and razor. For an overview of the process and a list of necessary parts check out the video below:
For other potential uses for your scanner check out how to use your scanner to "photograph" small objects and turning a broken scanner into a super bright lamp. If you cobble together a spook-tacular picture taking scanner-turned-camera make sure to share the results in the comments below!
How to Fold a Handkerchief [How To]
You may not wear the kind of clothing on a daily basis that requires the Dapper Dan look of a properly-folded handkerchief tucked in the breast pocket, but knowing how to fold and tuck one away will save you from looking like the chump that just shoved it in there and fished out a lump of silk. The writers at the tips and tricks blog TipNut dug up a vintage guide from the 1950s to help you fold and place your handkerchief like a proper modern gentleman. More worried about not being able to tie a tie than fold a handkerchief? Check out how to perfectly tie a tie and learn to tie a tie in under ten seconds. Have your own clothing trick or wish you had a Dapper Dan trick of your own? Sound off in the comments below.
Open a Beer Bottle with a Ring [Clever Uses]
Don't let a misplaced bottle opener stand between you and a delicious beverage. If you find yourself with well-chilled bottle of beer but painfully without a proper bottle opener, don't despair. Bottled beverage-lovers at wikiHow have put together a detailed guide for getting that cap off with nothing more than a ring and your gritty determination. Check out the following video to see the magic in action:
If you have trouble getting your ring to grip the bottle cap, never fear: industrious inventors have created a ring with a bottle opener built right in. If you lack a ring or would prefer not to bang it up doing double duty as a bottle opener, check out how to open a beer bottle with another beer bottle, a car door, and a piece of paper.
Take in a New Point of View at Big Think [Video]
If You Tube had an overly-intellectual kid brother who preferred Noam Chomsky to Naruto, that brother would be Big Think. Big Think is a web site built around interviews with prominent scientific and political figures about a broad range of topics.
[Big Think's] shorts are studio-shot, first-person interviews. Each clip features the interviewee answering a single question or waxing on a single topic: for example, UCLA law professor Kal Raustiala explaining his "piracy paradox," the puzzle that intellectual property protection may be inhibiting creative progress in culture and industry.
Big Think can be searched by keyword or browsed by the various topics such as Identify, Truth & Wisdom, and more concrete topics like History or Science & Technology. The clips are well lit, professionally done, and full of interesting ideas and viewpoints you may not have come across otherwise. For more mind-expanding video goodness check out TED Talks, the free public archive of speakers from the Technology, Entertainment, and Design Conference.
Customize Your Own Killer "Enigma" Desktop [How To]
Windows desktop tweaker extraordinaire and Lifehacker reader Kaelri—who brought us the gorgeous Lightning at Sunset desktop and then showed us how to do it ourselves—is back, this time with a fresh new desktop he calls "Enigma." Once again, Kaelri has been kind enough to package up his setup for your downloading pleasure and step through exactly how to get it going on your own system. Keep reading for a detailed guide to customizing your Windows desktop to get a similar "Enigma" effect on your own system.
Before I begin, I must offer, on a serious note, an apology to the lifehacking community: if I had known that actual human beings were going to use this theme, I would have picked a much more original name.
What is Enigma, anyway?
Short answer: a minimalist theme for desktop enhancement apps.
Enigma is sort of a multi-application skin that I've hacked together out of inspiration and thin air. It came to life as a Samurize setup, or "config," that I made for myself and gradually tweaked over the course of a year. When it started getting popular after it was featured in my infamous desktop, I looked for an alternative platform, stumbled across Rainmeter, and haven't looked back. I'm still experimenting with it on a regular basis and learning what it's capable of. And in the meantime, you are free to reap the fruits of my labor and take it in brand new directions.
How do I get it?
You can download the complete "Enigma Suite" here, courtesy of Dropbox. UPDATE: If the link above isn't working for you, try this one instead. The ZIP file contains the following goods:1. The original Samurize config. I consider this obsolete now - there'll be no more updates from me. But as long as you're still using it, it'll be here for you. Lifehacker was kind enough to post my guide to using Samurize here.
2. The Rainmeter skin. This is the latest version, above and beyond the original. You can arrange a variety of widgets (clocks, date, weather, to-do list, battery monitor, etc.) in a sidebar, or a simulated "taskbar." Or both. Or neither. Rainmeter gives you unlimited freedom to arrange your tools however you want.
3. CD Art Display styles. One of Rainmeter's shortcomings is that it can only show song information from one media player: Winamp. (Unless someone out there figures out how to make a plugin for iTunes' API. Hint. Hint.) So, for now, I've modified a popular CD Art Display skin called Pure Adium, to make it blend in with Rainmeter.
4. A bonus Samurize config, "Arcs," from one of my other recent desktops. Got a number of requests, so here it is.
5. Fonts, wallpapers and Autohotkey scripts to complete the effect.
Everything inside has its own set of instructions, explanations, and guidelines.
Should I use Samurize or Rainmeter?
Although my heart lies with Rainmeter nowadays, these are two fantastic, very powerful programs. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.Samurize has two major advantages over Rainmeter. First, it has a GUI editor, so it's much easier for those with little coding or modding experience to get started. Second, it's still being actively developed, and has a large community behind it, so it's easier to get help, and there's a wider variety of themes and plugins.
Its limitation, in my opinion, is that it only allows you to run one setup, called a "config," at once. Dragging it moves the entire arrangement around - moving things within the config from one spot to another requires you to go in and edit the config file. Even with a good editor, that's a pain, and because not everybody uses the same screen resolution, it's something you'll have to do annoyingly often. It's even worse if you want to mix configs. What if you stumble across a great theme someone made, but you don't want to adopt the whole thing, just take a few parts of their and incorporate it into your own setup? Get ready for a half hour of thrilling copy-and-paste action.
Rainmeter configs are split up into modular scripts, called "skins." This means you can add them to your desktop individually, drag them wherever you want, mix and match from different sets, and change them up on the fly. And despite the narrower selection (the app seems to have been abandoned by its creator, so it really relies on users and designers to embrace it), there's still plenty to choose from.
How do I use it?
It's pretty straightforward to start using Rainmeter. After you install and launch the app, everything can be controlled from the tray icon. You can also right-click any running skin to get the same menu.
The "Configs" menu lets you launch any skins in your C:\Program Files\Rainmeter\Skins directory. There's no limit to subfolders. (Tip: Rainmeter will only run one skin in a given folder/subfolder at once. If you select another skin in the same folder, it will replace the first skin in the same position. This means that if you have a couple variations of one skin, you can switch between them without having to manually close the one before.)
The tray menu also lets you change your settings for the skins you're already running. (For example, as you can see in the first screenshot, I'm running three skins called "Taskbar," "MoxaWeather," and "All Widgets.") The most important things you can do from this menu are setting the transparency, changing the position, and editing the skin.
DON'T PANIC. Yes, it's code. Line by line, just like our fathers taught us. I won't bother trying to teach you the whole language here - I find that's best learned by experimentation. There is, however, a basic format. Every skin consists of several blocks of variables, divided into two categories: "Measures" and "Meters." Measures are the ones that retrieve the data you want; meters are the actual visual elements, be they text, bars, images, links, etc. Much like Samurize, most meters have pretty straightforward properties: font size/color if it's text, height and width if it's an image, an X/Y position (you can even make it relative to the last meter by putting an "r" at the end). The truly dedicated are invited to read Rainmeter's official manual.
I have a different resolution! What do I do?
I chose my "Taskbar" skin above as an example... well, first, because it's simple, and I didn't want to scare anyone. But secondly, because Rainmeter will be a real relief for those who had resolution problems with the Samurize version. As you can see, I added directions to the file itself. Once you're there, it's literally just a matter of changing a number. Save the file, go to the skin's menu in Rainmeter to refresh it, and you're good to go. Even better, you'll only have to do this with the "base" sidebar and taskbar images that extend across the whole screen. Because everything else is totally modular and draggable, they work completely regardless of resolution.Do you mind if I take your work and twist it beyond recognition to devise a gorgeous theme of my own?
Not a bit. :)Once again, my deepest thanks to Lifehacker for the opportunity. It's nice to give back.
No, thank you, Kaelri, for the detailed setup instructions! If you give it a try yourself and have any questions (despite his incredible instructions), let's hear them in the comments.
ISODisk Mounts up to Twenty Disk Images [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: You don't have a single .iso file to open, you have a pile you need to go through. ISODisk will help you cut through the pile and find the files you're looking for. ISODisk is a free application which allows you to mount a disk image and browse it like a regular drive. ISODisk won't mount other disk image formats like .nrg, .mdf, or .dmg files but shines at mounting up to twenty .iso images with unique drive letters. ISODisk will also create disk images from non-encrypted disks. If you need to deal with alternate image formats, check out previously reviewed CloneDrive. ISODisk is freeware, Windows only.
Craft a Lamp from Traffic Cones [Weekend Project]
If you're looking for a cheap mood lighting— and you really love orange— then you're only a few traffic cones away from all the modernist day-glo orange ambiance you can handle. Henrique of the design group Lets Evo has a step by step tutorial on his group's website detailing how a pile of traffic cones, zip ties, and a lamp assembly morph into a jumping-jack'esque room light. If you have any ideas on alternative building materials, perhaps less orange, sound off in the comments below. For other DIY lighting solutions check out how to make an origami paper lamp, build a CD stack lamp, or on the less electric side of things a DIY oil lamp.
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