This productivity hack caught my attention because it’s very similar to the strategy I find myself using to help maintain focus and forward progress, despite my proclivities for procrastination. The scheme is called (10+2)*5, and it breaks down like this: Work hard on a discrete, small task for 10 minutes. Take a 2 minute break. […]
If you’ve ever wanted to strip Windows down to the bare essentials, preload your activation key, or integrate hotfixes, tweaks, or service packs, you need to check out nLite. Point it at your Windows installation CD, follow the steps, and your customized Windows install disc will be ready to roll. nLite includes: Service Pack Integration […]
Paul Bausch has finished rolling his own Flickr substitute and just wrapped up his first round of extra features, including support for EXIF data, syndication, and tagging. If you’re just joining us, Paul’s been rewriting his personal photoblogging and software from scratch and documenting the process. Here are all the posts in his OTFG (Off […]
In addition to root and nobody, there is another special unix account in OS X with some interesting properties: UID 99, Unknown User. Account 99 is treated differently by the operating system and has a couple of interesting properties that allow removable devices to be easily used between multiple machines, specifically: Files owned by UID […]
The Amazon Web Services Blog reveals a simple search syntax to turn Google into your own personal (free) Napster: -inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:”index of” +”last modified” +”parent directory” +description +size +(wma|mp3) “Nirvana” Just replace Nirvana with a song or artist of your choice to display a results page of indexes that contain downloadable MP3s. P.S. Don’t steal […]
I thought putting my camera on a tripod and using the timed shot was a good trick for gadget close-ups, but this is tons more fun. Nikon’s Camera Control Pro ($79, 30 day trial available) lets you remotely control a compatible camera from your computer. I can’t figure out how to do a preview, but […]
There’s a study in the journal Science (abstract here) that found that recent declarative memories (facts and experiences) were better recalled when subjects were cued with a scent during the memorization process and again during slow wave sleep. Procedural memories, such as learning to ride a bike, were not improved by the scent cues. I’m […]
