Top 10 Printable Paper Productivity Tools [Lifehacker Top 10]
There's a reason there's still so much paper around in this hyper-connected, everything-online age: the stuff is cheap, portable, compatible with all your applications, and everyone masters the interface by the time they're out of the first grade. Ingenious hackers and productivity thinkers, however, have taken paper to the next level in a huge variety of ways, creating templates for pocket organizers, super-handy calendars, thoughtful gifts, and even makeshift tools. Fire up your printer and let's take a stroll through some of the best printable productivity tools out there. Photo by Cirofono.
Note: Don't waste paper! Use recycled paper whenever possible, and preview your work before you hit print to reduce mistakes and unnecessary tree deaths.
10. Print out in-a-pinch graph paper or rulers.
Sometimes it's just easier to write or sketch out your thoughts when there's guidelines on your paper, as you may remember from grade school. If your office or home office doesn't keep a stack of it handy, there are many DIY solutions. Printable Paper keeps a virtual Staples aisle of graph and lined paper on hand, while PrintFreeGraphPaper.com lets you click to determine your sheet's parameters. If you just need to know whether an object or life-sized picture is 4.5 inches but you're missing a ruler, try a collection of the paper version. 9. Turn PDFs into a palm-held booklet.
If you've got reading to do on your commute, or anywhere you're on the go, it's a lot more convenient if it fits in your pocket. Spare yourself staple-torn sheets and awkward folding with BookletMaker, which takes in PDFs and reprints them as readable, multi-page booklet(s) you can order and customize. Note that PocketMod (you'll see it below) and Adobe itself have a similar capability baked-in, but without the multi-booklet convenience. 8. Print a custom CD case.
As replacements for busted jewel boxes or containers for thoughtful gift mixes, a paper CD case is an attractive, value-added way to keep scratches and thumbs off your loose tunes or programs. The link above shows how to fold and decorate your paper sheath; for a more straight-forward artist/album/track listing, check out paper CD case. 7. Fold a paper wallet.
We're obviously big fans (in gawking at, if not always assembling) of DIY wallets of all types, but the durable paper wallet detailed at Instructables is truly cheap, conversation-starting, and, if made out of Tyvek film, durable and water-proof. It's also super-thin, which your well-worn back pockets will thank you for. 6. Fold a 3D, 12-sided desk calendar.
Admittedly, a dodecahedral, AD&D-style calendar isn't as useful as your standard at-a-glance models, but it sure outdoes your fellow cubicle workers for ingenuity. Generate your own print-and-fold PDF at Ole Arntzen's site, and check out illustrated assembly instructions at simplehuman. 5. Plan with a "Candy Bar" calendar.
Add a timeline to your project notebook or wallet for a computer-free date reference with Dave Seah's Compact Calendar—an Excel worksheet you download and mark off important dates on (original post). The "candy bar of time" layout of continuous days makes highlighting blocks of dates easy. For those who want an at-a-glance calendar at their desk, a monitor strip calendar offers similar no-click convenience. 4. Template your note-taking.
Many college graduates couldn't look back at their notes from any lecture and make much sense of them at this point—unless they took them right the first time. Whether you're in academia or just need better notes from your meetings, the Cornell Method of note-taking breaks down raw sentences into workable concepts and items. Once you've learned the basics, you can pre-print Cornell-formatted templates at Cornell-Notes to force your hand, and your brain, to do the right thing. 3. Print out a personal CEO with the Printable CEO.
When you don't have an actual CEO making sure you're working on the important things in the business of your life, you can print one out. The Printable CEO is a simple checklist that constantly asks "When is something worth doing?" Geared to those building sales-based services, you can easily re-purpose the Printable CEO for any goals or decisions, as Lifehacker alumnus Keith Robinson found out. 2. Print your own PocketMod mini-organizer.
PocketMod, a free webapp that creates slick-looking printouts you fold a few times into a mini-organizer, embraces the very reason paper is still around in this ultra-digital age—it's portable, it's cheap and recyclable, and you don't need special tricks to embed daily/weekly/monthly planners, a calendar, RSS feeds, notes, or anything else into it. The original design will keep you busy for some time, but you can also track your mileage and workout schedule, keep the kids (hopefully) entertained, and create walk-around maps. The PocketMod is a truly extendable system that anyone can use. 1. Configure your own planner with the D*I*Y Planner 3.0.
You can drop some serious cash on expensive paper planners at the fancy stationary store, but they always have too many pages of this but never enough of that. Instead, configure and refill your planner with the wide range of printable D*I*Y Planner templates, a collection of more than 100 lists, calendars, task management, thought trees, and other helpers in all the standard paper sizes. They've also added a Hipster PDA edition (here's more on clever little hack), stylish covers, and much more.
There are many, many cool uses for ink on paper—or even just paper itself, in the case of opening beer bottles—so let's hear what bits of pulp make your day more productive, more fun, or just come in handy for you on a regular basis. Share your links and ideas in the comments.
Double Driver Backs Up Your System’s Drivers [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Backup utility Double Driver lists all the hardware drivers installed on your system and creates backups of both the actual drivers and lists of the driver names. While handy with any computer, Double Driver really shines if you have a computer that came with pre-installed drivers that are hard if not impossible to come by. With a few clicks you'll have those archaic laptop drivers backed up and ready to put back to work after a fresh install. Double Driver is a free download for Windows only.
Make Google Reader Widescreen-Friendly [Featured Greasemonkey User Script]
Firefox with Greasemonkey: The Google Reader for Wider Screens Greasemonkey script uses all the horizontal space available in GReader for better viewing on wide monitors. Install the script to take advantage of a wide browser window and scroll up and down less than you have to. The Google Reader for wider screens user script is a free download for Firefox with the Greasemonkey extension installed. Thanks, Andy!
Pismo File Mount Creates Virtual Drives from ZIP, ISO Files [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Free virtual archive tool Pismo File Mount can help you cut down on unnecessary CD burning and folder space by mounting compressed and ISO files as virtual drives. There are lots of utilities and means to do this, of course, but Pismo offers the simple route. Just right-click on a disc image or zipped file and choose "Mount" or "Quick Mount," and you can assign the folder to, say, drive Z:, or just have its contents pop up in a window. Grab what you need, close it down, and you're done. Pismo File Mount is a free download for Windows systems only.
Ask MetaFilter Roundup [Hive Mind]
- How do I make Microsoft Word 2007 include the date a document was created within the document itself?
- Software solutions to download from links en masse?
- Why am I waking up dehydrated?
- What is the easiest and best way for me to share my large iTunes multimedia library amongst four Macs?
- What kinds of food plants will grow inside by a window?
KuKu Klok Wakes You Up from a Web Browser [Alarms]
KuKu Klok is a pretty straightforward webapp—you set a time for an alarm to go off, you choose a sound to wake up to, and you hit "Set Alarm." Kind of like the Online Alarm Clock, but the neat part is that the Flash-based app goes off even if your internet connection drops altogether. Add in the selection of sounds to rise and shine to—including the "Slayer Guitar"—and it's a pretty nifty tool for when the cell phone's out of reach, or you're napping near your laptop.
Windows Search 4.0 Available on Windows Update [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Windows Search 4.0, an updated version of the desktop/web search tool that was introduced with Vista, is now officially available for Windows XP and Vista through Windows Update. As was the case with the technical preview, Windows Search 4.0 boasts faster and deeper indexing, better handling of email cataloging, support for encrypted documents, and a new system tray interface. Windows Search 4.0 is free and being rolled out gradually, but you can grab it manually from a link at this page.
Mapufacture Creates Small, PocketMod-Compatible Maps [Maps]
If you're a fan of the foldable, all-in-one PocketMod organizer, or if you're traveling and don't want to swing for those pocket-sized walking maps, customized mapping site Mapufacture has a handy PocketMod export function that could come in really handy. After signing in, you choose the area you want to cover, add any data layers you want marked (landmarks, food, etc.), and then click "Create a PocketMap" on the lower-right side. There's also GPS export, web embedding, and standard printing, but the PocketMod function is truly unique. If a custom-printed, foldable map intrigues you, check out how to use a PocketMod as a travel and workout tracker or a back-seat kid entertainer.
What Productivity Studies Really Show [Opinion]
Every time a new research study around personal productivity and office culture appears, we dutifully post the "proof" that information overload, email distractions, and multitasking are keeping you from getting work done—but are they? Sure, many of these findings seem very feasible, but it's hard not to think they're published only as a crutch for a larger commercial or media message—either "the internet is destroying your life!" or "you need to buy this product."
Over the few years this site's been in existence, studies have shown that email kills concentration more than smoking pot does, that you've got 11 minutes before the next interruption, that dual monitors increase productivity, that no one understands the intended tone of your email, that email overload costs the American economy more than $700 billion a year, and that multitasking kills your ability to focus and get things done.
Ok, fine. Most of these findings seem to be sensible (except for the pot versus email one, which got way too sensationalized). Even though a study that shows widescreen monitors increase your productivity was commissioned by Apple right around the time they were marketing their cinema displays, my personal experience has confirmed (subjectively) that more screen real estate does help spread out windows and make it easier to work.
Even so, the constant reappearance of these studies in mainstream media over the last few years do make one question what's going on. It's the information and email overload studies that trip my BS detector the most. While I agree that an overstuffed inbox and constant email monitoring can kill your day, this $700 billion a year cost to the American economy makes me raise one eyebrow high in doubt. Did researchers factor in how much time email actually saves people who use it? I get dozens of messages per day and spend a good amount of time managing all of them. I'm the first to complain about what a time sink email can be. However, if I had to get on the phone or mail a letter to Adam, Kevin, Tamar, and Jason every time I wanted to tell them something? Nothing would get done around here. $700 billion a year lost after a gazillion gained leaves us in the black in the end.
Yet, research like this fuels productivity hucksters' cannons with more ammo so we can prescribe yet another productivity system that will solve this terribly widespread problem. (I include myself in this.) Software and hardware companies put out more products that track your time, measure your output, organize your stuff, and make you "more productive" in every which way. "Social web" applications like Twitter and Facebook continue to be condemned in mainstream media as a giant waste of time—because we've got so many other "unimportant" things like email eating up our time anyway.
Even though we're very much a cog in this giant machine, I have my doubts.
The longer I do this, the more I suspect that a good part of the "information overload" story is a myth cooked up by folks who don't know how to use the internet well in order to demonize something they don't understand. I get more done via email and surfing the web than my parents ever did using phones and libraries, even when I'm having a bad day and switch to my email application the moment I see a new message notification.
At least three other well-seasoned internet veterans agree. In chapter 5 of her book, Connect!, Anne Zelenka argues against "firewalling your attention" to block out distractions and get things done. That's the old way of thinking; Zelenka asserts that you can be productive by being open to tangents, distractions, and the riding the flowing river of news and information you're exposed to on the web each day. In defense of "wasted" time online, author Clay Shirky points out that interacting online is so much better than what we used to do with our free time (that is, watch TV or get ripped). Even Bill Gates said that we're actually suffering from information underload, not overload. (Though Gates, then head of a giant software maker, did say we need better products to manage the information we do get—and surely his company's out to make them.)
In short, this post is our very belated disclaimer for any productivity research findings we publish on these pages. Personal productivity is indeed personal, so always take study result findings around digital life and the ensuing prescriptive solutions with more than one grain of salt. When you choose the solutions to implement in your life, make sure they resolve problems you have, not 98% of faceless office workers somebody commissioned by some company polled somewhere.
Best Alternative File Managers? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]
If there's one default application that comes with any operating system out of the box, it's a file manager. But whether it's Windows Explorer or the OS X Finder, your operating system's default file manager doesn't always offer all the features you want for handling your files. That's why for this week's Hive Five, we want you to tell us about your favorite alternative file manager. Read on for more details and to nominate your favorite alternative file manager in the comments.
The first round of the Hive Five voting takes place in the comments, where you nominate your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: File Management App Goes Here. If you don't follow this format, your vote may not be counted. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.
About the Hive Five: Our new feature series, the Hive Five, asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get—"Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every Thursday, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five best Windows backup tools.
Search All Craigslist Sites at Once with Google [Google School]
Wired's How-To Wiki details how to flex your Google-fu to get Craigslist results from every Craigslist domain. In essence, the author does a Google site search of Craigslist.org and excludes pages with the word 'directory' to eliminate directory listings of names and phone numbers. The resulting query looks like:
DIY Leatherman Key Mod [DIY]
We've shown you how to make a couple of different compact keychains, but DIY web site Instructables is back with the ultimate fulfillment of the streamlined keychain and multi-tool: the Swiss Army Keys. Despite the name its creator has given it, the mod requires the previously mentioned Leatherman Micra, up to six keys, and something to cut and drill your keys with. The result, as you can see in the photo, is a fully working Leatherman with a few tools swapped out for keys. Very handy, and with the pocket-knife-small Leatherman Micra, it'll easily fit anywhere.
HFSExplorer Reads Mac-Formatted Hard Drives [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Free, open source application HFSExplorer reads and extracts files from drives formatted with the HFS+ file system native to Macs. Common uses for HFSExplorer include reading files from your Mac file system from Windows running in Boot Camp or—something I've used it for—grabbing music in Windows from a Mac-formatted iPod. HFSExplorer is free, Windows only, requires Java. For help setting it up, check out Simple Help's guide.
PlacesBar Tweaker Edits Open and Save Locations [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Free Windows utility PlacesBar Tweaker puts your frequently-accessed folders in Windows' Open and Save dialog box's sidebar. If the Desktop, My Documents, and My Computer (the default folder locations in the Places Bar) aren't the folders you most want to fetch and put files, the PlacesBar Tweaker is for you. This small utility lets you add custom folders to the Places bar and reorder them for quick and easy access. Windows XP's TweakUI utility can achieve the same end (among several other adjustments), but if you don't need everything TweakUI offers, the PlacesBar Tweaker is a slimmer option. (Don't forget previously mentioned OpenWide can also save the file listing view type in open dialog boxes as well.) The PlacesBar Tweaker is a free download for Windows only.
The Apps That Run Our Virtual Office [Collaboration Tools]
Take a peek behind the curtain here at Lifehacker's virtual headquarters in my recent article for Macworld magazine, The Portable Office: Work Anywhere. Longtime readers won't be surprised to find out that the Lifehacker staff are heavy Gmail, MediaWiki, Google Calendar, Campfire, and del.icio.us users.
Google Maps Adds Walking Directions [Google Maps]
Google Maps wants to help you get where you're going on foot with a new option to switch your step-by-step driving directions to walking directions. The main difference between walking and driving directions appears to be time estimates, with Google estimating your walking pace at about 19 minutes per mile. The walking directions appear to deviate from driving directions at times, though from trying it in my neighborhood I can't pinpoint why it's changing for the walking route. The other main difference is the ominous warning that I should "use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas." Thanks for the dose of fear, Google. (I guess the same doesn't apply to driving?) We'd heard some users were seeing walking directions rolled out a few weeks ago, but it looks like Google has recently unveiled the feature to all users.
The Best Tech Tools and Fitness Plans to Get in Shape [Fitness]
If there's one thing geeks and non-geeks alike all share, it's an aversion to exercise. No matter how much you'd like to slim your waistline and lose the belly, it's difficult to find a workout routine that not only works, but one that fits your needs and is easy to stick to. Over the years we've covered several fitness plans along with free and cheap technology to help you get in shape and stick to a training plan, and I've used many of these tools to help run two marathons. Read on for a look at the most simple yet effective plans we've covered—along with the best tech tools to help you get and stay in shape. Photo by luiginter.
This isn't a "How to lose 200 pounds in a year" article, but it could be. Despite the proliferation of diet plans and expensive exercise equipment, the key to fitness is and always will be healthy eating, portion control, and a solid exercise routine. (But, a solid exercise routine need not be hard or expensive.) Here are some of the tips and tools we've covered at Lifehacker over the years, many of which I use regularly.
From Couch to 5k to Marathon
If you've never done much running or exercise, getting started can be a bear. The key is baby steps, and the Couch to 5k running plan gets you ready to run your first 5k (that's three miles) in just six weeks. (Original post)
If you're beyond the 5k, I'd recommend giving a marathon a try at least once (or, if that seems a touch ambitious, a half marathon). Twenty-six miles may seem insane, but if you can run a 5k, you can probably do a marathon. Running expert and writer Hal Higdon's free marathon training guides are a perfect place to get started, and when the marathon actually comes around, check out how I hacked the Chicago marathon. Photo by Chicago Producers.
Zero to One Hundred Push-Ups in Six Weeks
Whether you like doing them or not, the push-up belongs in your fitness routine. Unfortunately the push-up has always been a difficult nut to crack, not least of which because of the embarrassment of hardly being able to finish a small set. Much like the Couch to 5k running plan, web site One Hundred Push Ups provides workout routines designed to take you from zero to one hundred push-ups in six weeks. The push-up works your whole body, which means whether you take the 100 push-up route or not, it's worth integrating into your workout routine. (Original post) Work Your Entire Body with a Sledgehammer
Probably the most embarrassing part of my workout routine (at least when I'm explaining it) involves shovelgloving, a daily, full-body workout that requires just 14 minutes and a sledgehammer wrapped in a sweatshirt. The brainchild of a guy who just wanted an exercise routine he could do from the comfort of his bedroom, shovelgloving is a surprisingly effective exercise routine for working your entire body. Shovelglove exercises are also fun to do, incorporating old-timey routines like the butter-churn, wood-chop, and (naturally) shovel. (Original post)
Map Your Workout
Whether you're running, biking, hiking, or skipping, mapping your workout is an excellent way to track what you've done, workouts you've enjoyed, and even calories you've burned.
My go-to tool for this purpose has always been MapMyRun, a site with a huge set of features for setting up a training plan, mapping your runs, calculating the calories you've burned, and more. The site's massive feature set has made it a little more intimidating for first-time users, but if all you want to do is quickly map out a run, just jump straight to the route creation tool. (Original post)
If you're not keen on the web-based route, the Mac-only TrailRunner is an incredible desktop application that tackles many of the same features with a quick and very attractive interface. TrailRunner even integrates with Nike+ iPod, Google Earth, and your GPS (though MapMyRun does GPS, too).
Pick the Right Running Shoes
If you've decided to take a serious stab at running, the only significant, unavoidable expense is shoes. Sure you could just stick with your aging pair of gym shoes, but running is hard on your body, and a good pair of running shoes can go a long way toward preventing injury and keeping you comfortable while you run, which also means you're more likely to stick with your workout. With that in mind, it's important to know how to pick the right running shoe for your feet. (Original post) Photo by jordanfischer. Pump Up the Jams
Whether it's an iPod, Walkman, or even radio, take full advantage of the distracting and motivating power of music when you're working out. Fill up your MP3 player with a playlist full of great workout music. They shouldn't all be over-the-top motivators like Gonna Fly Now or Born to Run—those are really just for the times you need them. Try different songs and pick out what kind of music works best for you, and reserve your motivators for the times you really need an extra boost. If you take the Nike+ iPod route, you can actually set a song as your big motivator that you can instantly skip to when you need it. If you don't have Nike+, the same idea applies: Make it easily accessible so you can get that instant pick-me-up when you need it. If you're looking for suggestions, check out our readers' favorite workout music. If you've taken to burning more calories with interval running, set up your very own interval running playlist in iTunes. Photo by Geff Rossi. Nike+ iPod
I've been using the Nike+ iPod since January and am loving it. It's easy to use when you're already running with your iPod anyway, and it makes tracking and graphing my progress over time dead simple. All of that extra information—like that I've run about 320 miles so far this year—is surprisingly motivational. At only $30 for a Nike+ iPod sport kit, it's not terribly expensive (provided you've already got a supported iPod), and you don't actually have to buy Nike shoes to use it. I dug a hole in the insoles of my running shoes and stuck the Nike+ dongle inside, but if you don't want to mutilate your shoes the Nike+ iPod shoe mod may be just the ticket. Track Your Fitness on Your Computer
Our very own Kevin has covered several ways to track your fitness progress with free tools. My favorite, which he mentions in his feature, is web site Traineo. Traineo is there to help you stick with your plan and motivate you to achieve your exercise and fitness goals. (Original post) There are gobs of tools available designed to tackle a lot of the same goals mentioned above, so if you've got a favorite that I didn't point out, let's hear more about it in the comments. For a couple of fitness remainders we've covered in the past, you may also want to take a look at how to get in shape with the Wii Sports weight loss program and how to get six pack abs.
Adam Pash is a senior editor for Lifehacker who may—counterintuitively—be overweight if not for technology. His special feature Hack Attack appears every Tuesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hack Attack RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader.
ToDo Embeds the Contents of Todo.txt onto Your Desktop [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Tiny utility ToDo pins the contents of your todo.txt file onto your PC's desktop. We already showed you how to incorporate text files onto your desktop using the multi-featured and complicated Samurize; ToDo is the other end of the feature spectrum in that it only does this one thing. Your todo.txt file must live on your desktop to use ToDo, and you can't (yet?) change the text color or position of the output, so you've got to be using a light-colored wallpaper for the text to be legible. Hopefully ToDo will get a few more configuration options to make it extra useful soon. ToDo is a free download for Windows only, and requires .NET 3.5 to run. Thanks, Dan!
Layered Desktop Wallpaper Organizes Your Icons [Wallpaper]
Flickr user Gabriel Radic has an elegantly simple solution for organizing icon clutter. His "Layered Desktop" background, free to download in high resolutions, divides your computer space into four areas—an aluminum board, a ruled sheet of paper, a sticky note, and wooden background. The idea is to treat the elements like you would a real desktop, putting temporary or urgent matters on the note, things you haven't yet organized into the outer parts of the desk, and personal or work projects divided between the board and sheet, for example. The background works best on screens up to 1440 pixels wide. Looking for other subtle organizers? Hit the via link below for four more ideas.
Ship Your Luggage to Save Travel Costs [Travel]
Now that most airlines are charging passengers to check extra bags, it turns out if you're hauling a lot of luggage on your trip, you can save a few clams by shipping it instead. Wired's travel blog Autopia does the math.
Check two bags and you're out $40. That's what you'll pay to have FedEx throw your luggage around, but you'll pay $35 using UPS and $34 to let the post office deal with it. The savings really kick in if you're a clothes' horse or you bought every souvenir you laid eyes on. Airlines will nail you for up to $140 if you've got three pieces of luggage, but the post office will charge you $55. FedEx will get it there (or back) for $60.Shipping your luggage does not work out in your favor if you're just bringing one piece of luggage. Also, timing your shipment and packing days beforehand to mail bags first is an inconvenience, so only use this one when you're planning to haul a whole lot of stuff.
SlyDial Lets You Leave Direct, Stealthy Voicemails [Voicemail]
SlyDial, a new direct-to-voicemail phone service, blatantly pitches itself as a way to avoid conversations you don't want to have—and, in some cases, that's fine and actually productive. Sign up for the service—free with ads tacked on, paid to skip them—and dial 267-SLYDIAL to leave a pre-saved contact or any phone number voicemail without their phone actually ringing. If you know someone's busy and want to leave a note for later, or you're just running short on time and can't afford a back-and-forth, SlyDial's a pretty handy service (especially if you pay to skip a 30-second ad). On the other hand, it might also encourage a bad habit of pulling the old "Didn't you get my message?" on your significant other/boss/landlord—a habit they'll probably catch onto, so use wisely. SlyDial is free to use with ads, or ad-free by paying $0.15/message or less with unlimited plans.
Glary Utilities Optimizes Your Windows PC [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Free application Glary Utilities performs vital maintenance on your system to keep it in tip top shape. Glary Utilities performs six key functions, from optimizing your registry to clearing out that spyware you accidentally installed. The application also removes dangerous entries from your Start Menu, fixes invalid shortcuts, erases your web browsing and application usage history, and frees up space on your hard drive by deleting temporary files. Glary Tools was voted a user a favorite by many of our readers in our best Windows maintenance tools Hive Five, and with all these features and functionality, we're not surprised. A free version of Glary Utilities is available for download for Windows only, though there is a professional version available for $39.95.
p7zip Adds Built-In 7-Zip Tools to Ubuntu [Linux Tip]
The Tombuntu blog points out a seriously helpful package available in Ubuntu's extended repositories that make creating super-efficient 7-Zip archives simple and fast, whether you're right-clicking or working with a command line. Run this command to install it:
sudo apt-get install p7zipIncollector Keeps Tagged Notes in Your System Tray [Featured Download]
Windows/Linux: Free note-taking app Incollector is a pretty convenient and lightweight way to keep small bits of data close at hand, while also keeping everything organized and easily accessible. Pull up Incollector from the system tray and tell it what kind of note you're adding—conversation snippet, web address, plain text, among others—and what tags apply to it. Add comments, give it a star rating, and all that data can be used to create saved searches, filter by tags or ratings, and even search from the system tray by right-clicking the icon. Incollector isn't a high-powered, universal note collector, but it fills its desktop role nicely. Incollector is a free download for Windows and Linux systems.
Favtape Plays Back Your Pandora or Last.fm Favorites [Streaming Music]
Marking a song as "Loved" or a "Favorite" on music discovery apps like Last.fm and Pandora doesn't help you a whole lot when you want to hear them again. Free mashup site Favtape bridges the gaps between your Last.fm or Pandora profile, track-finding sites like Seeqpod, and the dead-simple interface of a site like Muxtape to create a playlist of your marked tracks. Some tracks might not actually play once loaded into Favtape, but it's a cool way to create an instant playlist of songs you'll definitely like.
Get Your Computer Online Using Your iPhone’s Data Connection [Jailbreak]
The best way to put your newly jailbroken iPhone 2.0 to good use is to turn it into a cellphone modem for your laptop. When tapping out an email or pinching and swiping on the iPhone's web browser just doesn't get the job done—and you want to use the full keyboard and screen on your laptop in a Wi-Fi-less place—you can get your computer online using the iPhone's data connection. We've covered how to "tether" your iPhone before, but now that the iPhone 3G connection is speedier and the jailbreak process updated, here's a refresher course.
Helpful reader jewdass offered step by step instructions on how to get this done; here they are with annotations and links added.
1. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G (or first gen iPhone running the 2.0 software). Install OpenSSH via Cydia.This means no more paying for wireless access at the hotel, airport, coffree shop, or war-driving for a Wi-Fi signal just to work online with a full keyboard on your laptop. Thanks, jewdass!2. Create an ad-hoc network on your computer. On Macs, just click on the Wi-Fi icon in the menubar and select "Create Network." On Windows, set up internet connection sharing.
3. Join the iPhone to this network via Wi-Fi as usual.
4. On the iPhone, under Settings->Wi-Fi, select the network you have joined to view connection details. Write down its IP address.
5. From the Mac's Terminal, run the following command:
ssh -ND 9999 root@IPHONE_IPADDR
but replace IPHONE_IPADDR with the IP you wrote down in step 4. Login. The default root password isalpine; you should really login normally over SSH and change this.Windows users: the free SSH client Putty will allow you to accomplish this same step. Don't install Cygwin+OpenSSH as some suggest, that's massive overkill.
6. Configure your browser to use a SOCKS5 proxy server at localhost:9999. Here's more on setting up a SOCKS proxy in Firefox; Adam did it on his Mac in Safari.
7. Surf. I've successfully done web browsing and IRC, anything that supports SOCKS4/5 should work. Haven't yet had success with my Citrix client :(
For the curious: The iPhone is joining your Wi-Fi network, but with no internet access on this network it falls back to using 3G for outgoing packets.
ssh -NDcreates a local proxy server that relays packets from the loopback address on your pc to the iPhone, which dutifully proxies them out the cellular connection.Browsing is surprisingly fast, 3G really shows its potential here. It's zippier than doing it directly on the iphone, which I put down to rendering delay.
A more ideal solution of course would be to get the iPhone showing up as a regular access point. I see no reason why this wouldn't be possible, and will be doing some research myself, mostly observing what Unix processes handle this on desktop OS X, and see if they can be compiled from source for the iPhone. In the meantime, the steps to accomplish this are not bad and will definitely serve in a pinch.
iGoogle Header Remover Improves Screen Real Estate [Featured Greasemonkey User Script]
Now that iGoogle has full-screen Gmail, weather, and other gadgets, you may start accessing more of your Google services from inside iGoogle. The iGoogle Header Remover Greasemonkey user script toggles the visibility of the iGoogle logo and search box to optimize your screen real estate so you can focus more on the new and improved full-screen interface. If you need to bring back the header for any reason—for example, to do a quick Google search, just click the Toggle header link. With the header collapsed, running full Gmail in iGoogle feels that much more like the default Gmail interface and you're not wasting all those pixels. iGoogle Header Remover is free, requires Firefox with Greasemonkey.
Email “Ding” Costs $70 Billion a Year [Distraction]
Technology is turning us all into a bunch of time-wasters according to The Observer, which reports that the beep of an email alert alone is costing the US economy $70 billion per year. Wonder what our Twitter habits are adding up to. [via]
Ask MetaFilter Roundup [Hive Mind]
- What is your most ingenious hiding place for valuables?
- Can a 2G and 3G iPhone share a family plan?
- How can I make digital art with my Wacom tablet?
- Why won't my Xbox 360 connect to Xbox Live?
Speed Up Your BitTorrent Downloads [BitTorrent]
The TorrentFreak weblog wants to speed up your BitTorrent downloads with practical advice for getting around your firewall and managing your upload speed. They're mostly beginner tips, so you may also want to try more advanced techniques as well.
