Blog Archives

Featured Windows Download: Burn CDs and DVDs with CDBurnerXPLifehacker

Posted on September 27, 2007
by

cdburnerxp.png
Windows only: Freeware application CDBurnerXP is an easy to use, all-in-one CD and DVD burning suite with an impressive range of features. This app can burn gapless audio CDs, create and burn ISOs, and even handle burning to Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Its simple Drop-Box feature offers a really smooth way to add new files to a project via drag-and-drop. If you’ve got the urge to burn a lot of optical media but you don’t want to shell out $100 for Nero or some other professional suite, CDBurnerXP is an excellent alternative. CDBurnerXP is freeware, Windows only.

Comments Off

Outlook: Defer Sending Emails and Save EmbarrassmentLifehacker

Posted on September 11, 2007
by

outlook-defer-deliver.png
Ever hit the Send button on an email and realize a few seconds later that rather than complaining to your coworker about your boss’s impossible dictates and ugly ties, you hit Reply All and complained to your entire company, boss included? If you’re using Outlook, the How-To Geek weblog details how to use Outlook rules to defer the delivery of emails so that you have time to fix those “Oh no!” moments without really interrupting your workflow. We’ve covered this idea before, but the How-To Geek compellingly emphasizes why you might want to defer emails. (Now if only Gmail would integrate a similar feature.) If you’re looking to remember your attachments, check out the Outlook Attachment Reminder.

Comments Off

Featured Windows Download: Speed Up Adobe Reader with Adobe Reader SpeedUpLifehacker

Posted on August 22, 2007
by

speedup.png
Windows only: Freeware application Adobe Reader SpeedUp selectively removes Reader plug-ins to speed up load times of the notoriously slow PDF application. Granted, most of us left Adobe Reader long ago in favor of Foxit Reader, or even the keyboard-navigator Sumatra, but for those of you who need Adobe Reader for whatever reason, Adobe Reader SpeedUp should go a long way toward a faster Reader. You can either choose one of SpeedUp’s suggested tweaks (like Fast or Turbo) or do some experimentation on your part as to what you can and can’t disable. Adobe Reader SpeedUp is freeware, Windows only.

Comments Off

Energy Conservation: Save money and energy with Energy Star @ homeLifehacker

Posted on August 14, 2007
by

energy-star.png
Get room-by-room tips for saving money and energy during the dog days of summer with the interactive Energy Star @ home web site. We’ve seen a lot of the tips suggested by Energy Star @ home before, but this interactive tour offers a great way to analyze and improve your home’s energy efficiency one room at a time. Just follow the Launch Energy Star @ home link to get started saving energy and money, and to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Comments Off

Ask The Readers: Make email short or nice?Lifehacker

Posted on July 3, 2007
by

The Web Worker Daily weblog discusses the virtue of the short email, arguing that our current rules and expectations for email niceties are outdated.

Everyone’s so worried about offending by email that they try to make it more human and more friendly at the cost to everyone’s productivity, without a great increase in human connection. While short snappy emails and short snappy replies might come across as curt, research suggests that such messages lead to the highest productivity.

We’ve touched on this debate in specific instances in the past, from “Best” as a brushoff to the necessity of the one-word thanks email, so let’s abstract this thing: Are email formalities and niceties an unnecessary waste of time or an important cog in the engine of communication? Let us know in the comments.

Comments Off

Ask The Readers: How do you Get Things Done?Lifehacker

Posted on July 2, 2007
by

david-allen-gtd.pngIn response to a recent interview of GTD King David Allen, blogger Leo Babauta examines Allen’s GTD tools and suggests a simplified batch of alternatives, cutting in half the number of tools he uses compared to Allen’s system. Leo’s system consists of only four tools:

  • pocket Moleskine notebook & pen
  • single-tray desktop inbox
  • desktop computer
  • Firefox browser; Gmail, Google Docs, WordPress

Babauta is quick to point out that his work needs are potentially much different than Allen’s, whose GTD toolkit consists of:

  • A five-tray desktop inbox
  • A laptop with USB hub for iPod, camera, cell phone, labeler, digital recorder, external hard drive
  • Palm Treo organizer and cell phone
  • Lotus Notes software for all GTD stuff and email; Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • Two-drawer file cabinet
  • Briefcase
  • 5 plastic travel file folders
  • Desktop organizer

Now the obvious question is: What tools do you need to implement your GTD system? Are you a more or less kind of GTDer. Share your trusted tools in the comments.

Comments Off
WP Like Button Plugin by Free WordPress Templates