Friday, August 31, 2007
Embed Google Calendar Agenda into the Desktop
11:30PM Kyle Pott | Mac users: Know exactly what you’ve got going on throughout the day without checking Google Calendar. Tech blogger Devan demonstrates how you can embed your daily agenda directly into the desktop, using GeekTool. The process requires some pretty decent scripting skills, but the end result is very convenient. You’ll need to install perl, curl, and Lingon and then use Devan’s scripts. With a little elbow grease you should be all set. Here’s how to embed the GCal web page onto your Windows desktop. Bringing Google Calendar to My Desktop [Devan Being Manny] More »
SEOmoz Popular Searches tool
12:11PM Sarah Stokely | Stephan Spencer, founder of search engine optimsation agency Netconcepts, has blogged about SEOmoz’s new Popular Searches tool which aggregates popular searches from a range of popular sites for taking the pulse of what’s hot on the web.
The online tool can give you an overview of popular searches at Technorati, various search engines, Flickr, eBay and the like, as well as a top 10 from all sources.
I was going to link to the results for yesterday’s global top 10 but it includes crap like “Lindsay Lohan” so let’s check out Technorati’s top 10 instead:
Stephen also offers some tips on how a company could use the Popular Search tool as part of its search marketing program.
Be in the know on what’s hot and popular [CNET] More » The Email Roundup
12:00PM Gina Trapani | Send self-destructing email messages“Send an email that automatically expires or disappears after it’s viewed with ten self-destructing email services.” Ask the Readers: Sorting vacation email buildup?“What’s your email triage approach in the face of an avalanche of unanswered messages?” Useful Thunderbird tweaks“Set Thunderbird to top-post on replies, display threaded conversations (ala Gmail), add a default CC, and add all incoming message from: addresses to your contacts…” Turn mailing lists into an RSS feed“Here’s how you can read mailing lists in any newsreader and still search ‘em within Gmail.” Microsoft Outlook Tip: Automatically archive old email“Sick of hitting your email server’s space limit every month and having to clean out old messages manually?” Disposable email addresses with 10 Minute Mail“Ten Minute Mail offers free email addresses that last for only 10 minutes—perfect for forums and signing up for porn sites that you think will sell your email address.” How Do You Handle “Bacn”?“It’s not spam, it’s bacn.” Stop Being a Slave to Your Email“Professionals often feel buried under their email, but time management experts say there are ways to avoid feeling swamped.” More »
Videojug – How-to videos online
11:28AM Sarah Stokely | Videojug is a site dedicated to “how to” videos, and a few of the more humourous ones came through via Popbitch today.
So in the spirit of Friday unproductivity, I present:
How to pull a tablecloth from under a dinner service
How to open a bottle of champagne with a sword
It looks like you could waste a hell of a lot of time on this site, which offers clips ranging from the actually useful (How to care for oily skin, How to make onion bhaji) – through to the silly (How to swear using British sign language).
We like to keep things worksafe here at Lifehacker, so no link to the hilarious video of a guy using a mannequin to demonstrate “How to undress a woman with your teeth”. But I’m sure you can find it if you want. Enjoy! I mean, get back to work!
Videojug [via Popbitch]
Thanks for the links, Anth! More » 
Tips for managing hayfever
11:04AM Sarah Stokely | Tomorrow’s the first day of spring, and while it’s great to be leaving the freezing cold Melbourne winter behind, there’s also a downside if you’re a hayfever sufferer.
Hayfever.com.au has a long list of ways you can minimise or control your symptoms. A lot of it is common sense stuff like dampening down dust and vacuuming regularly, to minimise the presence of pollen and dust.
But one very cool thing their site had was a page of tips for low-allergen gardening.
You’ll see in the fine print that the site is owned by Sigma Pharmaceuticals, so it’s likely they recommend pharmaceutical treatments for hayfever. But as their list shows, you can go some way to preventing or minimising your symptoms without over the counter remedies. More » 
DIY iPod Car Mount On the Cheap
11:00AM Adam Pash | Build a DIY car mount for your MP3 player with web site Cloudcraft.com’s step-by-step guide. The guide uses a simple fifty cent hardware mount that the author inserts in his Volkswagen and then clips his iPod to with his existing belt clip whenever he’s ready for some iPod time in the car (the guide may not exactly work for your car, but it should give you a good idea of where to start). The final product isn’t the most attractive mount on the market, but if you’re looking for a cheap way to mount your MP3 player, the price is right. If you’ve installed your own car mount (DIY or otherwise), let’s hear about it in the comments. iPod car mount [Cloudcraft via DIY Life] More »Reader tips – Photoshop shortcuts
10:44AM Sarah Stokely | Reader Peggy Kuo offers up her list of favourite Photoshop shortcuts. She’s organised them into 1, 2, 3 and 4 key shortcuts, as well as keyboard/mouse combos.
I’m using Photoshop CS2, but most of these shortcuts should probably work with most versions of Photoshop.
Everyone’s probably got their own list of favourite Photoshop tips – add yours in comments if you’d like to share.
Photoshop shortcuts
Thanks Peggy! More » 
Tackle your hitlist of daily roadblocks
9:55AM Sarah Stokely | On Monday I challenged myself to make a list of my daily roadblocks.
The point of this exercise was to create a hitlist of the little timewasting roadblocks that I hit everyday and shrug off, rather than taking the five minutes which would probably be required to fix them once and for all.
Follow the link to see my hitlist of ‘things I should have fixed ages ago’. And if you’ve made a list of your daily roadblocks, please share them (along with how you solved them!) More » 
Greenhouse in a Box
9:00AM Kyle Pott | Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables season after season with the reusable eight-shelf greenhouse. This greenhouse weighs in at 31 pounds (14kg), can fit eight shelves, measures 4′ x 4′ x 6′ (10 x 10 x 15cm) and costs $130 (roughly $160, but you’ll want to price the materials locally to get a better idea). If you’re pressed for cash, space or both, the eight-shelf greenhouse looks like a great investment. I’m not sure this could withstand some of the storms in the East and Midwest, but it looks to be perfect for space-starved West Coasters. Think you can beat the $130 price tag by making it yourself? Share in the comments. Build Your Own Beginner’s DIY Greenhouse [Your DIY Conservatory & Greenhouse Guide] More »
