Sunday, December 2, 2007
FTP for Free with Cyberduck
9:00AM Kyle Pott | Mac OS X only: Manage your FTP connections for free with Cyberduck. If you hate the idea of paying $30 for Transmit, give Cyberduck a whirl. Although not quite as advanced as Transmit, Cyberduck is nothing to scoff at. In addition to having an easy to use interface, Cyberduck also integrates with Growl and has a dashboard widget for easy drag-and-drop uploading. I’ve been using Cyberduck to manage my websites for about six months without any trouble. Cyberduck is a free download for Mac OS X only. Thanks, sgodun! Cyberduck More »
Roll Your Own Professionally Designed Web Site
8:00AM Kyle Pott | Open Source Web Design (OSWD) collects web site templates from amateurs and professionals and makes them available to download free of charge. If you don’t have the time (or the chops) to create a sharp looking web site, you can download a high quality template from OSWD instead. There are over 2000 superb designs that can be modified for your upcoming class reunion, wedding, block party, etc. If you’ve never tried to create a web site, a download from OSWD coupled with a free graphical editor like Nvu should be enough to get you started. Open Source Web Design More »
Add a Ruler to Your Digital Toolbox with JR Screen Ruler
7:00AM Kyle Pott | Windows only: Measure photos, graphics and other digital media directly on your monitor with freeware app JR Screen Ruler. JR Screen Ruler comes as a stand-alone executable that can be used to measure inches, centimeters, pixels or picas (a unit of measurement corresponding to 1/6 of an inch). You certainly won’t need to use the ruler everyday, but it’s nice to have in your pocket when the occasional screen measurement is called for. I would recommend dropping a shortcut to JR Screen Ruler in the same folder that houses GIMP and/or Photoshop so you don’t forget about it. JR Screen Ruler is a free download for Windows XP and Vista. JR Screen Ruler [via mikeduncan.com] More »
Instantly Translate Words with Definr
6:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Translate words and phrases easily with online dictionary Definr. The dictionary attempts to autocomplete your word as you type and pumps out results quickly with synonyms and antonyms (if applicable). While Definr is missing some translations, it performs very well (and fast, as promised) and has potential to become a handy alternative for the Google define search operator. Definr More »Be a Good Listener
4:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Communication begins with good listening skills. Strong listeners are more empathetic and are better at solving problems. If you’re looking to better your listening skills, consider the following: wait for the person to open up, ask empowering questions, be patient, and remove all distractions. It helps to reiterate what is said: Summarise and restate: It is also very useful to summarise what the speaker is saying and restate it in your own words. This is a form of reassuring the speaker that you have truly been listening to what he or she is saying. It also provides the speaker with an opportunity to correct any mistaken assumptions or misconceptions that have may have arisen during the course of the conversation.. Everyone has different ways of listening and expressing themselves. Try what works best for you. What are your best listening strategies? Share them with us in the comments. How to Be a Good Listener [wikiHow] More »
Let Go of Grudges
3:00AM Tamar Weinberg | The Mayo Clinic writes that it is better to forgive and forget than to hold grudges. Beyond the personal anger and resentment that grudges cause, it’s also bad for your health: it causes high levels of stress, high blood pressure, more anxiety, and poor anger-management skills. Instead, commit to forgive and find compassion, even if forgiveness does not yield reconciliation. Recognize the value moving forward adds to the quality of life. One who has finally forgiven someone will be more at peace, even if it is necessary to forgive again and again when memories trigger unhappiness. Ultimately, looking beyond the bad will bring much joy, and that is why it helps to achieve that much-needed closure. Forgiveness: How to Let Go of Grudges and Bitterness [Mayo Clinic] More »
