Thursday, January 3, 2008
Firefox
11:30PM Tamar Weinberg | Two years ago, you learned how to create and manipulate Firefox settings. More »
Keep Your Software Up-to-Date and Secure with Secunia
3:00PM Adam Pash | Windows only: Freeware application Secunia Personal Software Inspector is sort of like Windows Update for your installed software, monitoring your installed apps and notifying you of available security updates. When you run your first scan after installing Secunia, you’ll be presented with a list of insecure apps that have available updates, “end-of-life” apps that are no longer being supported by the developer, and patched apps that have the latest security updates. Keep in mind that Secunia is not an anti-virus software, but more of a preventative tool for ensuring that your software is secure as it can be. For a less security-focused angle, check out mass-update apps File Hippo Update Checker or UpdateStar. Secunia PSI is freeware, Windows only. Secunia Personal Software Inspector [via Confessions of a freeware junkie] More »
Save Cash During Busy Times with Netflix
2:00PM Adam Pash | The Geek Tonic weblog points out a lesser-known Netflix feature that allows you to put your account on hold for up to 90 days, during which you won’t be charged for your subscription and you can continue managing your queue. The account hold feature is a great way to save a few bucks when you’re about to head on an extended vacation or you know you’ll be too busy to really use you account. It’s also a good way to decide whether or not you’re getting your 15 bucks’ worth in the first place if you’ve considered canceling your account. Netflix Account Hold [Netflix via BrentEvans] More »
The Concrete Goals Tracker Tells You If That Task’s Worth Doing
1:00PM Gina Trapani | All platforms: Productivity template designer Dave Seah is at it again with an updated Concrete Goals Tracker printable form. Designed to answer the question, “When is something worth doing?”, you fill in your desired results next to numerical totals, then rate your tasks by number. Add up your totals for each day of the week to see how efficient you’ve been with your time. Using the Concrete Goals Tracker requires some serious time-logging, but if you feel like you’re losing hours spinning your wheels on unimportant tasks, this is the tool for you. Available as an editable PDF or Excel spreadsheet, the Concrete Goals Tracker is a free download for all platforms. (See also Dave’s 2008 compact calendar form.) Concrete Goals Tracker 2008 Updates [David Seah] More »
Free Your Music with iTunesFS
12:00PM Adam Pash | Mac OS X only: Free application iTunesFS turns your iTunes library and iPod—including playlists—into browsable filesystems in the Finder. That means that you can use iTunesFS to do things like export full playlists, similarly to what iTunes Export does for Windows users. iTunesFS requires that you’ve installed previously mentioned MacFUSE, then just run the app whenever you want to browse and copy songs, albums, or playlists from your iTunes library or iPod (be sure you’ve enabled disk use). For a similar MacFUSE tool that works just with iPods, check out previously mentioned iPodDisk. iTunesFS [via TUAW] More »How Keith Gets Things Done
11:00AM Gina Trapani | Lifehacker editor alum D. Keith Robinson hasn’t written for us in some time, but he’s still keeping things simple and productive. Today he wrote up his personal keys to getting stuff done: capturing ideas, keeping piles under control, focusing on the task at hand, and an empty inbox. Our hearts burst with pride! Check out Keith’s post on de-cluttering your digital space from ‘06. How I GTD [D. Keith Robinson] More »
Find an Open Business with WhatsOpen
10:00AM Adam Pash | US-centric: Google Maps mashup WhatsOpen pinpoints local businesses just like any other local search, then goes one step further by indicating which stores are currently open and which aren’t. It’s a simple concept, but if you’re actually using local search to find somewhere to grab a cup of coffee or get something to eat, it’s a really useful idea. Currently the search needs a little refining, and the public beta is California only (sign up for the full beta for US, EU, and China support), but this is one feature I’d kill to see integrated into Google Maps proper. WhatsOpen [via Download Squad] More »Gina
9:54AM Gina Trapani | Have a listen to CBC Radio’s Nora Young interview Gina about resolutions and New Year’s life hacks. More »
David Allen on “Knowledge Work Athletics”
9:00AM Gina Trapani | UPDATE – a couple of people pointed out that the video link wasn’t working anymore, but it seems to have been reposted here. Back in October, David Allen gave a talk on Getting Things Done at Google, called “GTD and the Two Keys to Sustaining a Healthy Life and Workstyle,” and now the video clip’s available on YouTube. While this is definitely a worthy watch for GTD followers (or those who aspire to be), if you don’t have a spare 45 minutes, the two keys are: More »
