Sunday, January 13, 2008
Get Your P2P on with FrostWire
10:15AM Adam Pash | All platforms: Free, open source application FrostWire is a peer-to-peer file sharing program built from the popular LimeWire client that handles both Gnutella (one of the pre-BitTorrent standards) and BitTorrent protocols—makes it sort of a P2P fusion application. Granted, FrostWire isn’t the best BitTorrent app you’ll run across, but if you are the type who just can’t cut the strings form those pre-BitTorrent days, FrostWire may be the perfect app to get you up to date with file sharing. If you are ready to dive head first into BitTorrent, this guide should help you get started. Otherwise, FrostWire is free, works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, requires Java. FrostWire More »
Hone Your Rock Band Chops
9:00AM Adam Pash | Wired rounds up series of tips from Harminox, the creators of Rock Band, covering how to up your skills as a Rock Band (and regular) drummer. If you’ve played the game much, you know there’s a big jump between medium and hard settings, but Wired’s various tips for the kick pedal and sticks should help you make that jump. If you consider yourself a Rock Band master, let’s hear your best tips in the comments. Harmonix’s Top Tips For Drummers [Wired] More »
Create a Home Management Binder with Household Notebook
8:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Download personalisable household planners, including calendars, checklists, to-do lists, phone message stationery, and more at Household Notebook, a web gallery which stores nearly 100 different types of forms that make task management easier. Tackle time management with a weekly planner and goal setting with a diet tracker. The site also showcases a pantry and freezer inventory for keeping track of your wares, a packing checklist for the occasional trip, address lists to pin on the fridge door, and birthday calendars, among numerous other forms. Don’t create a template in your favorite word processor for your to-do list; the Household Notebook already has one created for you. Simply navigate to the page, print, and start organising. Household Notebook More »
Invest Wisely
7:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Looking to invest in 2008? If you’re a beginner investor, it’s important to follow some guidelines when studying the myriad of financial options available to you. Before you invest, it’s important to pay off any debts. Once you’re ready to roll, do your homework and analyse the market. Have an investment strategy and stick to it. Be patient, as investments take time. Even if you make a profit, don’t sell right away: Avoid taking small profits and big losses. Do not sell your rising star just because it doubled in a few days. Do your research. If it is still a good investment, keep it. Additionally, diversify your finances. Go for mutual funds, stocks, and bonds. Don’t panic. Above all, learn from your mistakes—keep an investment log—and use the experience to improve in the future. 35 Common Sense Rules for Investing [Moolanomy] More »
Build Your Own Hi-Res Wallpaper with PaperMaker
6:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Create stunning wallpaper images in any resolution of your choosing with webapp PaperMaker. The site has a selection of many high-resolution and beautiful backgrounds to start your design. Once a background is selected, choose your main images (actors, cartoon characters, or cars) and decorate with accessories (shapes or designs). Images can be moved and resized at will, and you can place countless items on your wallpaper and create an unlimited amount of extremely cool wallpapers. PaperMaker More »
Ease Your Anxiety with Mind and Body Exercises
5:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Stressed out? Sit down and relax. If you’ve been plagued by anxiety, calm down. Get in the zone. The Self Evolution website teaches you how. Of critical importance is how you breathe. Expand your diaphragm to breathe forcefully through your nose. Repeating this technique will cause the tension to leave your body. Spread your legs. Slouch slightly (but only for a few minutes). Kill internal dialogue. You can do this by opening your peripheral vision and performing eye exercises: More »
How Long Should You Keep Your Financial Documents?
3:00AM Tamar Weinberg | How many years’ worth of financial documents do you have stored in your closet? Perhaps you’re storing way too much. Perhaps you don’t have nearly enough. Kiplinger has a timely article that recommends that should keep your tax returns forever. However, you don’t need to be a packrat. Supporting documents, such as old receipts, can be tossed. Home improvement documents should be kept for as long as you own your house. And if you’re investing, you only need to hold onto monthly statements after your year-end statements arrive as long as everything matches up. We touched upon financial document storage advice before, but it’s the perfect time of year to start going through old papers especially as newer documents accumulate. How long do you store your documents, and how do you decide which to toss? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments. Which Tax Records to Keep [Kiplinger] More »
