You sit down at a computer running that other browser and you hit Ctrl+T to open a new tab, and… nothing happens. Ctrl+T! Ctrl+T! You mash the keyboard and gnash your teeth and finally, begrudgingly, reach for the mouse. Anyone who’s burned keyboard shortcuts into their muscle memory knows it can feel like you’re missing a limb when they’re not available. But when it comes to Firefox—which is loaded with key combos—we want to know:
Self-described “techno-addict” Mark Bittman (who sleeps with his laptop on his night table to check email first and last thing) decided to unplug every weekend for 24 hours, a day he calls “secular Sunday.” At first the experiment made him twitchy and nervous, but over time, he came to enjoy his unplugged day. He writes: I would no more make a new-agey call to find inner peace than I would encourage a return to the mimeograph. But I do believe that there has to be a way to regularly impose some thoughtfulness, or at least calm, into modern life—or at least my version. Once I moved beyond the fear of being unavailable and what it might cost me, I experienced what, if I wasn’t such a skeptic, I would call a lightness of being. I felt connected to myself rather than my computer. I had time to think, and distance from normal demands. I got to stop.
Like other geeks, on my recent vacation I also found that unplugging does bring about a calm you can’t find in your RSS reader. Good night, secular Sunday. See you next week. I Need a Virtual Break. No, Really. [NYT via steverubel]
ASUS will release a Windows XP version of its mini-laptop, the Eee PC, later this month. The XP Eee PC will be available through “special tender” for educational institutions and through computer resellers, but the exact release date and price have yet to be confirmed. The Linux version of the Eee PC, which runs Xandros, rocked our socks when we reviewed it last year. More »
Here’s a giggle for the GTDers out there (or the people who love them but think they’re obsessive). The Look Shiny site has published a video guide to “NGTD” – Not Getting Things Done. It recommends books, TV shows, RSS feeds and YouTube as sources of procrastination material which, as an added bonus, can lead to increased stress if you leave them unattended. “For a real NGTD kick, join a bunch of social networks, then tell yourself you’re going to follow everyone else’s updates.” I LOLed. :) More »
If you’re interested in offloading some of your unwanted household goods, eBay can help you declutter your home, and bring in some extra cash. The Anywired blog today lists five reasons why it’s a good time to try out selling on eBay – and the standout reason for me was being able to take advantage of the Aussie dollar’s current strength against the greenback (the US dollar currently buys around $AU1.07).
“The positive in the devaluation of the US dollar is that prices have not yet adjusted upwards, so buying cheaply in the United States and selling at a 50% – 100% markup worldwide is a viable option. Many buyers haven’t yet cottoned on to this and will only search for items in their local listings. It’s possible to buy certain items in the US, mark up the price by 80%, and still come under RRP in Australia, for example.“
While eBay’s been criticised for increasing charges and changing its feedback system, it remains one of the largest auction sites online. If you have any tips for being a successful eBay seller, please share in comments.
5 Good Reasons to Start Dabbling in eBay [Anywired] More »
The results of community broadband news site Whirlpool‘s 2007 survey are out. If you’re in the market for a new broadband provider, or you often get asked for recommendations by friends or family, it’s worth checking out. Some juicy tidbits include the fact that Internode’s customer satisfaction rating dropped around 25% compared to last year on the back of steep price rises. And 53.5% of AAPT users reported that they wait over 20 minutes on the phone for customer support – a worse result that last year.The survey also asks about government and industry plans for broadband. Just 13.3% of respondents supported the government’s planned mandatory ISP-level filtering of Internet traffic, with 51.5% saying they strongly disagreed with it.Whirlpool’s an awesome resource, thanks to those guys for the work they do. So how did your ISP stack up?
To celebrate the seventh birthday of his blog, author Neil Gaiman (who wrote Stardust, which was recently turned into a movie) ran a poll on his website asking readers to nominate one of his novels to make available for free download.He asked readers to vote for the book they’d most like to offer someone who hadn’t read any of his books before – and they voted for his book American Gods.It’s now online and available for download all this month – if you haven’t read it, check it out. It’s a great read. Although personally speaking I’d rather read it in dead tree format. I know, I’m old fashioned. :)
If you’re concerned about identity theft, then you may want to consider a shredder for disposing of papers like credit card bills or applications. The Frugal for Life blog advises against the older strip cutter type of shredder:
“In my search I have found that cross-cutter paper shredders are better than the the strip cutters, that have been around longer. Strip cutter shredders still allow the criminal to reassemble the document so that it can be used. Where as cross cutters make the process MUCH more difficult if not impossible.”
While many businesses use shredding services for sensitive documents, most people aren’t as careful at home. The Consumerist blog says “committed identity thieves can piece together strip-shredded documents, and credit card companies readily accept torn applications.”
The also offer a few ways you can make use of the shredded paper – packing material, pet beds or … homebrew confetti.
Buy a Shredder [Frugal for Life] More »
Small adjustments to your food consumption can lead to huge savings, according to weblog The Urban Vegan. Instead of buying lunch at work, pack your own. Freeze anything that you don’t want (instead of tossing it out), and then save the food for another day. Stock up on goods that are on sale at the store. If you’re able to, grow your own fruits and vegetables. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Focus on investing for the long term and not only for the near future and you may reap some huge monetary benefits when you consider the value of the dollar in all of your decisions. What are your favorite food financial tips? Share them in the comments. 25 Money Saving Kitchen Tips for Frugal Vegans [The Urban Vegan]
Linux only: Dig into your genealogy with GRAMPS, a free software package that offers an array of tools to build and store your family history. GRAMPS gives you a lot of choices as to how you’ll build your tree, from standard database entries to multimedia diagrams, and offers a pretty convenient “calendar” view that lets you see birth (and death) dates for your extended clan. The real benefit of GRAMPS is that you can put as much or as little detail as you want into each entry, making it an amateur genealogist’s dream. GRAMPS is a free download for Linux only, although “experimental” installers are available for Windows and Mac OS X. For a Windows-friendly approach, try a Microsoft Word family tree template GRAMPS [via Sysad Linux Blog]
