Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Sched.org shines at SXSW conference

6:17PM Sarah Stokely | I spotted a blog writeup over at Wired about a scheduling app called Sched.org which was designed to give attendees of the conference a simple to use online tool for planning their time at the conference. “The Sched.org website displays the entire conference calendar, covering the interactive, film and music events plus parties and unofficial galleries, on a dynamic, easily customizable web page. The site has proven itself to be a godsend to overwhelmed attendees trying to figure out where to go, when to get there, what the most popular events are and who you’ll see once you arrive.” Underwire describes Sched.org as the hit of SXSW, and I have to admit the web interface looks great.Sched.org was tailored for SXSW but I hope and assume that the developers will be looking at opening up this tool for use by other conferences. Even better, open source it. :) SXSW: This year’s Twitter? A simple scheduling app that brings order to the masses [Underwire - Wired] More »

Guardian

5:59PM Sarah Stokely | The Guardian has published its list of the world’s Top 50 most powerful blogs. Top of the pops is political blog Huffington Post, followed by ‘geek ephemera’ site Boing Boing. Maybe skip this one if you’re trying to pare down your blog subscriptions. But if you’re looking for more blog reading material, the list is worth a look. More »

Windows Home Server

5:02PM Sarah Stokely | Our pals over at Gizmodo have pointed out Microsoft’s warning to users of Windows Home Server in response to data corruption issues. They’ve instructed users that they should avoid writing to the server or using media managers. A fix is planned to hit around June – in the meantime, moving files by hand is the way to go, apparently.  For further details check the Gizmodo story here and the relevant Microsoft support page here. More »

Start a savings regime by ‘trimming the fat’

4:33PM Sarah Stokely | The Simple Dollar doles out some advice for people trying to break the habit of spending all of pay cheque every month. It offers a simple plan for paring down some of your regular frivilous expenses and turning them into the start of a savings plan. “Find things that you routinely spend money on and reduce them. Good places to look include any monthly bills strictly related to social activities (like country club membership or your cell phone bill) or entertainment (like Netflix or the cable bill). Look for things you don’t use – maybe you don’t watch the premium movie channels you’re paying for, or maybe you’re not utilizing Netflix as well as you thought you would, or perhaps you’re buying way too many text messages each month and aren’t using them. If you’re unsure about whether to cut something, cut it. You can always bring it back if you find that it was more useful than you thought.” Then, add up how much you’re saving each month by getting rid of those expenses, and set up an automatic bank transfer from your primary bank account into a savings account. You’ve just set up a saving regime with the money you used to spend as disposable income. Nice! Got any tips on how you got started with a savings plan? Share in comments please.Chipping away at the paycheck to paycheck routine [The Simple Dollar] More »

Check out ‘Lab with Leo’ before Foxtel cancels it

3:47PM Sarah Stokely | Thanks to Hydrapinion blogger David Hague, I’ve just discovered that not only does Foxtel have a How-to channel, but it even has a DIY show made for Canadian and Australian audiences. Unfortunately I’ve learned this because the show in question, Lab with Leo, has just been cancelled.David says the show airs at 9.30pm each night on Foxtel’s How-to channel (Channel 118) and focuses on computing, photography and gadgets with regular expert guests. Leo, the California-based host, takes calls from the audience via Skype and talks over their tech problems. Apparently around half of the calls are from Australia, so the show has been tailored to remove excessive ‘americanisms’, while still giving us a sneak peak at the tech that usually arrives north of the equator before we get to see it. If you’ve got Foxtel, might be worth checking it out before it finishes up! New Media – the Jury is Out [Hydrapinion] More »

Australia’s geek history museum faces extinction

3:32PM Sarah Stokely | It’s a sad day for geek history when the Australian Computer Museum Society gets turned out of its home and can’t find a home for its relics – including computing paraphernalia from as early as the 1920s. ZDNet reports that the ACMS has lost access to its borrowed warehouse facilities in Sydney, and it will be forced to dispose of the contents of the museum if a new home can’t be found for them.They’re in need of around 400 square metres of storage space, or failing that, a place to build a shed. If you happen to have some room, I’m sure they’d appreciate a call! Wanted: Someone to save Australia’s IT heritage [ZDNet] More »

Brainwash Your Way to Change

10:00AM Adam Pash | Weblog Unclutterer recognises the difficulties in changing long-standing habits, suggesting that the best ways to inspire personal change may be to employ techniques commonly associated with brainwashing. For example: People are more susceptible to programming when they’re exhausted. If you’re going to listen to motivational tapes or talk yourself into being self-disciplined enough to do work, you should do it right before bed after a long day of physical and mental activity. Most of the observations in the post come from a book called How to Work the Competition into the Ground and Have Fun Doing It, and while the idea of using brainwashing techniques on yourself may sound a bit extreme, if it’s all about making changes you want, the idea makes sense. If you’ve ever tried similar techniques, let’s hear how they’ve worked for you in the comments. Brainwash your way to a clutter-free life? [Unclutterer] More »