Web site Last.fm + YouTube is a mashup that pulls music videos from YouTube based on artists and music in your Last.fm profile. To use it, just hand over your Last.fm username or the name of an artist you like and it starts streaming YouTube music videos. I’ve been tuned into my Last.fm + YouTube channel most of the morning, and so far it’s been good listening and watching. If you give it a try, let’s hear how you like your personal MTV in the comments. Last.fm + YouTube = music tv goodness
When you send out that email request you’re waiting to hear back about, you can automatically shuttle it into a “Waiting For” folder with the right outgoing rule. Microsoft Outlook expert Taco Oosterkamp recommends adding a unique and unnoticeable notation at the end of any email you’re waiting on (he uses [w] ), and then use an Outlook rule to filter messages with [w] in the body to your Waiting For folder. Hit the link for a step by step tutorial on setting it up in Outlook; seems like an easy thing to replicate in other clients that support saved searches (like Thunderbird or even Gmail). [w]= I’m waiting for you – a step by step explanation [via Each Day Empty]
Newsreaders are a blessing for anyone who wants to stay on top of the constant flow of information available on the web, but if you’re not careful your feedreader can get so clogged and disorganised that you lose many of the benefits of RSS. Blogger GenuineChris details how he combatted this situation using fewer folders organised by quality—like A-List, B-List, etc. At the end of the day this strategy isn’t groundbreaking, but it got us wondering: How do you organise your newsreader? Let’s hear what helps you stay king of your RSS mountain in the comments. Fewer Folders Means You Get More Out of Reader [GenuineChris]
If you’re using a consumer grade point-and-shoot Canon digital camera, you’ve got hardware in hand that can support advanced features way beyond what shipped in the box. With the help of a free, open source project called CHDK, you can get features like RAW shooting mode, live RGB histograms, motion-detection, time-lapse, and even games on your existing camera. Let’s transform your point-and-shoot into a super camera just by adding a little special sauce to its firmware.
A new UK study shows that keyboards swabbed from an ordinary London office had more harmful bacteria than—you know what’s coming—a toilet seat. Yeeks! The accompanying survey showed that most users clean their keyboard infrequently (if at all), and clean their mouse even less often. Here’s what you do: shut down your PC, unplug your keyboard and mouse, shake out any dust, lint and other crap, and wipe ‘em down with disinfectant alcohol wipes. Right this very minute. For a more thorough cleaning which involves disassembly and compressed air, see this step by step guide. Or if there’s just one or two rogue crumbs you’d like to fish out from between the G and H keys, use a piece of sticky tape. Photo by basibanget. Keyboards harbour harmful bacteria [Which? Computing via Ars Technica]
Marketing VP Steve Rubel says that daily practice and research in any field over the span of several years can turn anyone into an expert, as long as you put in the effort. Anyone with just even a little bit of natural talent in a given domain can master it in about 10 years by methodically practicing the essence of their craft two hours daily (including weekends) and measuring their progress from one day to the next.
This seems like an obvious piece of advice, but it’s not what anyone wants to hear when they ask “how can I get where you are?” There’s no magic potion—it’s just learning over time, consistently. Become an Expert with the Power of Deliberate Practice [Micro Persuasion]
US-centric: Got a product you want to find for a steal, but not enough time to run through Fatwallet, Slickdeals, BensBargains, or any other of the deep-discount sites? Deal aggregator Combyo gives you results on any product, filtered by date, source, or category, and lets you set email price alerts for anything that’s just not cheap enough yet. It’s fairly similar in purpose to previously-mentioned Dealighted, but the interface is a lot cleaner and easier to run through (Original Dealighted post). Combyo [via MakeUseOf.com]
Having a washer and dryer in your home doesn’t always translate to having an organised system for cleaning and storing clothes. When the piles start climbing out of their baskets, the Unclutterer blog recommends making a visit to your local laundromat—the one you probably wrote off as an artifact of the past. By doing all your laundry in one shot, and saving some serious time while you’re at it: Go once to the laundromat, get all of your clothes washed, and then get started on your new laundry routine at home with a clean slate. To complete the laundry bankruptcy plan you can do your laundry yourself, or you can use the Fluff-N-Fold service that most laundromats offer.
