DIY web site Instructables details how to predict the weather by glancing at the sky and—more specifically—the clouds. Being able to predict the weather by observing cloud formations is a skill that is somewhat lost on us modern humans. Most of us can easily look at a cloud and see the unicorn or ice cream cones, but very few of us can look at clouds and see the approaching cold front.
The post focuses on first highlighting and identifying different cloud formations and what they mean to the weather, then describes how to put that information to use. You may not be able to out-forecast your local weatherperson off the bat, but a better knowledge of the clouds and climate can’t hurt. While you’re at it, check out a few other methods (like smell) of predicting the weather without checking the forecast. Predicting the Weather with Clouds [Instructables]
Stylish Java applet Wordle creates custom word clouds out of any text you throw at it. You can also have it parse your Del.icio.us tags for a cloud, but either way, the real fun is in customising the layout, tag colours, fonts, and much more. Once you’re done, you can share your clip in the site’s gallery, print it out, or save it using your own screen-capture tool. It makes for nice backgrounds and icons, but it can also be helpful for students and anyone trying to parse a text for emphasis—the clip above is from the mammoth last paragraph of James Joyce’s Ulysses, which can certainly hide its meanings pretty well.
Wordle [via MakeUseOf.com]Although eBay Australia was asked by the ACCC not to implement its plans for compulsory PayPal on June 17, delaying the scheme until at least July 15 and quite possibly indefinitely, it seems that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing at the auction giant. Alex Kidman at APC reports that many attempts to list items for auction are still producing messages saying only PayPal can be used as a payment method. An eBay spokesperson essentially blamed human error for the problem. Bottom line? The listings still work, apparently, but this doesn’t make eBay look very organised. It might make sense to have that eBay virtual garage sale while you’ve definitely still got a choice, but don’t be fooled by the on-screen messages.eBay forces users onto PayPal-only auctions early … by mistake [APC]
After complaining that installing applications on an Eee PC was just too damn hard, Anthony Caruana went out and canvassed the available options. His Pocket Mojo posting is a useful guide to the basic installation choices available on the Eee, with lots of useful links for the determined expander. I’m still not keen to do anything to my Eee that might require reinstallation, but if you are looking to make your Eee more versatile, this is a good place to start.Starting out with the Eee PC [Pocket Mojo]
Rather than sending it off to the textile factory in the sky, DIY blogger Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet repurposed a cloth grocery tote into something he could use. With a little ingenuity, a single cut, and some stitching, you can transform a tote bag into a bed side pocket for holding books, reading glasses, and other assorted necessities that would normally clutter up a bedside table. DIY Project – Bed Pocket [Why Blog via Make]
Windows only: Free, open-source application AltTab Fingertips switches between open windows from wherever your mouse cursor is located. To use it, just press the hotkey (F10 by default) to invoke the AltTab Fingertips menu, which displays every open window in a context menu right next to your mouse, then just click any window title to switch. If you don’t want AltTab Fingertips to index a program’s windows, you can exclude it through the system tray. This app is simple, lightweight, and does one thing very well—you can’t beat that. AltTab Fingertips is freeware, Windows only. AltTab Fingertips [DonationCoder via CyberNet]
When my messy home office got so cluttered I couldn’t get anything done in it, it was time to take action—and I turned to Lifehacker for advice. Disorganisation leads to lack of free time, lack of free time leads to believing you’ll never be able to get it all under control again, and that is how I ended up as a terribly scattered person in a wretchedly cluttered office. The responsibilities of adulthood, marriage, and parenthood forced me to admit the haphazard approach to life that coloured my college years wasn’t going to cut it anymore. In the following makeover confessional, check out the tips and tricks I gleaned from Lifehacker to transform my mountain of clutter into fuel for a productivity machine.
Whether you’ve got ink blots on your hands from working too hard or snagging that cutie’s number at the concert last night, there’s a better way to scrub it off than plain old soap and water. Use a cool teabag instead like my friend James in the video above. For more urawaza, see my previously posted five secret Japanese tricks to make life better. Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan [Amazon]
Planning to spend some time during one of those mythical “free” weekends whipping your web site into shape? Open Web Design, a free and frequently-updated collection of site templates handed out without copyright, is a great place to start looking. We’ve posted similar collections before, but Open Web Design trumps our archives for up-to-date designs and breadth of material—images, CSS templates, and standard HTML are all available. The site is free to use, and registration lets you submit ideas and post to a forum. Open Web Design [via Web Worker Daily]
