Windows only: Snag a full-fledged version of Wikipedia for offline research with freeware application WikiTaxi. WikiTaxi requires a few components: the standalone application, an importer, and a database to import (the simple English database is 25MB, but the full-fledged English encyclopedia is a whopping 3.5GB). Use the import tool to suck in the file and specify its file name. If properly imported, WikiTaxi will display a random page when you reopen the application and you can then browse to any page of your choosing. WikiTaxi supports wildcard searches, AND and OR searches, and more, and is ideal for browsing on a large USB drive. WikiTaxi is a free download for Windows only.
WikiTaxi [via gHacks]Web site The Antiques Digest offers a guide on concentration originally published in 1930 and full of delightful old-time language detailing a message that’s more important than ever today. The guide suggests several aids for concentration, like periodical relaxation (go nappers!), a definite schedule, the right environment, and solitude: Solitude calls forth the mood of receptivity. Only then do we get the best. Great things are worked out in silence. Then come the flashes of inspiration—the new visions. Emerson tells us that “Solitude is to genius the stern friend—the cold, obscure shelter, where mould the wings which will bear it farther than suns or stars.”
Try telling that to the boss when you’re negotiating your way out of a shared cubicle for an office with a door. Photo by quatro.sinko. How To Concentrate [via Tim O'Reilly]
Street View, Google’s useful/controversial feature with drive-by photography of streets in major cities, is now live in Australia after several months of (presumably) tedious filming. Look for an address in Google Maps and if the area has been recorded, click on the Street View button for a panorama of where you’re trying to get to, or where you live — this is the new ego search). Google has used reportedly blurring technology to ensure faces aren’t visible, though we haven’t encountered any examples yet. But despite the honks from privacy advocates, this is a very useful feature when you’re trying to find an unfamiliar location — visual cues can really help. [Thanks Andrew S!]
Search engine Facesaerch displays photos of people’s faces related to your search term in a CoverFlow-like interface. Built using Google’s image search—and using its little-known imgtype=face search parameter—Facesaerch is better at finding celebrity photos than your regular Joe or Jane. However, an image search for a gender-ambiguous name you’ve never heard before—like Priti—is great way to figure out if it’s more commonly used for men or women, and Facesaerch is the perfect application for that. Also, the first two face results for a search on “Lifehacker” are spot on:
Web-based project manager Task2Gather organizes your to-do list online. Task2Gather’s interface is spartan and uncluttered, and accomodates projects with sub-tasks. You can share projects and notes with other users to collaborate, as well as assign deadlines, colour code, and mark off progress. Although the interface is easy on the eyes and not hard to use once you create your first few projects, initial use may be a little awkward. When you create a new project or task, in order to rename it from New Project or New Task you have to click on the properties box in the middle of the interface to apply the name to it. Here’s a screenshot:
Besieged by spam, reader Nick writes in: You know how so many spam messages have Chinese or Russian writing in them? Well, what if one sets up a filter in Gmail to remove all messages containing common Chinese or Russian words? I’m trying to do that now, except I don’t know Mandarin for “the” — I’m just finding short words.
An undocumented Gmail advanced search operator lets you narrow down messages by language—using lang:Chinese for example—but several readers report the results are inconsistent and often imperfect. Do you filter email based on language? How do you do it? Help Nick out in the comments.
Whether she’s appearing on a prime time TV show, gracing the silver screen, or writing, producing, and starring in her own hit web series, there’s no shortage of things to keep actress and gamer Felicia Day busy. Most recently she stars in Joss Whedon’s fantastic direct-to-web supervillain musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, as Dr. Horrible’s crush, Penny. Since its release last month, Dr. Horrible has legions of geeks singing in the shower and (re)discovering her award-winning web series about a group of online gamers, The Guild. I’m thrilled Day, a self-described “Lifehacker addict” (SQUEE), took some time to talk with us about how she manages her projects in Hollywood and on the web—and finds time to play a little WoW, too.
Software developer Michael Hunger wanted a better way to track the time he spends on various projects throughout the day, so he’s opted to use LEGO bricks (pictured) instead of software or time sheets. Each one-line LEGO track represents one day of the workweek, and different coloured bricks correspond to different projects. He stacks up a wall for each day to log where his time went or pre-plan the day. Hunger writes: You can easily see how much work you did for any given project as you recognise the coloured areas rather than time ranges (8:45-11:15). Having the relative time shares as part of this setup helps as well.
He says that the fun of using his LEGO time tracker is a big advantage—we do use systems we enjoy using—but that co-workers coming to your place and disassembling your workweek is the one disadvantage. On LEGO Powered Time-Tracking; My Daily Column [Better Software Development]
When you’re looking for a recipe with certain ingredients or by a particular chef, hit up Five Mushrooms, a multi-recipe site search engine which includes results from Allrecipes.com, the Food Network, Yahoo! Food, Cooking.com and Epicurious among others. Search by ingredients—like carrot celery onion—or specific quantities, like 1 egg, or by chef and ingredient, like emeril beef. You can even use advanced operators like the minus sign to exclude results (i.e., cookies -”chocolate chip”). Where do you turn when you need a good recipe for dinner? Let us know in the comments. Five Mushrooms
