Thursday, August 7, 2008
Work
gOS 3 Beta Bundles Google Gadgets
11:30PM Gina Trapani | The latest version 3 of the gOS Linux distribution is now available, and it includes Google gadgets on the desktop in addition to its already heavy webapp integration. Check out how Adam turned an old PC into a webapp monster with gOS. [via] More »
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MeD’s Movie Manager Catalogs Your DVD Collection
11:00PM Lifehacker US Edition | All platforms (with the Java runtime): Free software MeD’s Movie Manager is not as feature-rich as heavier-weight media managers like Griffith, but it still makes tracking your movie collection on your computer desktop easy. Catalog the movies you own, pull film info from IMDB or TV.com to fill in missing media information, and retrieve cover art. The program comes with multiple skins to customise its appearance, too. Two strong features include support for television series via the TV.com database and the ability to scan directories to retrieve movie file names, which saves you a lot of data entry hassle if you store movies in digital format. Here’s a screenshot of MeD’s in action. More »
Fix
Simplify Troubleshooting with a Change Log
10:00PM Lifehacker US Edition | System administrator Peter had some network troubles, but managed to resolve them by cross-referencing problem email messages to the dates in the change log—or journal of updates—he keeps. I used that information to look through the log I keep of server and network changes and maintenance. It turns out that two months ago I made a change to the firewall rules, and the problem started the very next day. It was hard to see how this particular change would cause the machine to crash, but it was too coincidental, so I disabled that rule and restarted the firewall service. There have been no warnings, problems or crashes since. I hope you can see the value of good record keeping. If you are making changes to your network without keeping a detailed record of what you are doing and when you’re doing it, it is going to be extremely difficult to diagnose problems later. More »
Fix
3:17PM Angus Kidman | Keeping your essential gadgets charged can be a real nuisance, and stopping the cords from getting tangled up only adds to the frustration. Caro at IKEA Hacker solved that problem by modifying a $25 Estetisk desk organiser from IKEA and turning it into a charging station, with all the cords neatly hidden from view and plenty of space to rest a notebook PC on top. The wood finish might not be to everyone’s taste, but (as Caro points out) restaining or repainting wouldn’t be too difficult either. [Gadget docking and charging station]
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Build your own gadget docking station
3:17PM Angus Kidman | Keeping your essential gadgets charged can be a real nuisance, and stopping the cords from getting tangled up only adds to the frustration. Caro at IKEA Hacker solved that problem by modifying a $25 Estetisk desk organiser from IKEA and turning it into a charging station, with all the cords neatly hidden from view and plenty of space to rest a notebook PC on top. The wood finish might not be to everyone’s taste, but (as Caro points out) restaining or repainting wouldn’t be too difficult either. [Gadget docking and charging station]
More »
Fix
1:22PM Angus Kidman | There’s plenty of things you can do to live longer — eat well, exercise regularly, minimise your stress levels by not using Vista more than you have to — but here’s one you might not have picked: getting hitched. Data recently released by Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot suggests that being married has a dramatic impact on your life expectancy, especially for the over 60s. Just why this is the case isn’t clear: one theory is that couples pressure each other to make sure health issues are addressed promptly. Presumably, this happy outcome assumes that your wife doesn’t turn out to be Anna Nicole Smith. (Thanks Shayne P!] [Marriage Increases Life Expectancy]
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Increase your life expectancy by getting married
1:22PM Angus Kidman | There’s plenty of things you can do to live longer — eat well, exercise regularly, minimise your stress levels by not using Vista more than you have to — but here’s one you might not have picked: getting hitched. Data recently released by Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot suggests that being married has a dramatic impact on your life expectancy, especially for the over 60s. Just why this is the case isn’t clear: one theory is that couples pressure each other to make sure health issues are addressed promptly. Presumably, this happy outcome assumes that your wife doesn’t turn out to be Anna Nicole Smith. (Thanks Shayne P!] [Marriage Increases Life Expectancy]
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Organise
1:05PM Angus Kidman | Having sold off the Linux model of the original Eee PC earlier in the year at bargain prices, Catch Of The Day has now improbably got the Windows XP model on sale for an even lower $299 (plus postage, though PayPal buyers get that for free as well). While for stability and performance we think the Linux version is a better choice, the XP box does have some advantages — ability to access Next G is the first one that springs to mind. This is only listed as a 24-hour deal, though previous Eee offers on the site have tended to recur, and the “limit of 10 per customer” suggests there isn’t a massive shortage of stock. [Catch Of The Day]
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Windows XP Eee PC being sold off for $299
1:05PM Angus Kidman | Having sold off the Linux model of the original Eee PC earlier in the year at bargain prices, Catch Of The Day has now improbably got the Windows XP model on sale for an even lower $299 (plus postage, though PayPal buyers get that for free as well). While for stability and performance we think the Linux version is a better choice, the XP box does have some advantages — ability to access Next G is the first one that springs to mind. This is only listed as a 24-hour deal, though previous Eee offers on the site have tended to recur, and the “limit of 10 per customer” suggests there isn’t a massive shortage of stock. [Catch Of The Day]
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Transmission Updates, Integrates Remote Control
8:00AM Adam Pash | Mac OS X/Linux only: Popular BitTorrent application Transmission has updated with several excellent new features, including built-in integration with the Clutch web interface. We showed you how to remote control your BitTorrent downloads with Clutch from any web browser, and now that Clutch comes baked-in to Transmission, doing so is even easier (though you may want to refer to the original guide for the finer points of setting it up). The new release also includes integration for Quick Look in Leopard (just hit the spacebar) along with several other improvements. Transmission is free, Mac OS X and Linux only. Tramission More »
Fix
Repurpose Your Empty CD Spindle
7:00AM Adam Pash | The video above from DIY web site Instructables demonstrates four different CD spindle-repurposing projects from start-to-finish. We’ve seen variations on most of these projects before, like the toilet paper dispenser, bagel holder, and cable organiser, but the video provides step-by-step instructions and a few clever tweaks for alternate uses. The bagel holder, for example, becomes a sandwich caddy with an extra cut, and the cable organizer becomes a rope and cable dispenser with a couple of small adjustments. If you’ve tried one of the repurposing methods since we first covered it, let’s hear how it’s working out in the comments. Recycle CD Box [Instructables] More »
Work
6:59AM Angus Kidman | If I had my way, all PowerPoint presentations would be banned as a crime against humanity, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. When you are obliged to sit through one, there’s nothing worse than an endless sequence of bullet points which the speaker then repeats without elaborating or developing. Microsoft’s Office Hours columnist Shellie Tucker offers up a guide to designing presentations that don’t rely on an endless sequence of bullet points, making better use of PowerPoint’s other design features. Much of it is obvious (keep to a single point on each slide so you have to explain to the audience rather than dictate, for instance), but it’s worth referring to next time you have to build a deck. For more PowerPoint strategies, check out our guide to avoiding PowerPoint snags. [Office Hours: PowerPoint without bullets via Inside Office Online]
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How to ditch bullet points from your next presentation
6:59AM Angus Kidman | If I had my way, all PowerPoint presentations would be banned as a crime against humanity, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. When you are obliged to sit through one, there’s nothing worse than an endless sequence of bullet points which the speaker then repeats without elaborating or developing. Microsoft’s Office Hours columnist Shellie Tucker offers up a guide to designing presentations that don’t rely on an endless sequence of bullet points, making better use of PowerPoint’s other design features. Much of it is obvious (keep to a single point on each slide so you have to explain to the audience rather than dictate, for instance), but it’s worth referring to next time you have to build a deck. For more PowerPoint strategies, check out our guide to avoiding PowerPoint snags. [Office Hours: PowerPoint without bullets via Inside Office Online]
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Work
6:34AM Angus Kidman | Believe it or not, you can improve your career and your life by not impersonating hospital food. Speaking at an HR conference in Queensland this week, corporate director and strategic advisor Linda Nicholls (St George, Australian Post, Healthscope, the Smith Family and a bunch of others) offered up the following strategy: work out what people would never say about your organisation. For instance, no-one ever says “This hospital food is excellent — I must get the recipe” or “Wow, that hotel mini-bar is great value!” In both cases, she noted, that implies areas that are seriously in need of improvement and which should be prioritised in any future plans.
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Find your flaws by working out what people won’t say about you
6:34AM Angus Kidman | Believe it or not, you can improve your career and your life by not impersonating hospital food. Speaking at an HR conference in Queensland this week, corporate director and strategic advisor Linda Nicholls (St George, Australian Post, Healthscope, the Smith Family and a bunch of others) offered up the following strategy: work out what people would never say about your organisation. For instance, no-one ever says “This hospital food is excellent — I must get the recipe” or “Wow, that hotel mini-bar is great value!” In both cases, she noted, that implies areas that are seriously in need of improvement and which should be prioritised in any future plans.
More » 
