Fix

Mental Decline Can Start At Age 45

Lifehacker AU

We tend to take for granted that we’ll lose mental agility and memory as we age, but when does that process kick in? A recent study suggests that it might happen as early as 45. Yikes!


December 22, 2011
Work

Hacking Scrabble (Part One)

Scrabble-lover and hacker Tom Rees knows that the key to dominating at the popular word game hinges on knowing all the possible two-letter words. The problem? It’s not necessarily easy to memorise all 124 possible two-letter words. Here’s how Rees hacked scrabble with the judicious application of mnemonics and technology.


December 21, 2011
Work

Sing Yourself A Song To Remember Whether You Turned Off The Stove

From the “silly but useful” files: YouTube comedians Joe and Buzz explain how to remember that thing you always forget — whether it be turning off the stove, locking your apartment door, or feeding the cat. Just sing yourself a little song after you perform the action in question.


December 20, 2011
Organise

Store Your Keys In The Fridge To Help Remember Your Lunch

If you often forget your lunch in the refrigerator before heading off to work, Reddit user LS6 suggests keeping your keys in or on top or your refrigerator to help you remember your meal.


November 23, 2011
Communicate

Use A Compliment When You’ve Forgotten A Name

It’s hard to remember names. Despite your best efforts, strategies, and even apps, you’re going to forget. Gretchen Rubin, writing for Psychology Today, has a good suggestion for avoiding the awkwardness that follows your lack of memory: use a compliment.


November 10, 2011
Work

Namerick Helps You Remember Names

iOS: Need a little help cementing your new acquaintance’s name in your brain so you won’t need to embarrass yourself next time you meet? iPhone application Namerick uses tried-and-true techniques to help you remember the name of a person you’ve just met, creating memory mnemonics, sending you followup reminders, and more.


November 5, 2011
Work

Write Down Ideas Before You Leave The Room

Ever have a brilliant idea and then walk into another room only to find your idea has vanished? A new study suggests it’s not just you: Walking through a doorway makes it harder to remember thoughts from the previous room.


October 8, 2011
Fix

Why Closing Your Eyes Can Help You Remember

When you try to remember something, chances are you look up and away or even close your eyes. This may seem arbitrary, but as cognitive scientist Art Markman explains in Psychology Today, shutting off your vision is actually very helpful when you’re trying to dig up information in your brain.


September 17, 2011
Work

TooManyTabs Frees Up Memory In Chrome Without Losing Your Tabs

Chrome: If you find yourself opening way too many tabs in Chrome and sucking up memory, TooManyTabs can suspend a few of them for awhile to make it run a little smoother, while keeping quick access to those tabs for later.


August 30, 2011
Organise

Déjà Vu Creates An iPhone Visual Memory Database

iOS: Chances are you use your iPhone’s camera to take pictures of things you want to remember. Déjà Vu is an app that helps you keep track of everything in your virtual visual memory by taking those photos and using image recognition to automatically categorise them for you. Of course, you can also categorise them yourself, but that’s not quite as fun.