If you’re looking for a no-frills easy to navigate reminder system, Superminder makes creating and editing email reminders a simple task.
Always have the sneaking suspicion you’ve forgotten something when you’re ready to head out the door on a trip? Web-based packing list generator Packwhiz aims to ensure that never happens again.
Mac OS X only: Reader Talha writes in with an update to yesterday’s productivity script—now Mac users also have a reminder that asks every so often whether you are spending your time wisely.
Reader Robert writes in with his own excellent and ubergeeky method of staying productive—a script that pops up a reminder every so often asking whether you are spending your time wisely.
Reader Ryan writes in with his ubergeeky method for sending emails to himself directly from Launchy—a very useful trick to quickly send yourself reminders. To accomplish this hack, Ryan assembled a visual basic script (VBS) file that sends the email using Gmail’s SMTP server—the email addresses are hard-coded but the subject line can be entered directly in Launchy.
Reader Jeff found a clever way to quickly remember his favourite Gmail shortcut keys—by creating a folder of bookmarks named for the most useful hotkeys. Combined with the Lifehacker favourite Xmarks extension (previously known as Foxmarks), Jeff has his quick Gmail tips available on any computer with Firefox—a very clever solution for adding reference material that you use often. The more geeky readers will probably note that you can use thebuilt-in Gmail keyboard shortcut guide accessible through the ? key, but the idea of using a folder of bookmarks as a quick reminder system is a very interesting one—you could add a folder with a list of your long term goals. Which makes us wonder, what else could this technique be used for? Can you think of something clever to share with your fellow Lifehacker readers? Tell us in the comments.
If you’ve taken to visiting the local library as a means of cutting down on book clutter, you could well be faced with a new organisational challenge: keeping track of which books you and family members have due. While most libraries offer online tracking for books these days, if you’re using multiple libraries or can’t get email reminders, then Library Elf could be useful. The basic free service send email reminders for due dates, but is restricted to just one library; there’s an optional premium service if you regularly haunt multiple libraries, and which is also available from participating “subscriber” libraries without cost. By my count, there’s 57 Australian libraries currently included in the service. If you’ve got another tactic for making sure you don’t get hit with overdue fees, share it in the comments. Thanks Tim!
Library ElfWindows only: Eye Relax is a small Windows application that reminds you to take a break from the computer and give your eyes a much needed break. Many programs designed as break reminders are simply timers under a different name, but Eyes Relax has a host of unique features that put it one step beyond. In addition to the basic setup, where you plug in your work period and break time lengths, you can also customise how Eyes Relax shows up to enforce eyeball rest: a balloon tip in the system tray, a screen blank-out, or a pre-selected image pop-in. There’s also a “parent mode” where you can set a password to lock the reminder screen—which would certainly put an end to dinner-time calls of “Just five more minutes!” One of the handiest features by far however is the ability to save the settings as profiles. When you’re poring over minute edits and restoration in Photoshop, for example, it fatigues your eyes much quicker than casual web browsing. Eye Relax is freeware, Windows only.
Eye Relax [via gHacks]
