Everyone has their own small tricks for reading more books (or at least, pretending you read books), and more generally, working our way through a never-ending backlog of podcast episodes, old New Yorker issues, Spotify playlists, and other assorted content.
Before you run through a red light because it's been five minutes and come on already, there may be a few ways you can get the light to turn green. This video breaks down how to do it.
iOS: Old school: Skeezy dude on the train pleasuring himself in public. New school: Skeezy dude on the train AirDropping you a dick pic. Ah, the forward march of technology!
Commutes are frustrating because they make us feel like we don't have any control. You're either trapped on a bus or train, or trapped in a car crawling along the motorway. But if you focus on what you can control, your time heading to and from work can become the best, most enriching parts of your day.
Working from home is awesome. You can work without constant supervision, and you don't need to worry about that pesky commute. However, you should probably find something to commute to anyway.
If you live in a large city with traffic and cars, you're likely exposed to air pollution on a daily basis. That can have detrimental effects on your health, especially your lungs, and the surgical masks you often see in smoggy cities actually don't do a ton to protect you. Here's what to do instead.
Long commutes might seem like the perfect time to relax and indulge in a pleasurable activity like reading a book, listening to music or podcasts, or even taking a nap, but you're actually better off thinking about work. A recent study suggests you can make your transit time more bearable and lower your stress levels if you do.
I'm a backpack addict, and trust me: The wrong backpack means you're stuck with an uncomfortable, awkward bag, all day. A few simple choices will make sure you choose the best in comfort, style and convenience. I've found some common ground through my many, many backpacks that can help you choose yours.
iOS: If you've ever turned off your alarm in the morning only to learn later there's a traffic jam or congestion that will make you late for work even though you got up in good time, Snorelax can help. The app uses current and historical traffic data to wake you up early enough to compensate for any travel delays.
Sydney is notorious for traffic congestion, but a handful of other cities around the world are just as bad (or worse). Recently released data shows what traffic is like in major cities around the world. If you're planning a big move or will be driving around during business trips, you'll want to explore the tool to see what your own commute may look like.
If you have a morning commute, there are plenty of ways to make it suck less. You could fit in some reading. Or catch up on podcasts. But where to start? CommuteKit helps you figure it out.
If you're planning to move to a new city, you might want to know how bad your commute will be. Traffic app Waze has put together a collection of infographics to help you find out.
Visiting New York and wondering whether a crosstown cab is any faster than the subway? Mobile|Traffic, a free web service for mobile phones (and standard browsers as well) offers updates from more than 4,600 traffic cameras in seven countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Simply navigate from country to state/province to city, and you'll get a recent shot of the intersection. Using Mobile|Traffic from a phone requires a data plan, as you'd imagine, and, as MakeUseOf points out, it's in serious need of map and search functions. But it's simple, free, and pretty useful if you don't always trust vague traffic reports of "moving steadily" and the like. Mobile|Traffic
Blogger Steve Rubel discusses his methods for mitigating the Attention Crash caused by modern information overload while remaining well-informed. In the midst of all the demands new technology and information place on our lives, Steve keeps up by making unusable time usable. I read a ton. However, I have mastered how to stuff it into pockets of time that are normally "unusable." I get through about one business book a week by listening to them when I commute, travel and run errands. In addition, I use Instapaper.com (more) to bookmark articles I want to read.I doubt Rubel is the only one to listen to a book on his commute, so let's hear how you take advantage of unusable time in the comments. Three Ways to Mitigate the Attention Crash, Yet Still Feel Informed
Free social commuter alert service Commuter Feed harnesses the quick and brief nature of Twitter to offer commuters in major metro areas a way of avoiding train delays, subway break-downs, and other travel information in nearly-real time. The service has one of the most extensive lists of metro areas covered of its type, although each is only as useful as the number of dedicated Twitterers on their daily routes. If you know how to follow or reply on the micro-message service, you can easily join and submit to any metro area's feed, although how you handle the surfeit of Twits in the more populous areas is up to you. For similar community-driven commuter help, check out The Clever Commute. Commuter Feed
AU - I checked out Commuter Feed's website and while it's set up to accommodate Australian users, so far only 1 tweet has been recorded in Sydney - about the fire at Broadway Shopping Centre which happened yesterday. It's good to know that it's there if we want to use it though!
US-centric: Sure, you've signed up to get alerts from the transit companies themselves, but wouldn't you rather hear how the trains are running from someone already on board? The Clever Commute allows riders and those wondering which line to take to trade information and tips among themselves, or at least make the most of their time in gridlock. The service appears to be limited to New Jersey and NYC-area services at the moment.
