Wanna limit the time you spend goofing off online? Ask MetaFilter user myrrh created a timer that counts down a certain number of minutes in your browser title bar (or background tab) and pops up a browser alert dialog when it's done. Run a timed work dash or limit your Facebook break without installing any extra software—the magic all happens in this page's Javascript. Hit the link to give the timer a try. Thanks, Iron!
Title bar timer
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A self-made millionaire mum describes how she uses a digital timer to keep herself focused on getting work done during certain times of the day. As a "work"-from-home mum of a two-year-old, I find it necessary to structure my writing and blogging time according to her schedule and push to GET IT DONE. I write when she's sleeping in, napping, or enjoying one-on-one time with her daddy.
Google's updated its advanced search operator options to make finding pages by date a lot easier. Recently the big G's gotten a whole lot faster at adding new pages to their index, and now you can search for pages that Google's found within any number of days, weeks or months. Hit up the advanced search form to use a handy (but limited) dropdown, or go beyond defaults using URL parameters like this.
Two years ago, Lifehacker alum Keith posted some of his best professional email tips and we set up a personal local wiki with Instiki.
Few skills are as useful for a Friday afternoon as the rewarding power nap. The Ririan Project introduces 10 benefits to power napping and details four styles of power nap: nano nap (10 to 20 seconds), micro nap (two to five minutes), mini nap (five to 20 minutes), lazy man's nap (50 to 90 minutes) and the traditional power nap (exactly 20 minutes). Contrary to popular opinion, napping isn't for the lazy or depressed. Famous nappers have included Bill Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison. The moral of the story: to be ultra-productive, just rest your head. You snooze, you gain.For more, check out this guide to power napping. For a double-whammy energy boost, check out the caffeine nap.
10 Benefits of Power Napping, and How to Do It
Windows only: Shareware application ShrinkMyTunes promises to fit anywhere from two to four times more music on your iPod by shrinking your MP3s while retaining most of their quality. Hot on the heels of Apple's announcement of the enticing yet light-on-storage iPod touch, this type of application could come in particularly handy. We hardly ever post shareware here on Lifehacker, but if ShinkMyTunes does work as well as they claim it does (or even as well as Wired's review suggests), it's an application that may be worth the rather hefty $40 price tag for some music lovers with small storage capacities. (Then again, who among us hasn't been working to increase the quality of their MP3 library?) ShrinkMyTunes is currently Windows only, costs a whopping $40 (but offers a 14-day money back guarantee). Let's hear your thoughts—including how you fit as much content as you can on your MP3 player—in the comments.
Our mates over at Gizmodo tell us that IceTV have beefed up their online TV program service with a community recommendation feature.
Now that they've won their copyright case against Channel 9, I'm really looking forward to IceTV developing into a full, personalised TV recording service.
IceTV launches IWatchThis.com.au community recommendation service