How clever! Why didn’t I think of that!!!
Do you have 500+ e-mails sitting in your inbox? If so, shame on you! Get your digital communications gear in tune and get that email mess count down to ZERO every single day! Trust me, it’s worth it! How you might ask; two options: 1) take an hour listen to Merlin Mann (43 Folders) lecture about “Inbox Zero” while at Google (his slides here), or 2) give Mark Hurst book “Bit Literacy” a read. (Marks run CreativeGood in nyc and also runs the incredible inspirational GEL Conference yearly which I’ve attended many times)
I’ve been using a hybrid of these systems for many years now, and I’m not sure where I’d be without it. Many ask me how I manage so many different email accounts, clients, web accounts, etc… and the simple answer is… I keep my inbox down to zero! In the most simple cliff-notes version on how to achieve this system:
– Answer emails asap.
– Do not let emails be your address book/calendar/to do lists.
– Trash the ones you don’t need to read.
– Answer and move emails to folders (this is a step Merlin says not to do, but archive it all).
– Make it a habit to get to zero daily.
You know how right before you leave for a vacation or something, you sit down and hammer out tons of overdue emails, activities, projects, etc…. we’ll basically be that productive every day… with an inbox of zero, your less stressed, can find things much faster, and you feel much cleaner!!!
via Lifehacker (via 43 folders)
Woa weird… Rock balancing by artist Bill Dan!(his blog) His work reminds me a bit of one of my favorite artists Andy Goldsworthy. Get some rocks and start balancing!
A few weeks back, I was in need of an external hard drive, and like most geeks I cruised the internet for reviews, asked opinions from friends, and ventured off to store shelves to see what was hot. After pacing around for more than needed, I finally bought the FreeAgent by Seagate because it seemed clean, was understandable, and it just felt better.
I’ve been incredibly happy with the product and ran into this great post describing someones great experience in the packaging design, which I’ll admit made me buy over the other options because the packaging was so human and sweet. I’d say “simple”, but I don’t like using that word because everyone thinks it means reduction when it actually just means intuition.
Look through the pictures at the post here. (note: the re-wording of the packaging rocks… no mumbo jumbo tech terms… just things us humans ask.)(Also reminds me how Jetblue said “buh bye Red-Eye, Hello to shut-eye“)
Woa! These cascading column like basalt formations rock!
“Columnar Basalts are rock formations resulting from the quick cooling of lava flow. Fractures form in a random cellular network (similar to soap bubbles, organic cells, etc.), though the average distribution of sides is six, giving the hexagonal structures an eerie man-made appearance.”
Lots more pictures via centripetalnotion.com
Did you know that toothpaste can damage your teeth? According to the following article, I can see why… Otherwise, I’m sticking to my tasty paste for now.
“CBS2Chicago is reporting about a growing concern among some dentists that excessive brushing with toothpaste is not good for one’s teeth. Dentists increasingly see patients destroying tooth enamel and soft tissues, and scientific evidence seems to implicate the toothpaste.”
It reminds me that in design or any other field, sometimes when you create solutions you also create new problems down the road . We feed ourselves problems through solutions if not pass it onto other fields … what a paradox. 😉
Read the rest of the article via MedGadget
Source: CBS article/video
I knew about this sometime ago but I finally had the opportunity to use Google Maps Draggable Routes (This is what I call it, not Google). If ya don’t like the route Google maps gives ya… no problem… just drag the route to another road and watch the route magically change! Here’s a over-dragged route from NYC to Boston which I plan to use today… drag it around a bit more if you want. Type in a route, drag it around, have some fun!
Woa, this stuffs crazy weird, bubbly, gnarley, hippie-shakin, sweet n sour tingly, vibrant, delicious! I’d seen these new organic Kombucha drinks in Wholefoods a few months back but never bothered to try them out until a few weeks ago! Dang, this fermented drinks wacky weird but kind of tasty. I didn’t try it for another 2 weeks, but now I’m somewhat addicted. Every time I go shopping, I grab a new flavor…some are tastier(divine grape rocks!), but all of them are consistently raw and weird refreshing. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s different. At first I hated it with its gingerly zappy taste, but it grew on me. I guess it’s healthy and that’s what healthy is suppose to taste like. Give it a shot, be prepared, and open the bottles slowly as they fizz up like a bottle of bubbly. Hit up their webpage for all the details on this ancient fuzzy drink.
I had a wonderful weekend venturing over to FooFest, Newport Cliff Rocks, Waterfire, and a few other activities while dining at Pizzico in Providence! Next weekends the Blackship Festival!
Here are some random cool links for the weekend:
– Eureka Skydeck: An elevator that goes sideways, and pushes you out 300 meters above ground.(article)
– How to get free internet at Hotels.
– Headhoods: Face prints on hoodies!
– Amazing landscape images from China.
– Wifi Blocking Paint!!!
– How to make a baby quiet by sipping water sommelier style.
– Womens dreamhome 84 sq ft space.
The highly anticipated carbon fiber Boeing 787 Dreamliner was unveiled while I was in Seattle, so I ventured over to Boeings headquarters to check it out. Besides the galley tour and an awesome visit to their 98+ acre hanger, I had VIP (accidental trespassing) access with one of the 787’s up close and personal! Man, these aircrafts are gigantic. Some interesting facts:
– Boeing has reserved parking near the hangers for employees that have been around for 25+ years… I’m not sure what newbies feel, but man, thats a long time to wait for that benefit.
– Under the hanger is a long 1/3 mile hallway that houses all the plumbing. When it’s raining outside, employees often run up and down this hallway for exercise if not ride their bikes.
– If you want to buy one of these 787’s it’ll cost you some $230 million just for the plane, not including interior… and the waiting list goes as far as 2015 currently for delivery.(3 payment system: to start the build, to paint it, and to fly it away)
– The new Boeing 787 is some 40,000 pounds lighter than similar airplanes, making it %20 more fuel efficient, and produces %20 fewer emissions.
– People were not allowed to bring anything into the gallery tour, even my freaking sketchbook was taken away. The reason: too many people in the past dropped things down the hanger.
Pictures after the jump w/video about the interior design team (Teague) 😉
787 interactive page
787 Premier footage (pretty long video, but informative)
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During my trip in Seattle I went to the new cascading Central Library designed by architect, and GSD professor, Rem Koolhaas. I missed out on the guided tours, but had a good hour walking up and down the spacious, colorful, and vibrant new construction. I don’t have much to say about the design, but the details were very nice… including the many sustainable elements within the design… and from what I know about Rem, the ideas are probably very theoretical though compelling. If you really want to read more about the design, dive over to Arcspace.
tons of pics after the jump.
I just want one! Perhaps its my recent lacking skills in math or dumbifying tech, but I just want one of these one-handed mobile calculators to strap onto my bag. Whip it out after a group meal and figure out the split price in style. I’ll assume it’s only in Japan… I want one!
One more pic after the jump.
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