Feb
23
This is most vile computer input device ever conceived
Filed Under gadget thoughts | Leave a Comment
(image from the shockingly mixed review on everythingusb.com)
Seldom (as in never) have I put finger to keyboard with the sole intent of bashing a lowly computer input device. However, I feel it is my duty as a mammal with hands to warn the world about the ergonomic evil that is Microsoft Sidewinder Mouse .
Feb
23
I’ve been thinking about and collecting material on this idea for years, and I’ll be posting more of these regularly here as I have time. Check back occasionally…
If you’re hungry for more now, check out this thread I started on ask.metafilter.
Feb
23
The Top Gear Toyota Hilux (image from carpages.co.uk)
The ethos of “cheap and bombproof” could be grocked almost completely by contemplating the humble Toyota pickup truck.
Across the world, for decades, the inexpensive Toyota truck has been the unofficial official vehicle of the rural Third-world, as well as second and first world inhabitants who require a tough, insanely reliable go-anywhere vehicle. The Land Rover may have originally conquered the Africa bush, but the Toyota pickup has now largely replaced it there. The old Rovers may be easy to repair, but the Toyotas have the advantage of not breaking down in the first place.
If you have a pulse, a vat of vaguely combustible liquid and a Toyota pickup, you can reasonably expect to be able to get around indefinitely.
Feb
23
It may be pushing the bounds of incredulity to call the Fenix P3D flashlight ”cheap” at $65, but if you compare it to the gold-standard light of similar size and function, the Surefire U2 at $275, it’s a positive steal.
Another point of ‘cheapness’ (as if I had to justify this to you): Fenix lights are mass-produced in China. Here’s a cute picture of the people who make them, posing with dear Chairman Mao:
(more images and engrossing information at fenixlight.com)
“Thanks for the fascinating lesson in the global manufacturing economy and all,” I can hear you saying, “but where’s the bombproof come in?”
Feb
21
A lazy man’s successful war on email
Filed Under GTD | Leave a Comment
(reposted from my old blog to maintain a copy…)
Like essentially everyone I know, I have struggled under the weight of an overflowing inbox for almost as long as I’ve had an email account (something like 15 years now). Like my smoking habit, I’ve tried countless times to wrestle email into submission using an endless stream of productivity strategies, tools and gizmos: GTD, ‘Take Back Your Life’, Good Experience/Bit Literacy, Gootodo,Logitech IO pens, Hipster PDAs, Moleskines, and the good ole “Leaving Emails I Need To Work On as Unread” system. None of them have really stuck, mainly because there have always been key pieces that take more effort than my lazy ass is willing to put into them.
After a lot of thought (I’m intensely diligent when it comes to enabling my own laziness) I’ve come up with a system that works for me. It borrows bits and pieces from most of the things I’ve tried, but far and away the closest to what I do is Merlin Mann’s Inbox Zero. I’ve been using it successfully for about 6 months (including the massive email task of returning from two separate vacations) which is huge for me.
