Really Simple Syndication

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Delete It - Tips for Managing Information Overload

We’re deep into the beginning of the Information Age, as you can see from the propagation of information aggregators like Google Reader and the meta-aggregators like Friend Feed. There’s only one tip for handling information saturation that has any success: delete it.

CoinStar — Is It Worth It To Convert Your Spare Change?

When I was a kid rolling up the spare change to take in the bank, I always wondered why there wasn’t a machine that would do it for you in bulk. Sorting coins mechanically isn’t rocket science; all you need is holes of different sizes. Now we’re in the 21st centuary. We might not have jetpacks but I see these CoinStar sorting machines in every supermarket I go to.

People Are Computers Too - How Improving Applications Can Improve Your Life

This week I’ve been talking about code profiling and how if you want to analyze the performance of your application you need to work with large sets of data. Application efficiency isn’t free, it requires measurement, analysis and change. Unsurprisingly, performance analysis for a software application and performance analysis for aspects of your life have a lot in common.

Distraction Free GTD: 32 Todo List Web Applications

Web Runner is a tiny site-specific web application that runs using less resources than Firefox or Internet Explorer. The whole idea behind a site specific web browser is that you want to access a web application without being tempted to access other sites. You want to access a site without being distracted by the rest of the Internet. A good example is an online todo list or GTD application.

To make things easier for everyone I’ve created a huge bundle of Web Runner web applications centered around access ToDo/GTD web sites.

How Procrastination Dashes Made Me a Better Worker

43Folders recommends setting a procrastination dash to attack tasks you’re having trouble getting started on. The (10+2)*5 system suggests doing 5 intervals of 10 minutes of work, followed by 2 minutes of “me time” as a way to get yourself on a groove and find your flow. It’s a great system, and it really works, especially if you use the Instant Boss software.

14 Tips to Get More Done in Less Time

Productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are the buzzwords fueling the information age. Entire industries have been created around our obsession with efficiency and productiveness. We have more and more time for leisure activities but we use less and less of it for “leisure”; there are too many “work-like” things to do — maintaining social internet accounts, leveling up in online video games, sorting through our photos or mp3s…

We forget that time is the only true luxury in life. Being more productive doesn’t make you a better person, the essence of being productive is to put your attention where you get the biggest returns and get more done with less investment of your time. Use that extra time to get more enjoyment out of your life. This article will give you 14 tips that will make you more effective at achieving your goals and free up more time for leisure activities.

Getting to Simple - Engineers Have No Idea How Normal Human Beings Interact With Their Environments

One of the best known programming axioms is KISS — Keep It Simple, Stupid.

It is something I have incredible difficulty with.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Matt from 37Signals has a definitive post on “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The comments are as good as the post.
I went so far as getting “Flow” from the library a few months ago when Kathy Sierra recommended it, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter. It reminded me too [...]

Getting to Deadline - Programmer Productivity Tips At Work (Getting to Done)

I am my own worst enemy when it comes to achieving my deadline goals. These are tips / reminders I’ve found useful through work experience.

Most of the tips are general, but some are specifically suited to programmers/engineers in situations with long compile/simulation phases (compiling is the act of building an executable, simulation is the act of running it to completion).

Do I follow these? Of course not. But I should.

Time Tracking Software: Painless Estimation Tools Evaluated

Accurately estimating how your much time it will take to complete a task is one of the fundamental skills of any professional. This is a list of software that will help you do it.