Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Great article on tips for Vista and Office
By Stephanie Krieger, Document Production Expert
Related Links
•
4 ways to use Windows Vista at home
•
Create a family calendar with Windows Vista
•
Get organized with Windows Vista folders
•
Create better documents using the 2007 Microsoft Office release
No matter what your computer experience, when you start using new versions of the software you most depend on, it can take some time to discover favorite new features and timesavers. So, think of this article as a shortcut to some great new shortcuts.
While no single article could possibly include them all, each of the tips that follow either does more than I expected at first glance or simplifies something I need to do regularly.
Find whatever you need, when you need it
View and copy document content without opening the document
Restore previous file versions
Find files more easily with new sort and filter options
Browse folders quickly and easily
See your formatting before it happens
Mix and match your formatting across Office 2007 programs
Don't be afraid to dive in: what you find might amaze you
Find whatever you need, when you need it
You need to find information in a document you recently reviewed, but don't recall the document name or location. Or, perhaps that information was actually in an e-mail message or on a Web site you recently visited. Windows Vista Instant Search doesn't care where your information is. Like a loyal bloodhound, Instant Search will find almost anything you seek.
Just type one or more keywords in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then click the magnifying glass icon that appears beside the box. Within seconds, the closest matches for your search appear right in the Start menu, categorized by type of content. For example, in the image that follows, notice that the results for my keyword webcasts include Web sites I've recently visited, some documents, and several e-mail messages. If you don't see what you need in those immediate results, click See All Results to see all relevant files, Web pages, e-mail messages, and e-mail attachments. Or, to search the Internet for your keywords, click Search the Internet and Windows Vista takes you directly to Web search results for your keywords on Live.com (Windows Live Search, formerly MSN Search).
Get more tips for working with search options in Windows Vista.
View and copy document content without opening the document
Need to check some figures on one of several sheets in a Microsoft Office Excel 2007 workbook or copy some content from a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document? Don't spend extra time opening the program and then opening your document. Windows Explorer in Windows Vista offers a new Preview pane that enables you to view all parts of your document, and even copy content, directly from Windows Explorer. Notice, for example, the data selected in the preview of a sample Excel workbook in the image that follows.
To open the Preview pane, on the Start menu click Computer to open a Windows Explorer window, or press Windows+E. On the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Organize, point to Layout, and then click Preview. Note that once the Preview pane is open, you can drag the left edge of the pane to reduce or increase its size.
Learn more about the available options for viewing files and folders with Windows Vista.
Top of page
Restore previous file versions
You're revising an important document and realize that the content you deleted an hour ago is information you still need. Are you out of luck? Do you have to recreate it? If you're running Windows Vista Ultimate or Business editions, you could be in luck. These editions of Windows Vista include a shadow copy feature that enables you to access or restore previously saved versions of a document.
To see if a shadow copy exists for your document, do the following in Windows Explorer:
1.Right-click the document and then click Properties. (Note that you can also access Properties from the Organize button on the Windows Explorer toolbar.)
2. In the Properties dialog box, if the shadow copy feature is available in your edition of Windows Vista, you'll see a Previous Versions tab. When you click the Previous Versions tab, Windows Vista searches for available shadow or back-up copies of your file, as you see in the image that follows.
Get answers to frequently asked questions about working with the Previous Versions capability in Windows Vista.
Find files more easily with new sort and filter options
If you're like most computer users, including myself, you may often save documents and other files to the same folders, so that you have a tremendous amount of files in a single location. Windows Vista has a number of new tools to help you organize and locate folder content more easily, but my favorite is the set of new sort and filter options you get for any folder.
When you open a folder in a Windows Explorer, point to any column heading (such as Name or Date Modified) and you'll see a dropdown arrow. Click that arrow for a pop-up menu of options including the ability to sort, filter, group, and stack the files. For example, take a look at the options available for the Date Modified fields shown in the following image.
Get more tips for finding files easily with Windows Vista.
Browse folders quickly and easily
In addition to pop-up menu options for Windows Explorer column headings, Windows Explorer in Windows Vista categorizes the file path for you in the Address Bar, so that you can easily find your way to or from any folder on your system.
As you see in the image that follows, just click the dropdown arrow beside any folder name in the file path to access a list of available subfolders.
To access or copy the full path name in traditional format, just click the empty space in the address bar to the right of the last folder in the path. When you click, the full path name will appear, selected, as you see in the next image.
See your formatting before it happens
If you're already using the 2007 Office release, you know that Windows Vista does not have an exclusive on cool, new features. One of my favorite new timesaving tools in the 2007 Office release is Live Preview.
Just point to an entry in most formatting galleries across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to automatically see what that selection will look like applied to your document. For example, point to a document theme in the Themes gallery (available on the Page Layout tab in Word or Excel, or the Design tab in PowerPoint) to see how applicable theme colors, fonts, and effects will look applied to your active document. Or, select a SmartArt diagram and then point to an entry in the SmartArt Styles gallery to see how that style will look applied to your diagram.
With Live Preview, you no longer have to apply formatting to see how it will look in your document. Just point to entries until you see the one you like, and then click once and you're done.
Mix and match your formatting across Office 2007 programs
In previous versions of Microsoft Office, you could copy Word styles from one document to another, copy colors from one Excel workbook to another, or copy masters from one PowerPoint presentation to another. But, what if you wanted to use the same formatting that's in your Word document in a related PowerPoint presentation or Excel workbook? You'd need to recreate that formatting, of course.
The 2007 Office release introduces Document Themes, which enable you to apply coordinated sets of colors, fonts, and graphic effects to an entire Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document with just a click. The same themes (including custom themes you create) are available in all three programs, so that you can easily coordinate all of your documents. What's more, you can apply a theme from any existing 2007 release Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document to any other document in any of the three programs.
To do this, on the Page Layout tab in Word or Excel, or the Design tab in PowerPoint, click Themes and then click Browse for Themes as you see here.
The Choose Theme or Themed Document dialog box will open, where you can select any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, as well as any theme file, to apply its theme to your active document.
To learn more about working with document themes, click here.
Don't be afraid to dive in: what you find might amaze you
Getting up to speed on a new version of a software program can be daunting in the midst of your everyday deadlines. But, as you use Windows Vista and the 2007 Office release, don't be afraid to explore new features. So many new timesavers and additional capabilities exist that you're bound to find your own new favorites and perhaps open up some surprising new possibilities. For a few examples, check out the 2007 Office release features that follow.
• Excel: Convert a data range to an Excel table in just two clicks and get a myriad of new tools for working with data, such as the ability to add a formula to an entire column of data in one step. Click here to learn about working with the new Excel tables feature.
• Word: Build a document more quickly than you may have ever imagined. Just click to insert a complete formatted cover page, header, or table of contents. Using the new Document Building Blocks capability, you can build a document using pre-created pieces of content, including custom content that you can save and reuse. Click here to learn about working with document building blocks.
• PowerPoint: Using the new PowerPoint Photo Album feature, you select your photos and your preferred layout, and PowerPoint automatically creates the album for you. Click here to learn about working with photo albums.
Stephanie Krieger is a Microsoft Office System MVP as well as author of the books Advanced Microsoft Office Documents 2007 Edition Inside Out (February 2007) and Microsoft Office Document Designer. As a professional document consultant, she has helped many global companies develop enterprise solutions for Microsoft Office and taught numerous professionals to build great documents by understanding how the Office programs “think.” Stephanie writes regularly for several Microsoft Web pages and frequently delivers Microsoft webcasts. Visit her blog, arouet.net, for Microsoft Office tips as well as information about new and upcoming publications and webcasts.
Related Links
•
4 ways to use Windows Vista at home
•
Create a family calendar with Windows Vista
•
Get organized with Windows Vista folders
•
Create better documents using the 2007 Microsoft Office release
No matter what your computer experience, when you start using new versions of the software you most depend on, it can take some time to discover favorite new features and timesavers. So, think of this article as a shortcut to some great new shortcuts.
While no single article could possibly include them all, each of the tips that follow either does more than I expected at first glance or simplifies something I need to do regularly.
Find whatever you need, when you need it
View and copy document content without opening the document
Restore previous file versions
Find files more easily with new sort and filter options
Browse folders quickly and easily
See your formatting before it happens
Mix and match your formatting across Office 2007 programs
Don't be afraid to dive in: what you find might amaze you
Find whatever you need, when you need it
You need to find information in a document you recently reviewed, but don't recall the document name or location. Or, perhaps that information was actually in an e-mail message or on a Web site you recently visited. Windows Vista Instant Search doesn't care where your information is. Like a loyal bloodhound, Instant Search will find almost anything you seek.
Just type one or more keywords in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then click the magnifying glass icon that appears beside the box. Within seconds, the closest matches for your search appear right in the Start menu, categorized by type of content. For example, in the image that follows, notice that the results for my keyword webcasts include Web sites I've recently visited, some documents, and several e-mail messages. If you don't see what you need in those immediate results, click See All Results to see all relevant files, Web pages, e-mail messages, and e-mail attachments. Or, to search the Internet for your keywords, click Search the Internet and Windows Vista takes you directly to Web search results for your keywords on Live.com (Windows Live Search, formerly MSN Search).
Get more tips for working with search options in Windows Vista.
View and copy document content without opening the document
Need to check some figures on one of several sheets in a Microsoft Office Excel 2007 workbook or copy some content from a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document? Don't spend extra time opening the program and then opening your document. Windows Explorer in Windows Vista offers a new Preview pane that enables you to view all parts of your document, and even copy content, directly from Windows Explorer. Notice, for example, the data selected in the preview of a sample Excel workbook in the image that follows.
To open the Preview pane, on the Start menu click Computer to open a Windows Explorer window, or press Windows+E. On the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Organize, point to Layout, and then click Preview. Note that once the Preview pane is open, you can drag the left edge of the pane to reduce or increase its size.
Learn more about the available options for viewing files and folders with Windows Vista.
Top of page
Restore previous file versions
You're revising an important document and realize that the content you deleted an hour ago is information you still need. Are you out of luck? Do you have to recreate it? If you're running Windows Vista Ultimate or Business editions, you could be in luck. These editions of Windows Vista include a shadow copy feature that enables you to access or restore previously saved versions of a document.
To see if a shadow copy exists for your document, do the following in Windows Explorer:
1.Right-click the document and then click Properties. (Note that you can also access Properties from the Organize button on the Windows Explorer toolbar.)
2. In the Properties dialog box, if the shadow copy feature is available in your edition of Windows Vista, you'll see a Previous Versions tab. When you click the Previous Versions tab, Windows Vista searches for available shadow or back-up copies of your file, as you see in the image that follows.
Get answers to frequently asked questions about working with the Previous Versions capability in Windows Vista.
Find files more easily with new sort and filter options
If you're like most computer users, including myself, you may often save documents and other files to the same folders, so that you have a tremendous amount of files in a single location. Windows Vista has a number of new tools to help you organize and locate folder content more easily, but my favorite is the set of new sort and filter options you get for any folder.
When you open a folder in a Windows Explorer, point to any column heading (such as Name or Date Modified) and you'll see a dropdown arrow. Click that arrow for a pop-up menu of options including the ability to sort, filter, group, and stack the files. For example, take a look at the options available for the Date Modified fields shown in the following image.
Get more tips for finding files easily with Windows Vista.
Browse folders quickly and easily
In addition to pop-up menu options for Windows Explorer column headings, Windows Explorer in Windows Vista categorizes the file path for you in the Address Bar, so that you can easily find your way to or from any folder on your system.
As you see in the image that follows, just click the dropdown arrow beside any folder name in the file path to access a list of available subfolders.
To access or copy the full path name in traditional format, just click the empty space in the address bar to the right of the last folder in the path. When you click, the full path name will appear, selected, as you see in the next image.
See your formatting before it happens
If you're already using the 2007 Office release, you know that Windows Vista does not have an exclusive on cool, new features. One of my favorite new timesaving tools in the 2007 Office release is Live Preview.
Just point to an entry in most formatting galleries across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to automatically see what that selection will look like applied to your document. For example, point to a document theme in the Themes gallery (available on the Page Layout tab in Word or Excel, or the Design tab in PowerPoint) to see how applicable theme colors, fonts, and effects will look applied to your active document. Or, select a SmartArt diagram and then point to an entry in the SmartArt Styles gallery to see how that style will look applied to your diagram.
With Live Preview, you no longer have to apply formatting to see how it will look in your document. Just point to entries until you see the one you like, and then click once and you're done.
Mix and match your formatting across Office 2007 programs
In previous versions of Microsoft Office, you could copy Word styles from one document to another, copy colors from one Excel workbook to another, or copy masters from one PowerPoint presentation to another. But, what if you wanted to use the same formatting that's in your Word document in a related PowerPoint presentation or Excel workbook? You'd need to recreate that formatting, of course.
The 2007 Office release introduces Document Themes, which enable you to apply coordinated sets of colors, fonts, and graphic effects to an entire Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document with just a click. The same themes (including custom themes you create) are available in all three programs, so that you can easily coordinate all of your documents. What's more, you can apply a theme from any existing 2007 release Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document to any other document in any of the three programs.
To do this, on the Page Layout tab in Word or Excel, or the Design tab in PowerPoint, click Themes and then click Browse for Themes as you see here.
The Choose Theme or Themed Document dialog box will open, where you can select any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, as well as any theme file, to apply its theme to your active document.
To learn more about working with document themes, click here.
Don't be afraid to dive in: what you find might amaze you
Getting up to speed on a new version of a software program can be daunting in the midst of your everyday deadlines. But, as you use Windows Vista and the 2007 Office release, don't be afraid to explore new features. So many new timesavers and additional capabilities exist that you're bound to find your own new favorites and perhaps open up some surprising new possibilities. For a few examples, check out the 2007 Office release features that follow.
• Excel: Convert a data range to an Excel table in just two clicks and get a myriad of new tools for working with data, such as the ability to add a formula to an entire column of data in one step. Click here to learn about working with the new Excel tables feature.
• Word: Build a document more quickly than you may have ever imagined. Just click to insert a complete formatted cover page, header, or table of contents. Using the new Document Building Blocks capability, you can build a document using pre-created pieces of content, including custom content that you can save and reuse. Click here to learn about working with document building blocks.
• PowerPoint: Using the new PowerPoint Photo Album feature, you select your photos and your preferred layout, and PowerPoint automatically creates the album for you. Click here to learn about working with photo albums.
Stephanie Krieger is a Microsoft Office System MVP as well as author of the books Advanced Microsoft Office Documents 2007 Edition Inside Out (February 2007) and Microsoft Office Document Designer. As a professional document consultant, she has helped many global companies develop enterprise solutions for Microsoft Office and taught numerous professionals to build great documents by understanding how the Office programs “think.” Stephanie writes regularly for several Microsoft Web pages and frequently delivers Microsoft webcasts. Visit her blog, arouet.net, for Microsoft Office tips as well as information about new and upcoming publications and webcasts.
A possile shift in the IT industry - Microsoft selling PCs
Microsoft entering the low-cost PC sales biz; first stop India
By Eric Bangeman Published: June 27, 2007 - 11:22AM CT
Microsoft will begin selling PCs in India next month as part of its "Unlimited Potential" program, an event that will mark the software giant's first entry into the PC sales business. Dubbed the IQ PC, the machines will cost RS21,000 (about $525), are manufactured in partnership with Zenith, and will sport AMD Athlon CPUs.
Aimed primarily at students, the desktop PCs will initially be made available in a limited number of retail outlets in Pune and Bangalore. After a three-month trial, the program will be expanded if sales are strong enough to warrant it.
"We don't see any gain in the short term. Our perspective is long term," Microsoft India chairman Ravi Venkatesan said in a statement. "The IQ PC offerings are supported by a host of partners, both hardware and software, who have extensive experiences, understanding and are leaders in their area of operations."
The IQ PC will be bundled with Microsoft software including Encarta, Microsoft Works, "Student 2007," and what Microsoft describes as "specialized education solutions" from partners like Brilliant Tutorials, Junior Achievement, Gurujiworld, and Tutorvista.
In some ways, the move to sell hardware is a natural extension of Microsoft's low-cost Windows initiative. Launched in 2004, Windows XP Starter Edition is a limited version of Windows XP that is limited to running three apps at a time and with an 800x600 monitor resolution. In October 2006, Microsoft announced that it shipped the one millionth copy of XP Starter Edition.
Although Microsoft has characterized XP SE as an attempt to increase computer literacy, it's also Microsoft's way to gain some revenue that would otherwise be lost to software piracy. OEMs are rumored to pay between $15 and $35 per copy of XP SE, which adds far less to the cost of a budget-priced PC than a full-featured version of Windows.
It may also be a response to projects like Intel's Classmate PC and the OLPC XO. Although the Classmate PC is capable of running Windows, the OLPC XO will not support the OS, remaining Linux-only (for now). Perhaps more troubling to Microsoft have been recent "OSS-only" initiatives such as one in the Indian state of Kerala.
Microsoft may also want in on one of the largest markets in the world. India's population has passed the one billion mark, and only 1.4 percent of the population owned a PC as of April 2005, making it a potentially very lucrative market for PC manufacturers in the years ahead.
Will Microsoft start selling PCs in North America? We seriously doubt it, but if Microsoft sees success in India, similar partnerships may be forged in other emerging markets.
By Eric Bangeman Published: June 27, 2007 - 11:22AM CT
Microsoft will begin selling PCs in India next month as part of its "Unlimited Potential" program, an event that will mark the software giant's first entry into the PC sales business. Dubbed the IQ PC, the machines will cost RS21,000 (about $525), are manufactured in partnership with Zenith, and will sport AMD Athlon CPUs.
Aimed primarily at students, the desktop PCs will initially be made available in a limited number of retail outlets in Pune and Bangalore. After a three-month trial, the program will be expanded if sales are strong enough to warrant it.
"We don't see any gain in the short term. Our perspective is long term," Microsoft India chairman Ravi Venkatesan said in a statement. "The IQ PC offerings are supported by a host of partners, both hardware and software, who have extensive experiences, understanding and are leaders in their area of operations."
The IQ PC will be bundled with Microsoft software including Encarta, Microsoft Works, "Student 2007," and what Microsoft describes as "specialized education solutions" from partners like Brilliant Tutorials, Junior Achievement, Gurujiworld, and Tutorvista.
In some ways, the move to sell hardware is a natural extension of Microsoft's low-cost Windows initiative. Launched in 2004, Windows XP Starter Edition is a limited version of Windows XP that is limited to running three apps at a time and with an 800x600 monitor resolution. In October 2006, Microsoft announced that it shipped the one millionth copy of XP Starter Edition.
Although Microsoft has characterized XP SE as an attempt to increase computer literacy, it's also Microsoft's way to gain some revenue that would otherwise be lost to software piracy. OEMs are rumored to pay between $15 and $35 per copy of XP SE, which adds far less to the cost of a budget-priced PC than a full-featured version of Windows.
It may also be a response to projects like Intel's Classmate PC and the OLPC XO. Although the Classmate PC is capable of running Windows, the OLPC XO will not support the OS, remaining Linux-only (for now). Perhaps more troubling to Microsoft have been recent "OSS-only" initiatives such as one in the Indian state of Kerala.
Microsoft may also want in on one of the largest markets in the world. India's population has passed the one billion mark, and only 1.4 percent of the population owned a PC as of April 2005, making it a potentially very lucrative market for PC manufacturers in the years ahead.
Will Microsoft start selling PCs in North America? We seriously doubt it, but if Microsoft sees success in India, similar partnerships may be forged in other emerging markets.
Monday, June 25, 2007
I'm glad I don't live in China - check out these pictures
From an article on Chinese factories, etc.:
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/multimedia/2007/06/gallery_burtynsky_china
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/multimedia/2007/06/gallery_burtynsky_china
Friday, June 22, 2007
I don't condone burglary (but this is a cool story)
Gadget SOS: Phantom Burglary Ring Targeting Tech
Today, June 22, 2007, 2 hours ago Jason Chen
There's a group out in Tulsa who does whatever it takes to get their haul. They cut open ceilings and walls, rappel down surfaces, disable security systems—even climb through air ducts—and manage to make off with $60,000 to $400,000 per strike. And all without leaving a trace of their identity. Sound a bit like the movies? It does to us, too, but we can't help but imagine what kind of gadgetry these guys carry with them.
Now they've turned their eyes toward electronic heists. At a Best Buy in Tulsa, the burglars entered the store by breaching the ceiling, rappelling down to the store office and cutting a hole into it, taking care of the alarms and surveillance of the store, and then took around 50 laptops and 60-inch plasma TVs. And then they took the safe, weighing a few thousand pounds, which is evidently a trademark of this particular ring.
Their earlier exploits make equally interesting reads. Like when they hit a jewelry store tunneling through to it from an adjoining business. Again they took the safe along with the jewels. Last December, they managed to somehow take 60 large appliances from an Office Depot, which would no doubt require a massive truck or two to pull off.
Authorities have nothing on these guys. They take what they want and no one finds it ever again. Of course we don't condone robberies at Gizmodo, but if they are ever caught in the future, I just hope they have some pretty hi-tech methods to dish out on, because there's nothing better than custom gadgetry. – Kevin Hall
Professional Burglary Ring On The Loose [KOTV News via CrunchGear]
Today, June 22, 2007, 2 hours ago Jason Chen
There's a group out in Tulsa who does whatever it takes to get their haul. They cut open ceilings and walls, rappel down surfaces, disable security systems—even climb through air ducts—and manage to make off with $60,000 to $400,000 per strike. And all without leaving a trace of their identity. Sound a bit like the movies? It does to us, too, but we can't help but imagine what kind of gadgetry these guys carry with them.
Now they've turned their eyes toward electronic heists. At a Best Buy in Tulsa, the burglars entered the store by breaching the ceiling, rappelling down to the store office and cutting a hole into it, taking care of the alarms and surveillance of the store, and then took around 50 laptops and 60-inch plasma TVs. And then they took the safe, weighing a few thousand pounds, which is evidently a trademark of this particular ring.
Their earlier exploits make equally interesting reads. Like when they hit a jewelry store tunneling through to it from an adjoining business. Again they took the safe along with the jewels. Last December, they managed to somehow take 60 large appliances from an Office Depot, which would no doubt require a massive truck or two to pull off.
Authorities have nothing on these guys. They take what they want and no one finds it ever again. Of course we don't condone robberies at Gizmodo, but if they are ever caught in the future, I just hope they have some pretty hi-tech methods to dish out on, because there's nothing better than custom gadgetry. – Kevin Hall
Professional Burglary Ring On The Loose [KOTV News via CrunchGear]
Cool ringtone site - phonezoo
This is a pretty cool site. You register your phone and number and pick ringtones - totally free. When you send a ringtone to your phone, instructions are given on how to setup the ringtone. Very slick.
(As an avid Sopranos fan, I picked "Don't Stop Believin" from Journey)
http://www.phonezoo.com/
(As an avid Sopranos fan, I picked "Don't Stop Believin" from Journey)
http://www.phonezoo.com/
How to Sleep More Effectively, Starting Tonight
Yesterday, June 21, 2007, 4:45:54 PM projectririan
“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”
- Homer
Tired after getting a full nine hours and still feeling exhausted? You sleep the sleep of the innocent - you nod off quickly, don’t have nightmares and have no trouble breathing - and still you can hardly get up in the morning and seldom feel totally awake, no matter how long you slept the previous night. You are suffering from a clear-cut case of ineffective sleep.
The good news is that, starting tonight, you can improve the quality of your sleep. So pull up a pillow and learn how to get more rest while spending less time on your back.
1. Go deep.
It is possible to sleep too long or at the wrong time. In both cases you may be getting enough rest, but you still feel weary. That’s because the amount of time you spend in bed is not as important as maximizing sleeping patterns.
Your sleep consists of five stages, distinguished by different brain activities. Just shortly after falling asleep, you start sinking gradually into a deep sleep. You soon surface from this and enter a dreaming period commonly known as REM sleep. After that, it’s back to several deep-sleep phases, which grow shorter as the night progresses.
To wake up easily, set your alarm to wake you up at the end of a cycle rather than in the middle of deep sleep. A cycle normally lasts at least 90 min., bearing in mind that the first one is somewhat shorter, so you will probably be in light sleep after five-and-a-half, seven, and eight-and-a-half hours in bed (that includes the time it takes for you to fall asleep). If you’re still deep in dreamland when the alarm goes off, add a few minutes to your sleeping time the next day.
There is hardly anybody out there who knows what it means to be fully awake. Studies have found that proper sleeping patterns emerge only after you have caught up with up to 25 hours of missing sleep. To optimize your sleep, crawl into bed half an hour earlier each evening for a few nights. As long as you have a sleep deficit to catch up on, you should have no problem falling asleep. After that, allow yourself as much sleep as you need. If you persistently sleep too little, you run the risk of becoming overweight, absent-minded and ill; a daily sleep deficit of two hours over a period of 14 days is as damaging as a night with no sleep.
Sleeping too much is also a rest buster. If you sleep for longer than your personal optimal period, your sleep will be empty and restless. If you oversleep for many hours, you will fall into another deep sleep in the morning. This will upset your circadian clock and you will wake up feeling absolutely whacked. If this is your problem, you can reverse the situation by keeping your time in bed to the absolute minimum and staying up a bit later at night to prolong the restful deep sleep at the beginning of the night.
3. Worship the sun.
Most people can get away with some wildness in their routines as long as they soak up some bright light at the right time. Normal indoor lighting provides 400 lux of illumination, which doesn’t help much; the sun, however, provides 1 500 to 100 000 lux. So if you spend one hour outdoors before starting work you will be more alert and cheerful during the day.
It’s easier to do in summer than winter but if you can’t manage it at all, you could follow the European trend of substituting your light quota with some artificial sunlight. For a positive effect, you need at least half an hour at 10 000 lux or two hours at 2 500 lux. You can also gradually adjust your preferred sleeping times using artificial sunlight - to party longer into the night, you will have to soak up some light in the evening - artificial light will bring some relief but your sleep and wellbeing will still suffer.
4. Keep the rhythm.
Your body was designed to sync with the cycles of nature - including daylight and darkness. Your circadian, or biological clock, regulates aspects of your metabolism, physiology and behavior. At night, it triggers the supply of the sleep hormone melatolin, and in the morning the wake-up substance cortisol. It also regulates body temperature so that lowest point is reached at about 3 a.m.
Biologically speaking, this is the witching hour and the most inappropriate time to be awake. The prime time for deep sleep occurs in the first five hours of sleep and before 3 a.m. If you’re in the habit of staying up way past midnight, you can forget about quality sleep, even if you’ll sleep till noon.
And don’t even think about going to bed too early because you have to get up early or want to squeeze in an extra workout. This only works if you’re already exhausted and fall asleep instantly; what’s more likely is that you will lie half-awake, start to brood and finally get to sleep tense and restless.
It’s hardly possible to stock up on sleep, so you should rather go to bed at the usual time (observe the cycle) and make up for lost sleep by tucking in a bit earlier the following night. Alternatively, catch a siesta during the day.
5. Watch the time.
To get the most out of your shutdown time, keep regular hours. Go to bed at about the same time every night and - even more importantly - get up the same time each morning.
Don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep. This may sound regimental but the circadian clock is highly sensitive to unstable life patterns. The inner day for most people would be 25 hours long if it weren’t for external time indicators such as sunshine, which keeps the clock ticking over properly. (Depending whether you are a night owl or morning lark, your sleep-wake rhythm may be up to 27 hours, for owls, or shorter than 25 hours, for larks.) If you live an erratic life, your internal clock will be thrown off kilter.
The result: you may want to be functioning when your body temperature is at the witching hour, making you feel cold, sapped of energy and irritable, and trying to rest when your temperature is geared for action. Routine is a simple solution.
Forget about sleeping late at the weekend. The circadian clock reacts immediately to delays in getting up - doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night. Rather wake up at about the same time and allow yourself the luxury of a short snooze during the day - or go to bed earlier if you are really short on sleep.
Overlooking the single most important thing you can do for your health is easy with all the clamor surrounding various health products in the marketplace. But good-quality sleep goes far and beyond those products when it comes to restoring your health. And best of all, sleep is free. So try these proven techniques and get the rest you need.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Email monkies
Email: Remind others of todos with Monkey On Your Back
Today, June 21, 2007, 5 hours ago Adam Pash
Schedule email reminders to send to people you need to do something for you with web site Monkey On Your Back .
Just sign up for an account to start sending out email "monkeys" to do your bidding. With the free account, you get up to 5 active monkeys at any time, which for most of us is probably plenty. I went through a convoluted Gcal-to-Gmail reminder + filter + email forward to set up a reminder for a friend to move my car while I was on vacation, so it's easy to see how Monkey On Your Back could come in very handy. On the other hand, if you want to schedule an email for your future self, check out FutureMe.
Monkey On Your Back [via AppScout]
Today, June 21, 2007, 5 hours ago Adam Pash
Schedule email reminders to send to people you need to do something for you with web site Monkey On Your Back .
Just sign up for an account to start sending out email "monkeys" to do your bidding. With the free account, you get up to 5 active monkeys at any time, which for most of us is probably plenty. I went through a convoluted Gcal-to-Gmail reminder + filter + email forward to set up a reminder for a friend to move my car while I was on vacation, so it's easy to see how Monkey On Your Back could come in very handy. On the other hand, if you want to schedule an email for your future self, check out FutureMe.
Monkey On Your Back [via AppScout]
Father's Day
I miss my father. He died 13 years ago of a heart attack at the age of 50. 50 seems much younger to me now than it did when I was 28. I found a blog that tears at my heart. It is PostSecret. Read secrets about fathers - http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
If you love your father, tell him now before it is too late.
If you love your father, tell him now before it is too late.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The art of the doable to-do list
From Gina Trapani, via Lifehacker:
Geek To Live: The art of the doable to-do list
Today, June 20, 2007, 10 hours ago Gina Trapani
There's no better feeling than checking something off your to-do list. Done! Finished! Mission accomplished! Yet it's so easy to let a whole day or week go by without knocking one task off your list. How does that happen? Well, your to-do list can be a tool that guides you through your work, or it can be a big fat pillar of undone time bombs taunting you and your unproductive inadequacy. It all depends on how you write it.
Think of your to-do list as an instruction set your Boss self gives your Assistant self. Like a computer program, if the instructions are clear, specific, and easily executed, you're golden. If not, you'll get undesirable results, like fear, procrastination and self-loathing. Today I've got some tips on how to write a to-do list that makes getting your stuff done dead simple.
You are the boss of you
At any point during your work day you are in one of two modes: thinking mode (that's you with the Boss hat on) and action mode (that's you with the Personal Assistant hat on.) When a project or task comes up, the steps you've got to take start to form in your mind. Now you're in thinking/Boss mode - the guy/gal who gives the orders. Your to-do list is a collection of those orders, which your Assistant personality will later pick up and do.
So when you're wearing your Boss hat, it's up to you to write down the instructions in such a way that your Assistant self can just do them without having to think. GTDer Michael Buffington called this "writing tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot."
How to order yourself around
So how do you make your to-do's doable? When it's time to add something to your list, stop and think it through, using the following guidelines.
Break it down. The best way to make yourself avoid a task like the plague is to make it a vague monstrosity. The Getting Things Done productivity system defines projects differently from tasks: projects have multiple sub-actions. That's an important distinction - internalize it, because your to-do list is not your project list. Don't add multi-action tasks to it, like "Clean out the office." Break it down to smaller, easier-to-tackle subtasks like "Purge filing cabinet," "Shred old paperwork" or "Box up unneeded books for library drive." Because Assistant you is going to run for the hills when Boss you says "Clean out the office."
Work through projects using next actions. If you've got a multi-action task - that is, a project - only keep its next sequential action on your to-do list. When the task is complete, refer back to your project list (again, separate from to-do's) and add its next action to your to-do list. At any given moment, your to-do list should only contain the next logical action for all your working projects. That's it - just one bite-sized step in each undertaking.
Use specific, active verbs. When you're telling yourself to do something, make it an order. An item like "Acme account checkup" doesn't tell you what has to be done. Make your to-do's specific actions, like "Phone Rob at Acme re: Q2 sales." Notice I didn't use the word "Contact," I said "Phone." Contact could mean phone, email, or IM, but if you're taking out all the thinking and leaving in only action, your verbs will be as specific as possible. Literally imagine yourself instructing a personal assistant on her first day on the job what you need done.
Keep your list short. Just like no one wants to look at an email inbox with 2,386 messages in it, no one wants to have an endless to-do list. It's overwhelming and depressing, like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I keep my to-do list under 20 items. (This morning it's only 17 tasks long, and I'd call myself a busy person.) Does that sound like too little? Remember, your to-do list isn't a dumping ground for project details, or "Someday I'd like to" items. These are tasks you're committed to getting done in the very near future - like the next 2 weeks. Keep your projects and someday/maybe items elsewhere. Your to-do list should be short, to the point commitments which involve no more deciding whether or not you're really serious about doing it.
Keep it moving. While my to-do list is only 20 items or so, it's 20 items that change every single day. Every day 2-5 tasks get checked off, and 2-5 tasks get added. Remember, your to-do list is a working document, not some showy "look how organized I am!" thing that quietly gathers dust because you're off doing real work which isn't written down anywhere.
Prioritize. While your to-do list might have 20 items on it, the reality is you're only going to get a couple done per day (assuming you're not writing down things like "get up, shower, make coffee, go to work..."). So make sure those tasks are at the very top of your list. How you do this will depend on what tool or software you use to track your to-do's, but do make sure you can see what you need to get done next at a glance.
Purge. Just like you should be able to see what tasks are top priority on your to-do list, you should be able to see what items have been on your list the longest as well. Chances are you've got some mental blockage around the tasks that have been sitting around forever, and they've got to be re-worded or broken down further. Or perhaps they don't need to get done after all. Deleting an item from your to-do list is even better than checking it off, because you've saved yourself the effort.
Log your done items. Like any good assistant, you want to show the Boss exactly much you've gotten done. Make sure you stow your done items somewhere so you can revel in your own productivity. Also, your "done" list is a great indicator of whether or not your to-do list is working: if more than 2 days goes by without a new done item? It's time to revamp your to-do list and get back to best practices.
Practice makes perfect
This probably sounds like a lot of hand-waving for simply writing something down on a list, but 90% of doing anything is the planning, and that's true for even the most trivial tasks. Like any good habit, practice makes perfect. The more you practice the art of creating effective to-do's, the faster and easier it will come to you, and the more you'll be crossing items off your list.
Credits
Many of the concepts listed above (especially those of Next Actions and Projects) come from David Allen's productivity bible, Getting Things Done. Also, Merlin Mann's 2-part feature on building a smarter to-do list (part 1 and part 2) and his follow-up article for Macworld magazine in July of 2006 (especially the second page) inspired and informed this post.
Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, is happy to check this article off her to-do list. Her weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Wednesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Geek to Live feed to get new installments in your newsreader.
Geek To Live: The art of the doable to-do list
Today, June 20, 2007, 10 hours ago Gina Trapani
There's no better feeling than checking something off your to-do list. Done! Finished! Mission accomplished! Yet it's so easy to let a whole day or week go by without knocking one task off your list. How does that happen? Well, your to-do list can be a tool that guides you through your work, or it can be a big fat pillar of undone time bombs taunting you and your unproductive inadequacy. It all depends on how you write it.
Think of your to-do list as an instruction set your Boss self gives your Assistant self. Like a computer program, if the instructions are clear, specific, and easily executed, you're golden. If not, you'll get undesirable results, like fear, procrastination and self-loathing. Today I've got some tips on how to write a to-do list that makes getting your stuff done dead simple.
You are the boss of you
At any point during your work day you are in one of two modes: thinking mode (that's you with the Boss hat on) and action mode (that's you with the Personal Assistant hat on.) When a project or task comes up, the steps you've got to take start to form in your mind. Now you're in thinking/Boss mode - the guy/gal who gives the orders. Your to-do list is a collection of those orders, which your Assistant personality will later pick up and do.
So when you're wearing your Boss hat, it's up to you to write down the instructions in such a way that your Assistant self can just do them without having to think. GTDer Michael Buffington called this "writing tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot."
How to order yourself around
So how do you make your to-do's doable? When it's time to add something to your list, stop and think it through, using the following guidelines.
Break it down. The best way to make yourself avoid a task like the plague is to make it a vague monstrosity. The Getting Things Done productivity system defines projects differently from tasks: projects have multiple sub-actions. That's an important distinction - internalize it, because your to-do list is not your project list. Don't add multi-action tasks to it, like "Clean out the office." Break it down to smaller, easier-to-tackle subtasks like "Purge filing cabinet," "Shred old paperwork" or "Box up unneeded books for library drive." Because Assistant you is going to run for the hills when Boss you says "Clean out the office."
Work through projects using next actions. If you've got a multi-action task - that is, a project - only keep its next sequential action on your to-do list. When the task is complete, refer back to your project list (again, separate from to-do's) and add its next action to your to-do list. At any given moment, your to-do list should only contain the next logical action for all your working projects. That's it - just one bite-sized step in each undertaking.
Use specific, active verbs. When you're telling yourself to do something, make it an order. An item like "Acme account checkup" doesn't tell you what has to be done. Make your to-do's specific actions, like "Phone Rob at Acme re: Q2 sales." Notice I didn't use the word "Contact," I said "Phone." Contact could mean phone, email, or IM, but if you're taking out all the thinking and leaving in only action, your verbs will be as specific as possible. Literally imagine yourself instructing a personal assistant on her first day on the job what you need done.
Keep your list short. Just like no one wants to look at an email inbox with 2,386 messages in it, no one wants to have an endless to-do list. It's overwhelming and depressing, like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I keep my to-do list under 20 items. (This morning it's only 17 tasks long, and I'd call myself a busy person.) Does that sound like too little? Remember, your to-do list isn't a dumping ground for project details, or "Someday I'd like to" items. These are tasks you're committed to getting done in the very near future - like the next 2 weeks. Keep your projects and someday/maybe items elsewhere. Your to-do list should be short, to the point commitments which involve no more deciding whether or not you're really serious about doing it.
Keep it moving. While my to-do list is only 20 items or so, it's 20 items that change every single day. Every day 2-5 tasks get checked off, and 2-5 tasks get added. Remember, your to-do list is a working document, not some showy "look how organized I am!" thing that quietly gathers dust because you're off doing real work which isn't written down anywhere.
Prioritize. While your to-do list might have 20 items on it, the reality is you're only going to get a couple done per day (assuming you're not writing down things like "get up, shower, make coffee, go to work..."). So make sure those tasks are at the very top of your list. How you do this will depend on what tool or software you use to track your to-do's, but do make sure you can see what you need to get done next at a glance.
Purge. Just like you should be able to see what tasks are top priority on your to-do list, you should be able to see what items have been on your list the longest as well. Chances are you've got some mental blockage around the tasks that have been sitting around forever, and they've got to be re-worded or broken down further. Or perhaps they don't need to get done after all. Deleting an item from your to-do list is even better than checking it off, because you've saved yourself the effort.
Log your done items. Like any good assistant, you want to show the Boss exactly much you've gotten done. Make sure you stow your done items somewhere so you can revel in your own productivity. Also, your "done" list is a great indicator of whether or not your to-do list is working: if more than 2 days goes by without a new done item? It's time to revamp your to-do list and get back to best practices.
Practice makes perfect
This probably sounds like a lot of hand-waving for simply writing something down on a list, but 90% of doing anything is the planning, and that's true for even the most trivial tasks. Like any good habit, practice makes perfect. The more you practice the art of creating effective to-do's, the faster and easier it will come to you, and the more you'll be crossing items off your list.
Credits
Many of the concepts listed above (especially those of Next Actions and Projects) come from David Allen's productivity bible, Getting Things Done. Also, Merlin Mann's 2-part feature on building a smarter to-do list (part 1 and part 2) and his follow-up article for Macworld magazine in July of 2006 (especially the second page) inspired and informed this post.
Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, is happy to check this article off her to-do list. Her weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Wednesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Geek to Live feed to get new installments in your newsreader.
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