Smashing Magazine has a massive list of over 200 keyboard commands. Wow.  Talk about comprehensive.  The only problem I have with the list is that it makes it sound like knowing these keyboard commands is a must for becoming more productive.

There is nothing more valuable than the time we need to get things done. Over a long period of time time-saving techniques and solutions can turn out to be real life-savers. The more you use them, the more essential they become. Besides, using them in your favourite software applications, you can drastically increase your productivity, enhance your time-managment and improve both your professional skills and the quality of your work.

While I’ll agree that keyboard shortcuts are pretty valuable to anyone who uses the web daily, I don’t think they’re life-savers.  But maybe I’ve just never been in the kind of life-or-death situation that required knowledge of keyboard shortcuts… ;)

Still, this is a handy little list for anyone wanting to become a little quicker on the keys.

You might also like...

1. Spark: OS X Shortcuts Manager
2. IBM Shortcuts Podcast
3. Productivity links for June 9th through June 19th

A lot of times people try to find the latest and greatest tool to fully organize their lives. I can tell you up front… it’s not gonna happen. What makes the self-help/productivity arena so interesting is there there isn’t one tool to “rule them all”. Some have come close, but tools aren’t meant to organize everything in our lives. That’s not their strength.

Because as of yet there hasn’t been the mythical app that controls every detail in our busy lives, we should focus more on becoming more productive with our existing tools. So in that spirit, I’ve decided to share a little trick that works pretty effectively with your online tasks. I’ve used this system mostly for blogging, but the uses are practically limitless. I call it the Browser Inbox.

The basic premise is this: use your browser’s tabs to track your things to do. If you have a modern browser like Firefox, you can have multiple tabs open within the browser. Each tab can be thought of as a task (or Next Action for the GTD Junkies), and once you’re done with the task, close the tab. It’s extremely simple, but it’s surprisingly effective.

Here’s an example.

Blogging

I’ll crack open my trusty Google Reader and start browsing feeds. If I see a story that’s compelling and a possible post topic, I’ll hit V and open the original page in a new tab. By the time I’m done reading, I may have 6 or 7 tabs open. I systematically go through and read each story, deciding whether each one is blog-worthy. If it is, I write the post. If not, I close the tab. Easy, right?

I love this approach because

• The tabs are physical reminders that I can’t ignore
• I’m not bringing any other tools or extra processes into the mix
• I have everything I need in one spot

Granted, this system has some obvious limitations (like all tools). The browser inbox only works if I know I’m going to be writing in the immediate future. Also, if Firefox crashes and the system can’t restore your session, or your browser is accidentally closed, you’re screwed.

But, at the same time, the simplicity forces you to quickly get through the “inbox” of your browser’s tabs quickly. The physical closing of each tab is pretty satisfying too, so that’s a subtle motivator as well.

So there you have it. The Browser Inbox: Gently forcing people to finish their online tasks quickly. A nice tagline, don’t you think? ;)

I’d love to hear any thoughts or suggestions on this system. Can anyone think of other uses for the BI?

[Update: You guys had some great suggestions! Be sure to check out the comment thread for incorporating the BI with offline tasks as well.]

You might also like...

1. Save Space and Minimize Tabs In Firefox
2. Productivity Software News: Stikkit updates, Firefox tabs hack and The Procrastinator’s Clock
3. Tips For Keeping Your Gmail Inbox Empty

WorkingProgram has a new Outlook add-in called Qlockwork that helps you keep track of your time online by the tool you’re using. Interestingly, you don’t need to do anything other than install it and it starts tracking 5-minute segments of your day.

While this is a cool concept and I like the fact that it automatically starts itself, It may not mean as much to someone who uses Firefox for almost every application: blogging, IM (via meebo), mail (Gmail), project management (basecamp), documents (Google Docs), etc. Of course, you would have to be running Outlook anyway to use it, so that kinda squashes that argument. If you use many different applications in Windows, this would be right up your alley.

Qlockwork

Hat tip: Techcrunch UK

You might also like...

1. Track Your Running Progress Online
2. Keep Your Mac On Track
3. The 5 Day PM Computer Fast: Why I Got More Done In Less Time

Quicksilver is a great Mac app for smartly launching any application based on your preferences. In short: less clicks, more action. It can even do web searches. Now you can include killer GTD functionality with

Quicksilver via Actiontastic integration.

One of the most basic tenets of GTD is brain dumping; getting all those projects and thoughts out of your head and into a trusted system so you spend less energy worrying about them, and more energy doing things that are actually productive. Having to switch away from the application I’m currently using in order to create a new item in my inbox totally trashes my train of thought, and being able to simple hit a hot-key to brain dump makes it easier to keep up with the GTD methodology. Actiontastic includes Quicksilver functionality as a QS action bundled with the app, which is much more elegant than the unfortunately clumsy Quicksilver Action Kinkless GTD uses to accomplish the same thing.

Hat tip: Beta Beat

You might also like...

1. Quicksilver Does Web Searches
2. Del.icio.us Meets Quicksilver
3. Stikkit Dashboard Widget Released- Mac Users Rejoice!

One of these days I’m going to have a Mac. And when I do, the first thing I’m going to install (aside from the OS) is Quicksilver. Talk about a cool app! Quicksilver is an application for launching programs quickly through commands. It has a LOT more functionality on that, but I don’t have the app so I can’t give you the complete 411.

Well, here’s a little juicy tip for integrating the web searches with Quicksilver.

By highlighting some text and pressing ?-E, you can copy text to Mac OS X’s shared find clipboard.

Then, by bringing up Quicksilver and selecting a web search bookmark (there are hundreds of pre-made ones to choose from for every imaginable query), you can search your web site of choice in seconds…

Hat tip: Hawk Wings

You might also like...

1. Del.icio.us Meets Quicksilver
2. New Release of Actiontastic, GTD’ing Quicksilver Users Breathe Collective Sigh of Relief
3. GTD for iPods

]]> http://lifedev.net/2006/11/quicksilver-does-web-searches/feed/ 4 http://lifedev.net/2006/11/spark-os-x-shortcuts-manager/ http://lifedev.net/2006/11/spark-os-x-shortcuts-manager/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:46:54 +0000 glen http://lifedev.net/2006/11/spark-os-x-shortcuts-manager/

Shortcuts are soo nice for saving time. Although you’re only saving a couple of seconds or clicks per use, little things eventually add up to big things. Spark is a free shortcuts manager for Mac users.

Spark is a powerful, and easy Shortcuts manager. With Spark you can create Hot Keys to launch applications and documents, execute AppleScript, control iTunes, and more… You can also export and import your Hot Keys library, or save it in HTML format to print it.

[via irOn bLog]

You might also like...

1. IBM Shortcuts Podcast
2. The Holy Grail of Keyboard Shortcuts
3. MindMeister Makes Mind Mapping Marvelous

]]> http://lifedev.net/2006/11/spark-os-x-shortcuts-manager/feed/ 0 http://lifedev.net/2006/11/prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-by-setting-up-an-ergonomic-desktop-station/ http://lifedev.net/2006/11/prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-by-setting-up-an-ergonomic-desktop-station/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 06:36:05 +0000 glen http://lifedev.net/2006/11/prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-by-setting-up-an-ergonomic-desktop-station/

Hopefully I’m really wrong on this, but I think I may be coming down with the very first stages of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Not a good thing for a guy who’s livelihood depends on using his hands. I didn’t know much about this injury, other than the fact that it sucks. So naturally, I asked Wikipedia. Basically, it’s a

medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist causing symptoms like tingling, numbness, night time wakening, pain, coldness, and sometimes weakness in parts of the hand.

And it is the bane of me right now. I didn’t want to have to have surgery or wear a dorky looking brace, so naturally I Googled how to prevent it. Luckily, About.com has a slew of articles on the carpal tunnel syndrome. Here’s what I found.

Desktop Setup

The first article I checked out was on how to set up ergonomic computer station. The first thing I had to change was the monitor. I previously had a couple of books placed under the monitor so my eyes would be level to the screen. Wrong. The optimal position for the monitor is as far away as possible (at least 20 inches) without having to refocus your eyes, and tilting up at a 15 degree angle. (It would have been nice to know I needed some mad trigonometry skills to pull this off.)

For your keyboard, DON’T use the keyboard holder while typing. Only rest your hands on it while you’re hammering away at the keys. Move the mouse around with your whole arm, not just your wrist. And whatever you do, DON’T use the legs on your keyboard if you have any.

As far as the lights go, just keep them at around what a normal day outside would be like without sunglasses. And don’t use task lighting either.

Use a chair with lumbar support and armrests if possible. Try to move your feet around often and don’t keep them flat on the floor. No crossing ankles either. Be sure and lean back slightly in your chair so that you can reap the benefits of your kickin’ lumbar support. This is a pretty detailed section, so be sure to go over it in depth.

Other Reads

About.com has some more great articles on how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

• The Definition of the Natural Wrist Position
• Tips to Prevent Wrist Repetitive Stress Injuries
• Play With Different Muscles

Some of the most important things you can do are to make sure you’re switching activities and taking breaks often. Common sense goes a long way. I wish I had some…

You might also like...

1. Are You Too Busy Working? You Might Suffer From Work Tunnel Vision
2. Goal Setting Should Be Razor Sharp
3. The Freelancer’s Guide to Setting Perfect Deadlines

]]> http://lifedev.net/2006/11/prevent-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-by-setting-up-an-ergonomic-desktop-station/feed/ 4 http://lifedev.net/2006/10/firefox20-extension-update/ http://lifedev.net/2006/10/firefox20-extension-update/#comments Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:45:36 +0000 glen http://lifedev.net/2006/10/firefox20-extension-update/

So, I’ve been digging the Firefox 2.0 RC2 somethin’ fierce. I read Gina’s review of the latst release candidte and I had to give it a whirl. It’s got a better designed interface, it appears to be much faster, and… wait for it… built in spell checking. (That last feature alone sold me.) The only problem: A slew of my extensions aren’t compatible yet, and they’re vital for my job. So, unfortunately I was going to have to switch back to the the previous version.

Until I talked to Thomas.

Thomas told me that for some extensions, you can just make one small fix to the code and it should become compatible with the latest version. So, I tried it out on my favorite extension: Aardvark. It worked! Here’s how I did it.

CAUTION: TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK

Some extensions might go a little nutty, and might even crash your browser or computer. Only do try this method if you are daring and would sit on a public toilet without a layer of toilet paper between you and the seat.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

1. Download the plugin, and change the extension’s file type from .xpi to .zip.

2. Open the zip file and look for something like “install.rdf” or “setup.rdf”. The key is the .rdf.

3. Open the .rdf file in your favorite text editor.

4. Look for the line . Once you find it, change the max version number to “2.0″.

5. Save the file, and re-zip the contents of the old folder.

6. Now, this step is a little tricky. You have to change the extension of the file from .zip back to .xpi. I wasn’t able to do this on my desktop, so I had to upload the entire zip file onto my webserver via ftp, change the filename there, and download back to my desktop.

7. Once you have renamed the file to xpi, open up Firefox, open up the add-ons file, and and drag the updated extension to the add-ons browser.

8. Restart your browser, and see if the extension works.

Hopefully your new and updated extension will be working swimmingly along with the kickin’ new Firefox 2.0. If it doesn’t, don’t say I didn’t warn you. :)

Thanks again Thomas!

You might also like...

1. 25 Firefox Extensions to Make You More Productive
2. Productivity Software News: Stikkit updates, Firefox tabs hack and The Procrastinator’s Clock
3. Save Space and Minimize Tabs In Firefox

]]> http://lifedev.net/2006/10/firefox20-extension-update/feed/ 7 http://lifedev.net/2006/09/technology-and-expectations-the-laptop/ http://lifedev.net/2006/09/technology-and-expectations-the-laptop/#comments Thu, 21 Sep 2006 21:18:15 +0000 glen http://lifedev.net/2006/09/technology-and-expectations-the-laptop/

Ahh, the internet is a beautiful thing. I would be in a world of hurt if the internet was down for even half a day. I depend on it. Why? Because the internet allows me to be mobile with my work. I can go to any computer that’s online and have everything I need to crank out work (thanks to writely, gmail, del.icio.us, basecamp and other web-based apps).
Because technology has allowed us to work from anywhere with an internet connection, a typical workspace can be anything from a tricked-out home office to a laptop at Starbucks. But this isn’t always the most productive environment for working. As much as we hate to admit it, the best place to work is still an office of some sort. Although it is nice to potentially be 100% mobile with our work, in order to be truly productive you need a central office space where you can call your work “home”. Laptops totally go against this mindset.

Fly Like An Eagle

Laptops have transformed how we do business. Literally. No longer do we have the chains of constraints of where we do our computing. No longer do we have to look at the same four walls day in and day out. We don’t even have to work at set hours if we don’t want to! But laptops in all their agile splendor still have some downsides in terms of productivity. The main one being the very reason why most people use one: It’s not a centrally located device.

True productivity means that we are in a location where we’re comfortable because we’ve become accustomed to it. We’re also more apt to be productive in an office space because we have all the tools that are be needed. (This probably isn’t true in a crowded coffee shop.) But really, the most beneficial reason for an office is this: The Mindset that comes with it.

A Mindset For Every Location

Most people associate mindsets with locations. When I go to a bedroom, I sleep. When I go to a kitchen, I eat. When I go to a bathroom, I …. brush my teeth. We’ve trained ourselves to not even think about it. The idea behind a “work space” is that you take on a work-mindset there as well, because that’s what you do while in that space. Yet just like the cell phone and email, the main problem with productivity is using the same tool for work and play; the blurring of edges. With a laptop, the same concept is true: when you’re constantly moving to different “work” locations, you never even have a chance to establish those edges.

The Expectations

And not only are you potentially less productive with a laptop, you also take on a whole new set of expectations that go with it because of it’s portability. Because you can take the machine anywhere, you are expected to use it everywhere.

Uh oh.

Now bosses can expect you to read their emails, and do more work at home after hours. Clients can expect you to correspond with them on vacation. While some people still justify it because they’re technically not at work, they’re still not fooling anybody. Work isn’t a location. And with the laptop, you can potentially be expected to “work” anywhere.

There is an article at ComputerWorld on the topic of laptop productivity that proves this point. At Dell Inc. and the Kichler Lighting Group, studies have shown that workers that use a laptop work longer hours per day than workers with a desktop.

Expectations may also be raised when an employee is given a laptop. New managers at Kichler typically request one, says Sink. “Three weeks later, they wish they never had,” he says. “The expectation changes [to], ‘OK, you can take work home with you, so I’m going to expect more.’”

And here’s the kicker:

While Kichler employees are spending more time working on their laptops, they didn’t just start working those extra hours. “They were taking more stuff home to begin with,” Sink says.

Setting Those Boundaries

So how do we dissolve these crazy expectations? We have to set boundaries. Try only using your laptop for work in certain locations. This will help with your ability to stay focused and productive. If you can develop a mindset for working regardless of the situation, my hat goes off to you. Those of us with shorter attention spans might have a harder time.

[I've found that tracking my time on everything I do on the computer makes me very aware of how much I'm actually getting done. I use SlimTimer to track with Bubbles to run on my desktop. So far, I've increased my productivity quite a bit just because I've been aware of how I spend my time.]

The more connected we all become with technology, the less time there is for the individual. Time away from everyone else is an important thing in terms of productivity. It allows you to re-align and re-focus your day and schedule. It allows you to unwind and recharge.

Don’t get me wrong: Laptops are a great technology. The convenience that comes with those suckers is amazing. Laptops can also be very useful in mixing your daily drudgery up and switching locations, especially to get away from everyone. But we have to be careful not to take the mindset that we can “work anywhere” without establishing a central workplace and making some hard edges about where you’re planning on getting stuff done.

You might also like...

1. Technology and Expectations: Myths About Working From Home
2. Technology and Expectations: Email
3. Technology and Expectations: The Cell Phone

]]> http://lifedev.net/2006/09/technology-and-expectations-the-laptop/feed/ 4