December 2013 Archives

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Take a look at the next desktop PC or laptop you come across. Odds are good it won't be running an open-source operating system. Microsoft's closed-source Windows has by far the highest share of the PC client operating system market, followed in a distant second by Apple's Mac OS X.


via Pocket http://www.cio.com/article/743211/How_to_Run_Your_Small_Business_With_Free_Open_Source_Software?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2013-11-30

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Mentoring is fundamental to being a successful leader. That, in my opinion, is unequivocal! It is seen as the “soft stuff”, the “fluffy bits” and not critical. I beg to disagree.


via Pocket http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/be-great-mentor-leader/#!

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You can get all sorts of cheap car stereo decks from China, but where’s the fun in that? [Sentcool] is an IT specialist and electrician, and he decided he wanted something a bit more unique for his car — so he built this awesome Raspberry Pi car setup!


via Pocket http://hackaday.com/2013/12/27/raspberry-pi-car-deck/

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I bought Day One as a gift to myself on all of my devices last January. I’ve always wanted to keep a diary and have been consistently impressed with the diligence of those who return to a journal day after day.


via Pocket http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/day-one-brings-new-journaling-features-to-its-mac-app/

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The right workspace can greatly increase employee peace of mind and productivity. But before you panic and install a Google-style indoor go-cart track in your accounting firm's headquarters, relax. All you really need to do to boost your employees productivity is make a few small design tweaks.


via Pocket http://mashable.com/2013/12/28/design-tips-productivity/

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We’ve never had more tools at our disposal to work more efficiently, and yet we’ve never been more distracted. We spend most days trapped in our inboxes and shuffling around our calendars, only to be left wondering where the day went.


via Pocket http://www.dumblittleman.com/2013/12/16-habits-that-are-killing-your.html

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In middle school keyboarding class I can clearly remember the day our instructor showed us the keyboard shortcuts to bold or italicize text. "This is so cool," I can remember thinking. And then, "Wait a minute…why didn't I learn about this earlier?"


via Pocket https://zapier.com/blog/get-more-out-your-web-apps/

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For those still struggling to understand open source, the fracas over Oracle's handling of MySQL won't help. When Oracle acquired Sun in 2010, open sourcerors (including me) worried that Oracle would kill MySQL by under-investing in its development or turning it proprietary. Neither has happened.


via Pocket http://readwrite.com/2013/12/16/oracle-mysql

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Yet another busy year is coming to an end. And just how fast it went by! Did you stop and smell the roses, or were you mostly rushing through with your mind anywhere but the present moment? If you feel like the past year went by like a jet plane, you might be doing something wrong.


via Pocket http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-apps-to-help-you-practice-mindfulness-in-2014-and-beyond/

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I’m often amazed at our lack of knowledge about history. Ordinary people are hungry for this information, yet the organizations responsible to disseminate these facts seem to have an agenda to keep us in the dark. This is especially true when it comes to our ancient human history.


via Pocket http://asheepnomore.net/2013/12/18/noahs-ark-found-keeping-us-dark/

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When was the last time you experienced being so immersed in doing work that diversion is almost impossible? It’s as if nothing else matters more than what you do and time has flown by so fast you haven’t noticed that it’s already past midnight yet you never lost the energy and drive to contin


via Pocket http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/find-flow/

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Here at Mashable, we preach the importance of knowing your social networks. Different sites have different audiences, favor different types of content and require different kinds of humor.


via Pocket http://mashable.com/2013/12/23/social-media-mixology/#!

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It’s possible you’ve never heard of Simon Beck, but after today, you won’t be able to forget him or his wintry works of art. Simon is an artist and is most well-known for making incredibly delicate and detailed art in the snow, just by walking over a fresh snowfall.


via Pocket http://news44.net/?p=1052

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"Talking to Vula" is the story of a 1980s secret communications channel between black South African leaders and others living in exile in the UK. The system used encrypted text encoded into DTMF "touch tones" and transmitted from pay phones.


via Pocket https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/12/operation_vula.html

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The research, published in the journal Psychological Science, tested the effects of meditation on a well-established mental bias called the ‘sunk cost’ bias (Hafenbrack et al., 2013).


via Pocket http://www.spring.org.uk/2013/12/meditation-can-debias-the-mind-in-only-15-minutes.php

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Twenty-one years ago. Twenty-one years ago, I looked in, I looked into water so deep it lost light – the transparent clarity of darkness. Twenty-one years ago, I fell in. I fell into that infinite well of night, the darkness at the center of the soul – faith that is comfortable with doubt.


via Pocket http://moonlady.com/winter-solstice-the-pause-at-the-bottom-of-the-breath/

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It is (obviously) produced in Scotland. More to the point, it's the alchemical combination of water, malted barley, and other whole grains, distilled at an alcohol by volume somewhere between 40 and 94.8 percent and rested in oak for at least three years.


via Pocket http://www.esquire.com/the-side/food-and-drink/scotch-buying-guide-012712?spr_id=1456_36018345

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We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support.  The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision.  We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word.


via Pocket http://duckcommander.com/news/robertson-family-offical-statement

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You may know Mark Twain for some of his very popular books, but what you may not know is how much of a bad ass he was at living life. Here are a few tips for living an awesome life from Mark Twain.


via Pocket http://thispageisaboutwords.com/mark-twains-top-9-tips-living-kick-ass-life/

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In 2013, Netflix figured out how to supply its own content for people who want to watch videos on their portable devices. But in 2014, companies that produce videos and those that want to reach video viewers will face an array of changes that will create new opportunities and threats.


via Pocket http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/12/13/three-biggest-video-trends-of-2014/

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Using a handy network feature built into OS X and supported by most modern Macs, you can remotely wake a Mac from sleep using an iPhone (or iPod touch, iPad, and Android too).


via Pocket http://osxdaily.com/2013/12/14/wake-on-lan-mac-iphone/

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When people start to implement GTD®, they usually feel fabulous. They're getting things out of their head, feeling lighter and more focused because of it. The trick is knowing how to get back to that feeling when you fall off the GTD wagon, which happens to all of us. It's easier than you think...


via Pocket http://www.davidco.com/newsletters/archive/1213.html

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The true power of the lifestyle-media brands that Scripps Networks Interactive has created over the years is only just being realized.


via Pocket http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/12/14/the-true-power-of-the-food-network/

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This one exercise can greatly improve your mobility and flexibility—and cure the many ills that come from sitting hunched in front of a screen all day. It takes just 30 seconds and you don't need any equipment. Max Shank teaches us how to do this move, called the Thoracic Bridge.


via Pocket http://lifehacker.com/fix-your-computer-hunch-and-other-posture-problems-in-3-1476347921

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This is a guest post by Sara Caputo, MA, a productivity coach, consultant, and trainer based in Santa Barbara, California. She is the founder and principal of Radiant Organizing, a professional organizing and consulting company.


via Pocket http://timemanagementninja.com/2013/12/top-10-reasons-why-i-love-evernote/

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via Pocket http://lifehacker.com/5873407/how-to-crack-a-wi+fi-networks-wpa-password-with-reaver

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Good quotes are often powerful words of wisdom that inspire, educate and even motivate a person to take action. They usually share common themes such as: And yet these lessons of life are typically condensed into 1-2 lines.


via Pocket http://www.lifed.com/top-100-inspirational-quotes-to-live-by

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Most of us have worked with great colleagues, bosses, and employees over the years who we’d be happy to recommend on LinkedIn (or anywhere, really) in a heartbeat if asked. Problem is, of course, that sitting down and writing said recommendation always takes more time than you think it will.


via Pocket http://www.thedailymuse.com/toolsskills/your-5-minute-guide-to-writing-an-amazing-linkedin-recommendation/

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It's no secret that long flights lead to stiff joints and sore muscles, but packing a tennis ball in your carry-on luggage might just give you the relief you need. It's TSA-approved, so don't worry about taking it with you.


via Pocket http://lifehacker.com/carry-a-tennis-ball-on-flights-to-relieve-sore-muscles-1477796353

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An iPhone app called Heyday launches today — it compiles a record of its owner’s life, based on places visited and photos taken.


via Pocket http://allthingsd.com/20131205/heyday-app-is-a-journal-of-your-life-that-writes-itself/?mod=tw_rev

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When IFTTT launched an iPhone app in July, it opened up a whole slew of new possibilities about how to put the incredibly handy service to even better use than ever. New channels accessible via the iPhone app allow access to your iPhone contacts, photos and reminders.


via Pocket http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-iphone-ifttt-recipes-you-cant-live-without/

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This is a reminder. You probably already know all – or most – of this. But reminders can be useful.


via Pocket http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/09/12/why-you-should-write-things-down/

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Capture some things, but not everything. It’s a great idea to capture your thoughts, ideas and potential tasks as they come up, but if you can do something in the moment then don’t bother writing it down. A big part of GTD is writing everything down.


via Pocket http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/capture-some-things-but-not-everythings.html

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via Pocket http://www.itstactical.com/medcom/medical/lessons-learned-from-the-lax-international-shooting/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ItsTactical+%28ITS+Tactical%29

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Whether you're deciphering a cryptic state seal or trying to impress your Catholic in-laws, knowing some Latin has its advantages. But the operative word here is "some." We'll start you off with 10 phrases that have survived the hatchet men of time (in all their pretentious glory).


via Pocket http://mentalfloss.com/article/54011/10-latin-phrases-people-pretend-understand

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The most fabulous thing about not being real is that you have plenty of time to roam the Internet. And really, you can find some quite amazing things out there. (Have you always wanted to know how to make a cool sock puppet? Here you go!).


via Pocket http://www.happymelly.com/why-work-does-not-happen-at-work-the-mms/

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After coming home from a long day at work, your mind tends to be overloaded. Tasks at work, chores at home, and goals you’ve been neglecting are fighting for your attention.


via Pocket http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/3-simple-strategies-clearing-mind/

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As I’m settling in Wudaokou, Beijing, and getting to know my roommates, I have come to really enjoy them and, more importantly, admire one of my them, in particular, for his uncanny creativity and imagination.


via Pocket http://www.farhadg.com/post/33834177117/genius-roommate

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It’s been about five years since the last redesign of my website, Hitched. A lot has changed since then, most particularly the rise of mobile. While we made sure our website was mobile compatible all those years ago, it wasn’t (and still isn’t) optimized for smaller screens.


via Pocket http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevecooper/2013/11/30/designing-a-website-for-2014/

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A heavily-tattooed man called Betto, attributed to the early Japanese photographer Kusakabe Kimbei.


via Pocket http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/picture/2013/dec/02/japanese-tattoo-1895-picture-from-the-past

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One year ago I set out to write 750 words a day, using the site 750words.com, without any set goal in sight. I just wanted to improve my writing and I figured that getting in the habit of writing daily could only help.


via Pocket http://bennesvig.com/lessons-writing-750-words-day-365-days/

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Slowly but steadily, data are forcing their way into every nook and cranny of every industry, company, and job. Managers who aren’t data savvy, who can’t conduct basic analyses, interpret more complex ones, and interact with data scientists are already at a disadvantage.


via Pocket http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/11/how-to-start-thinking-like-a-data-scientist/

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Seiko’s Astron, released to great fanfare last year, tells time by receiving GPS signals anywhere on Earth. Was it a world-beater in our test? Click here to read our in-depth review of the Astron GPS watch, with original photographs by Robert Atkinson, first published in our April 2013 issue.


via Pocket http://www.the-tech-blog.com/seiko-astron-gps-watch-2/