Archives for November 2008

Remember the Milk: Now with iPhone and Gmail integration

Of all of the software-based GTD “solutions” I’ve managed to get my hands on, there’s a fairly common theme among all of those that didn’t really cut the mustard: they simply tried too hard to build something that encompassed each of the main tenets of GTD, but have very little flexibility. In other words, these apps shoehorn you into the “canonical” GTD configuration without giving you room to customize the system to best suit your needs. Thankfully, Remember the Milk has managed to not only hang in there (for 3 years now), but pull ahead of the pack through integration with other products and services. And, as of this past month, these services now include Gmail and the iPhone.

RTM’s new native iPhone application (which requires a Pro account at RTM, which will set you back a scant $25 per year) is what got me to switch from my previous solution (OmniFocus on OSX + iPhone). The app is an excellent first release, much moreso than most of the other 1.0s that appear in the store. Launching and synching are both blazingly fast, unlike most local-storage-heavy iPhone apps. It also supports landscape mode for just about every view, which is a killer feature for me. It lets you fully manage the service, all from the comfort of, well, wherever you are with your iPhone.

The other new feature that really cinched it for me is the availability of an in-Gmail gadget where you can add/edit/complete todo list items without leaving Gmail (where many of my tasks and projects originate, which I’m sure is true for many of you). This is exactly the type of integration that really puts RTM a cut above the rest of the list management applications I’ve used. Couple this with the excellent Twitter integration, and RTM is never more than a few clicks/taps away, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

One great OmniFocus feature that I’d truly love to see in RTM is the ability to incubate tasks or projects until a given date/time. For example, if I know I need to send a birthday card to my Mom in 3 weeks, OmniFocus would let me set a start date for the project, so that it (as well as any associated tasks) wouldn’t show up in my lists until that date. A consistent weekly review would make sure this type of thing doesn’t sit fallow in your task list for weeks before it is actionable, but I’m a lazy programmer who likes to let computers do the thinking that I don’t really feel I have to do.

Honestly, there isn’t much I’d change about RTM’s current set of features, other than perhaps some SMS integration, but that problem is solved easily enough with the Twitter integration. Otherwise, I find it to be quite useful – not to mention a total bargain, and well worth some investigation if you’re a productivity-minded technophile like myself.

Brett Kelly is a sometimes-independent writer, software developer and productivity nerd from California. You can read more about his unending adventures online at brettkelly.org, or you can just follow him on Twitter.

Posted by Brett on Nov 18, 2008 | 16 Comments | Tweet This

Unclutter your refrigerator before Thanksgiving

If you host Thanksgiving at your home, then now is the time to start making room for all of the dishes that need to be stored in your refrigerator. To make room for everything it is a good idea to use up the items that are currently taking up space. My wife calls the process of clearing out the ingredients available in the refrigerator as “creative cooking.” It consists of not shopping for groceries for a week while concocting dishes from the ingredients that remain in the refrigerator and cupboards. Creative cooking also takes place at our house prior to long vacations.

While you clear out the space in your refrigerator it is freeing up valuable real estate for the turkey along with the side dishes that will reside in there while they wait to be prepared. This also allows for room in your refrigerator for the all important leftovers. 

With just a little more than a week to go, get cleaning and avoid having to play refrigerator Tetris on the big day. Let us know about some of your favorite “creative cooking” recipes in the comments. One of my favorites is a good ol’ fashion stew using up meat and savory vegetables.

Posted by Matt on Nov 18, 2008 | 26 Comments | Tweet This

Thanksgiving buffet

I’m heading to my parent’s house for Thanksgiving this year. It has been a few years since I spent the holiday at my parents’ place, so I’m looking forward to it.

Our Thanksgiving dinners are usually served in a buffet style. This makes the whole process run smoothly and keeps the table free of serving dishes. The table is set with utensils and glasses, but the plates and food are stationed at the the buffet. It is an efficient way to serve your guests, especially if you are hosting a larger party. 

Martha Stewart has some helpful tips on setting up a Thanksgiving buffet. Some of the tips:

2. Position the buffet table away from the wall, so that guests have access from all sides. 

6. Lay out food in a logical order: entrees before side dishes.

7. Save space for food by displaying low arrangements.

If you’re having a party of six or more this year, a Thanksgiving buffet may be something to consider for your meal.

Posted by Matt on Nov 17, 2008 | 24 Comments | Tweet This

The old new is the new old

Every once in a while I stumble upon a company and think, “I like how this company sees the world.” Last week, I learned about Fusion Furniture, a company that repurposes industrial furniture for private use.

In this case, Fusion re-designed and re-purposed a never used medical supply storage unit and turned it into a portable bar.

Even if you don’t like the industrial design of these pieces, anyone can appreciate the idea of finding a new, useful purpose for an older piece. If you have furniture items in your home that are clutter because they’re not being used, think about transforming the piece yourself or maybe selling it to a company that transforms furniture — your clutter can become someone else’s treasure.

Posted by Erin on Nov 17, 2008 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

Posted by PJ on Nov 16, 2008 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Twenty percent off coupon for The Container Store

If you watch the Oprah Winfrey show or follow Unclutterer on Twitter, then this information is old news to you. However, with the holidays on the horizon, I wanted to make sure that all of our readers knew how to get a 20 percent discount at The Container Store.

Oprah has once again teamed up with Peter Walsh to help Americans clean up their messy homes. This time, as part of the effort, The Container Store is helping out, too. To get the 20 percent discount you can print the coupon to use in the store, enter the code to use online, or print a barcode and give its numerical information to a phone representative.

The coupon and codes expire on November 19 — just four days from now — so you’ll have to act quickly if you want to take advantage of this offer!

Image courtesy of the Oprah Winfrey show

Posted by Erin on Nov 15, 2008 | 3 Comments | Tweet This

Many purposes for a magnetic paper-clip dispenser

It’s always fun to discover new uses for everyday objects. I recently stumbled upon one of these ideas in the article “Double-duty household items: reader tips” in the November issue of Real Simple magazine:

magnetic paper-clip dispenser

Original purpose: Controlling desktop clutter.

AHA! use: Corralling bobby pins. Collect stray pins from the bottom of your bathroom drawers and stash them in this handy container.

Reward: A bathroom vanity that’s neat as a pin.

Rosario Sorensen
Salt Lake City, Utah

I really like this idea, and I think that you could use these magnetic dispensers for storing more than bobby pins. Screws, safety pins, nails, washers — anything small and magnetic could easily be contained this way.

What inexpensive and clever solutions have you found in your home or office? Please tell us about them in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Nov 14, 2008 | 26 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Simple beauty

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Jacob’s small space solution:

If you live in a small space, then finding a way to integrate an office into your home can be a very difficult task. I love Jacob’s design decision to keep everything to a limited color palette in this open floor plan. The office blends into the room, and the plant acts as a very simple separator of purposes. Additionally, there is no clutter, which makes it even more pleasant. Thank you, Jacob, for sharing your space with us. It is truly gorgeous.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Nov 14, 2008 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

Single-use caulk

I have talked before about my strange master bathroom in my home. It has no built-in storage, and it didn’t even come with a toilet paper dispenser for the wall.

The worst aspect of the room — as if no storage wasn’t bad enough — is the shower stall. The floor of the stall is made out of a plastic or fiberglass that attracts dirt, mildew, and soap scum like it’s hoarding it. The shower stall has to be deep-cleaned twice a week, otherwise you don’t feel clean when you leave the shower.

All of this cleaning takes a toll on the caulk that waterproofs the shower from the walls and floor. Three times a year I have to scrape up the old caulk and lay down a new strip to protect our home from water damage. Caulk isn’t the most expensive product on the market, but I have to give up space in our basement to store the caulk gun and what remains in the caulking tube.

The last time I was at the do-it-yourself home store (Lowe’s), I came across a product that is saving me a little headache and space:

The packages are 1.25 fl. oz, which is the exact amount I use for our shower stall. I buy the clear waterproof silicone, but it is also available in white paintable acrylic and white waterproof silicone.

If you’re limited on storage space and have a small caulking job in your future, you might consider the convenient Caulk Singles. There is no need for a caulk gun and no leftover caulk to store when you’re finished. It’s an uncluttered home improvement solution.

Posted by Erin on Nov 13, 2008 | 32 Comments | Tweet This

Teaching your tikes to help with chores

My daughter is two and a half years old. And, thankfully, one of her favorite things to do is to wipe up a spill. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in her spilling things on purpose just to run into the kitchen and fetch a dish towel. My wife and I try to get her to help around the house as much as a two and a half year old can and she seems to enjoy just about everything we throw at her. This is a good start and hopefully she’ll take on more responsibilities as she grows.

She takes part in the nightly ritual of picking up all her toys that are left on the floor in the den before she goes to bed. The task only takes a couple of minutes and it leaves the room less cluttered than it was. She has become quite adept at this task and sometimes she even initiates it.

In an article in the Washington Post, the issue of teaching a young child the importance of pitching in around the home is examined. From the article:

Now that my daughter, at 20 months, is old enough to do things such as put her shirt in a hamper and wipe a spill — or at least some portion of it — I realize that this is my opportunity to strike. The second her masticated Cheerios hit the floor is a teachable moment, a chance to explain that half-chewed food lives in the trash and not under our feet. By showing her how to clean up after herself, child development experts tell me, I am instilling a sense of accomplishment and helping her master the subtle variation in skill required to scoop up squished cereal as opposed to squished peas.

The article covers different aspects of household chores and looks at the amount of time that we spend on chores in general. According to research, the amount of time that we spend on chores has decreased significantly over the last 20 years. The decrease in household chores is due to both parents working, children taking part in more activities, and outsourcing to cleaning services.

If household chores have decreased on average, then there are still many things that your child should learn to help out with around the home. A cleaning service isn’t in your home 24/7, so picking up after themselves is at the top of the list. The younger they are, the easier it is to instill this basic task into their routine.

Posted by Matt on Nov 13, 2008 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The batter dispenser

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

I haven’t hit up Williams-Sonoma for a good unitasker for some time due to all the great suggestions that have been sent to us from our readers, but I had to stop that break and nominate this Batter Dispenser. Yes, you could simply pour the batter out of a measuring cup or bowl — but would you get the perfectly poured batter that the Batter Dispenser promises? I don’t think so. You also wouldn’t create even more dishes to wash!

This contraption is large and it is very similar to the jumbo jerky works gun, but do you have any other ideas on how to perfectly pour waffle, pancake, or muffin batter? The end to your batter pouring horrors is here. The Batter Dispenser will make breakfast a treat again.

Posted by Matt on Nov 12, 2008 | 44 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

Posted by PJ on Nov 12, 2008 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Being an uncluttered and responsible adult

When I was first out of college, I eschewed the dentist for a hefty five years. I loathed going to the dentist. My irresponsible philosophy was “No problems, no need to go!”

Oh, how I regret that philosophy now.

The first time I went to the dentist after the five-year break was a complete disaster. I had three cavities, my wisdom teeth had come in and ruined my perfect smile, and all of it could have been avoided if I would have just made regular appointments during that time.

Since learning this painful and expensive lesson, I have forced myself to be a responsible adult and do all of the yucky things I don’t want to do but should. Prevention is much less expensive than emergency treatment, and much less traumatic.

To stay on track, I make appointments for my next visit before I leave any doctor’s office. My annual physicals are scheduled a year in advance, my dentist appointments six months early, and even my haircuts are planned seven weeks ahead of schedule. I type them into Google calendar and forget about them. I can reschedule if I need to, but rescheduling seems to be psychologically less work than remembering to call and make an appointment.

I also make appointments for our heating and cooling system’s annual maintenance for the following year before the technician leaves the house. Same goes for gutter cleanings and our pets’ vet appointments. The service providers appreciate knowing that they will have a repeat customer and a guaranteed appointment in 12 months, and I get the benefit of not having to remember to make the appointments.

If you aren’t already making regular appointments when it is the most convenient, let me recommend that you step up to the plate and get started. I agree that being a responsible adult isn’t always fun, but it will save you money and pain in the future.

What other appointments do you schedule way in advance? I would love to learn about it in the comments!

Posted by Erin on Nov 12, 2008 | 35 Comments | Tweet This

Charging station and landing strip in one

JCPenney has a multi-functional charging station that can serve as a landing strip and catch-all for your kitchen, office, or foyer. It could serve as a central space for messages, storage, and bill paying. It includes 4 AC connections to charge your iPod or cell phone. The center board is reversible with a cork bulletin board on one side and a magnetic white board on the other.

From the product description:

  • Tech Station includes MP3/iPod dock for charging, 4 USB connectors, 1 USB hub connector and 4 AC connections
  • 4 grounded AC inputs for power adapters
  • 1 standard 3.5 mm stereo audio-in for connecting a standard MP3 player to the speakers.
  • Audio-out for connection to headphones or portable speakers
  • Controls to switch between your iPod, MP3 or other connected device

If you are in need of a central area in your kitchen for messages , then this $199.99 option from JC Penney might be for you.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Posted by Matt on Nov 11, 2008 | 15 Comments | Tweet This | Tags: ,

Security friendly laptop case

One of the things that agitates me when traveling through an airport is the process of removing my laptop from its case and placing it in a plastic bin. It just adds a bit more annoyance to the whole process of the checkpoint procedure. Belkin has introduced its version of a TSA-friendly laptop bag that may help the checkpoint process to be a little less frustrating.

Belkin promises that the Flythru Laptop Case will make your security checkpoint time more streamlined. From the product description:

Things are getting easier at the airport-with Belkin’s FlyThru, you no longer need to take your laptop out of the bag in the security line. This revolutionary new bag isolates your laptop on one side, and the clear window makes it easy for TSA agents to identify it. Just unzip the bag and lay it flat. Keep your other personal belongings away from the laptop and you should get the all clear.

It fits laptops with screens up to 15.4 inches and has a minimal amount of metal, which makes it that much more security friendly. Now you can concentrate on removing your shoes rather than dealing with removing your laptop from its bag.

Posted by Matt on Nov 11, 2008 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

Amazon’s new uncluttered packaging program

Amazon has introduced a new program called Frustration-Free Packaging. The program aims to reduce the amount of packaging that is sent to you and make the process of opening your merchandise frustration free. An example of a toy sent via the new packaging is pictured below:

This new way of shipping products is very convenient. The amount of packaging that is reduced depends on the product, but judging from some of the items I’ve struggled to open up in the past, the Frustration-Free Packaging will surely be welcome. 

My first question upon hearing about this new packaging program was, “So what does Amazon do with the packaging?” Upon reading the helpful Q&A page, I was surprised to find out that Amazon is working directly with manufacturers to package their products in the new packaging right off of the assembly line.

I hope this new packaging program will catch on with other retailers.

Posted by Matt on Nov 10, 2008 | 41 Comments | Tweet This

Humor: What not to do

I’m always on the lookout for reasons to laugh, and Ali Hale recently came to my rescue over on the blog Dumb Little Man. Her article “10 Ways to Create a Work Environment That Drags You Down” was splendidly entertaining:

9. Keep it Shabby. Make sure your workplace environment looks as run-down and shabby as possible. Paint should be peeling off the walls, posters should be torn, and noticeboards should never be cleared. Don’t ever replace the carpet. And any pot-plants should be left unwatered for weeks – there’s nothing like dying plants to give your workplace a real air of gloom and decay.

Well played, Ali.

If you were to add to the list, what items would you put on it? I would add a frustrating parking situation to the mix. Having to fight for parking in a lot blocks away from your office building is truly a great way to begin your day.

Photo credit: hoyasmeg

Posted by Erin on Nov 10, 2008 | 28 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

Posted by PJ on Nov 9, 2008 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

Google can now OCR all PDFs

When you scan a document, your computer interprets this data as an image. You can see the words on the screen, but your computer doesn’t. As far as your computer is concerned, the letters could be birds or your child or a boat.

When you put this scan up on a website, search engines haven’t been able to index any of the content of your documents because it didn’t recognize the text as text … until now.

Google has a new system that scans Acrobat PDFs on the web for words using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Similar to its process for using OCR to detect words in PDFs that have already been OCR processed, the new system will do the same for scanned documents posted online that haven’t yet undergone OCR.

If you have scanned PDFs and are interested in having them converted into text, you can upload the images to your website and take advantage of this service.

Simply follow the instructions for how to use Google OCR from the Digital Inspiration website:

Create a folder in your website (say abc.com/pdf) and upload all the PDF images to that folder. Now create a public web page that links to all the PDF files. Wait for the Google bots to spider your stuff.

Once done, type the query “site:abc.com/pdf filetype:pdf” [into Google] to see the PDF documents as HTML.

Lifehacker recommends using “Google’s Webmaster Tools to reign in what gets scanned and indexed on your site, although you should assume anything you put online can be found by those looking for it.”

This is a really terrific way to get rid of paper clutter in your work space and in your home since you can now see the words in your scanned documents.

Posted by Erin on Nov 8, 2008 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

And the DYMO labelmaker winners are …

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in the DYMO labelmaker giveaway. We never expected more than A THOUSAND entries!! Wow! DYMO was so excited to see such an outpouring of interest that they decided to donate a second labelmaker to our giveaway — so we’ll be giving away TWO labelmakers today.

At 3:00 eastern this afternoon, I closed the comments and counted up the entries. Then, I headed over to the Random Integer Generator at random.org and entered in the data:

Out popped the following numbers:

245: Michael
1011: Jim

I have contacted the winners and will be sending them their prizes this coming week. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to DYMO and everyone for participating!

Posted by Erin on Nov 7, 2008 | 9 Comments | Tweet This