Top ten ways to simplify your digital life

By Fritz Klug
News Editor

Marissa Ingle/Western Herald

Here are some tips that I have put into practice in easing my digital lifestyle.

Set a time and place for Facebook. Like many an addictive substance, Facebook and other social networking Web sites can be a major drain on our livelihoods. While I’m not here to judge people who use Facebook, (or Twitter like me), there needs to be some kind of order in your use or you’ll be spending all the time you should be studying Plato looking at the entire picture collection of a girl that you think you know from another friend.

Make two user accounts: For those that want to get down to business and avoid distractions, I recommend making a separate user account for home and for school. A school account can be set up without distracting applications (Spider Solitaire anyone?) and you can block Web sites that might take your mind off of work. Psychologically, it will separate work from play, school from social, and the important from mundane. If you’re really savvy, you can dedicate a machine to each use — a school computer and a personal PC.

More than a text machine: the average cell phone can do more than just call, text and take 1.5 megapixel photos. It can be your pocket planner. Most phones are equipped with Bluetooth, and both Windows and Mac have built in syncing software that can update contacts, calendars, and notes between your computer and phone. You’ll have to have a calendar system that works, like iCal or Windows Calendar.

Buy a laser jet printer: Yes, buying a black and white laser jet printer may seem a little extreme, but having a solid printing service at home can save you the hassle of going to a computer lab or library to print before a paper is due. The price has dropped on many of the introductory models and you can find them for around $70. The toners cost about the same, but print thousands of pages before they run out.

Charge ‘em if you got ‘em: Charge your phone, iPods, and other pocket gadgets are like fish — you got to feed them every day. Every night, get in a habit of charging your phone. Also, if you have a bottom-feeder phone that requires a lot of charge (iPhone, Blackberry) get in the habit of carrying a charger with you in your book bag. You may think it laborious, but you’ll thank me when that cute guy starts texting you or you’re stranded at the Pointe without a ride home.

Use a mail application: One thing I don’t understand is how people can use a Web interface for their e-mail. Using an application like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail provide a dedicated space on your computer for e-mail. There are features like audio notification that can alert you to a message as soon as it is received.
Go Google. Yes, Google offers a universe of online applications for everything you can do digitally. Pictures, e-mail, calendar, Web pages, telephone and even social networking. The plus side is that everything you have is streamlined and linked together. On the downside, all your eggs will be in one basket and if Google is as evil as some people predict, your privacy may become public.

Use your Bronco ID for your wmich e-mail. This will save you not only time, but also the possibility of someone messing up your e-mail address. The wmich accounts the university gives to students are great, but sometimes they can be a hassle with long names. Take mine – frederick.j.klug@wmich.edu. The university allows e-mail that are sent to your bronco ID login @wmich.edu to be forwarded to your account. So now when I’m giving my e-mail to someone over the phone, I tell them f5klug@wmich.edu. 7 characters shorter.
Space management: Make sure caches, cookies, and temporary files are cleared once a week. This can take a computer that seems like it is on its last limb to something that resembles the machine when you bought it. Also, it’s wise to defrag your hard drive once a month, which will reorganize, and increase the speed, of your hard drive. Macs have a built in journaling system, but for files larger than that, I recommended defragging it with DiskWarrior with another computer in target mode.

Use shortcuts! This can save you time and energy when you use a computer. Both Windows and OSX are filled with key combinations that can launch, switch, bold, italicize, save, and close applications and text. There are ways that you can even make your own hot keys for movements you frequently perform. ALT-tab in Windows or Apple key-tab in Macs switches between programs. Check out these links for more:
Mac:  http://tr.im/SiiT
Windows: http://tr.im/Sij7

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=15740

Posted by heraldstaff on Mar 17 2010. Filed under Living Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

http://HeraldStaff