Rule #8: If this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight.

“The things you own end up owning you.” – Tyler Durden, Fight Club

Lately I have been on this minimalist, survivalist kick. Tackling one room at a time, I have sufficiently managed to wipe out all excess, unused clutter from my house. This amounted to two trips to Goodwill, trunk and backseat full each time, as well as many trips to the complex dumpster.

How does one end up acquiring so much clutter?

It’s easy to use items now and again, only to stash them away in an unseen place when finished. Sometimes you forget you owned it to begin with and lose the desire for the item over time, other times you go out and replace it with a new one.

However, once I forced myself to purge these undesired items, I found my home to feel more relaxed. When it is time to straighten up the house, I find a place for everything easily. Everything is much more organized, making cleaning time so much faster.

Additionally when I need to use a certain item, I can find it quickly as opposed to digging through a stash of junk. A recent survey reported that the average person spent 55 minutes a day just looking for items.

Now to the crucial ingredient…

This same principle of purging should be applied to computer files and programs. This is the last thing on my list because I have dreaded it, but I know the result will be worthwhile. If I clean, organize, delete, or backup all of the random folders on my computer, it will function much quicker. All of your files can be in a systematic order so that any file you think of can be pulled up in 5 seconds or less. As well, with unnecessary or duplicate files deleted or backed up on a separate disk (to be loaded only when needed), the computer will have more free space for faster downloading and web browsing or gaming.

For anyone who is willing, but unsure of how to begin such a project, I have researched and found a few useful tips from wikiHow:

How to Organize Your Computer

If you have many pictures, documents and other files, you should know that they can become very unorganized. If you follow the steps below you can create a well organized, powerful computer system. These instructions are for Windows users, but instructions on other operating systems should be similar.

1. Make note of the most unorganized folders. Find the trouble spots so you know where to start. The most commonly abused areas in Windows are the Desktop and the main “My Documents” folder. Other common trouble spots are folders created by the computer users in the C:\ directory.
2. Select and delete the files you do not need. The biggest problem with computer organization is the computer’s enormous capacity for files that you don’t need anymore. Reduce the clutter by deleting files that you are sure you do not need. See the tips for an easy way to remove multiple files.
3. Pick a Spot to store everything There should be a main folder to keep everything organized. Use My Documents, because all the Microsoft programs want to save files there by default. A big appeal of the one folder for everything is that it makes backups even easier if every file you want is in one place. Don’t forget to backup these files that you have deemed important.
4. Create a few new categories. Make about four rough categories and make folders with those names in your chosen folder. Some good examples are: Work, Personal, Friends, Family. You can organize by date, by people involved, by motivation, by weather, by file type, by Geographic location, or anything really, just make sure it makes sense to you and anyone using the computer.
5. Create subcategories. Subcategories should be clear. Try to keep the folders on the “flat” side. That means don’t make so many sub-sub-sub-sub categories, or you won’t be able to find anything. Avoid making folders that are too specific. Clever naming is the key.
6. Start Sorting Sort the files you want to keep into your new, cleverly named folders. Sometimes it’s easier to combine the sorting and subcategories step, but make sure you can still see the big picture.
7. Organize your shortcuts Shortcuts are in three places in most Windows computers. They can be found on the desktop, in the start menu, and in the quick launch bar to the right of the start menu (if you have it enabled). You don’t need them in all three do you? Keep your most common shortcuts in the quick launch bar (like internet, my documents, word, and excel). Keep the icons you want to drop things onto on the desktop Keep every program shortcut in the start menu. To move the shortcuts, just drag and drop your icons where you want them. See tips for more details.
8. The most important step When you make new files, make sure you put them in your new spiffy folders, and make sure they are worthy to keep.

Just follow these steps and you should be well on your way to a faster functioning computer (yes, even if it is a Dell).

And Remember: If all the work sorting and deleting files wear you down, just think to yourself…

 

Every morning there’s a Halo hanging from the corner of my girlfriend’s four-post bed…

A fellow blogger recently wrote about the long awaited Halo 3 game. Just like him, I had promised to avoid this basically over-beaten dead horse.

However, he shared a link to a part of the Halo 3 promo site that I now can’t help but write about.

First off, let me give you my background on the Halo saga so you can fully understand me frame of reference.

My first encounter with Halo was from a challenge to battle from a small 11 year old boy. I accepted, and was subsequently pummeled for the following 30 minutes. The boy had played the game at least everyday for many months and had memorized every nook and cranny of the field. I had no chance, and he made sure not to give me one.

So I said screw it. I didn’t play Halo ever again. My ego couldn’t take it. I still shudder when I reflect upon it.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not Halo ignorant. Throughout the following years I have attended many Halo parties and seen countless hours of gameplay, though I was never at the analog sticks. Believe me, I have said my Hail Marys to Master Chief many a night.

 

So I have a love, hate relationship. Love to watch it, hate to play it.

But what fascinates me most about the upcoming Halo 3 is the hype that has been generated. If you visited the link from my friend’s blog you can see a completely different form of advertising. They are not advertising a game, they are convincing a life style. They are taking virtual characters and accounting for their experiences as recorded history. The message, Believe, resonated through each statement made in the site’s videos. It is a fascinating tactic, which truly succeeded in adding hype where I had very little.

Another thing I’d like to throw in is that if you are like me and are hesitant on buying sequel games unless you are sure they have a great deal more to offer, check out the information I found on the new Halo 3 from a recent Wired blog:

The Game

What’s New in Halo 3

More weapons And meaner ones, too. Our favorite: the Spartan Laser. Modeled on a powerful real-life laser, it can destroy an enemy in one shot.

More vehicles The number of vehicles has been doubled, from eight to 16. These include the Brute Chopper, a monowheel-meets-hovercraft that can turn on a dime and mow right over Warthog ATVs.

Instant replay In Saved Films mode, a virtual-camera application lets you record any fight, view it from any angle, and then send it to friends on Xbox Live to show off your moments of triumph.

Enhanced audio The new sound engine can deliver up to 100 separate tracks at a time. You’ll hear bullets whiz past your ears, enemies creep up on you, and AI characters scream and curse during firefights — all in full 5.1 surround sound.

Vast levels You’ll battle through lush jungles and enormous hangars and maneuver atop alien ships. Bonus: a multiplayer level inspired by medieval cathedrals.

DIY game design Using the new Forge tool, players can customize multiplayer maps by dropping weapons, vehicles, and flags anywhere they choose. Always wanted to play a free-for-all round using only grenades? Now you can.

And Remember: Don’t try this at home…

Note: After the posting of this blog, my friends gathered for a Halo party as a warm-up for the upcoming release of Halo 3 (equipped with Game Fuel and all). Due to hours upon hours of forced practice and improvement, I now have relinquished some minor anger issues with the game.

 

Second Stab at Second Life

Here’s a Wired article related to an earlier post I made about the virtual world Second Life:

Bank Failure in Second Life Leads to Calls for Regulation

 

Article Teaser:
“I am really hoping that Real Life regulation does not come to Second Life because right now Second Life has the chance to sort out what type of oversight and regulation it wants,” Bloomfield said. “If the Real Life authorities or Linden Lab do start meddling with business affairs, it could ruin a golden opportunity for real innovation and creativity, a chance to recreate a world in a new image.”

see also: Get into real and virtual debt with Second Life’s Metacard

And Remember: Those aforementioned double D’s aren’t so cute when we’re dealing with real money…

then again…

 

An excuse for that new Widescreen Plasma HDTV

Television has become an entity to the lives of most Americans. Not simply for entertainment, TV is used for business, sports and provides an important news source.

It is true that television has proven to be a dependable communication source, and recent legislation has taken measures to better present our media. Last February a bill was passed through Congress, which will make television technology of the past obsolete.

Digital Television Transition will eliminate the use of all analog televisions, to incorporate digital broadcasting, beginning February 17, 2009. Digital Television (DTV) technology, more flexible and efficient than analog, will become the new source for television broadcasting. This impending switch to DTV will provide a sharp, high definition picture quality, and will enable multicasting, which provides several program streams simultaneously.

Additionally, DTV offers a better signal reception and many new features that will come free for those who are affected in the conversion. Probably one of the most valuable things DTV will do is open valuable broadcasting frequency, as analog television will be removed from the airways. This newly freed space will greatly advance other important services to our communities. Police, fire and other emergency rescue services, in consequence, will receive additional airspace for their emergency broadcasts and frequency communication, enabling more efficient and direct communication to assist those in need sooner. It will also grant additional access to wireless equipment.

Although this improvement will provide many benefits, it may cause trouble to those who own analog televisions. Most people have television sets connected to cable, satellite, or other pay television service, or own televisions with a digital tuner. These televisions will fair well in the exchange.

However, if a television has “rabbit ears” or requires another type of antenna, and has been purchased more than five years ago, it may need a digital converter. A digital-to-analog converter can plug into any analog television, and allow it to continue functioning with the new technology. Although the new legislation will not be enforced until 2009 to provide people adequate time to update their televisions, a government program, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has been established to assist those who are financially unable to afford the converter. Beginning January 1, 2008, this program will be supplying $40-off coupons to applicants for the basic converters. Up to two converters may be requested per household. Requests for coupons will not be taken before January, and will expire after 90 days.

Coupons will not be valid for the purchase of the more advanced converters, which have additional features, such as a DVD player. Video game systems, DVD players, VCRs, camcorders and other devices that connect to a television will not be affected by the DTV transition. More information about DTV, including and FAQ, is provided at www.dtv.gov. Questions can be sent via e-mail to DTVinfo@fcc.gov.

And Remember: TV does not always equal quality family time…

 

Celebrity Death Match

“…as I am slowly becoming more of an Apple convert.”

My Innovations and New Technology professor spoke these casual, seemingly innocent words in a near recent class.

However it, as well as a post from aman500, has brought to my attention a certain idea…

Apple as a religion?

As I thought about it I realized I couldn’t possibly be the only one with this idea, so I did a little background research.

Call it unethical, but I decided on a compare and contrast blog:

Jim Jones vs. Steve Jobs

• Both instigated revolution in people and have been referred to as “cults”.

• Both men have held meetings or lessons to spread their teachings.

• Both have gathered mass crowds, screaming and pushing in lines to learn and collect the innovator’s newest ideas.

• Both men have spread out to foreign countries to further their religions.

Not really for this reason, but for others, I have been wary of becoming a true Apple convert.It is true I have an iPod and enjoy it, but I am not about to cast away my hopes in promising companies such as Microsoft.I will remain impartial and simply side with the overall advancement of necessary technology.

So are you a convert? Impartial? or a worshiper of another techno-religion?

Send me your comments.

And Remember: Don’t drink the Kool-Aide

 

Large Scale Legos

A recent article from Wired magazine features a totally customizable way of contract building for the future.

Made completely from reinforced steel beams, the sky-rise provides a simple frame. Consumers are able to purchase property by block room, dictating the size of their future apartment. Next they can choose where walls and outlets will be placed.

After growing tired of the original set-up, a tenant can rearrange the walls in their house, and even expand by purchasing a vacant, adjacent block.

Finally a building to accommodate our ever changing society.

Read it here.

And Remember: That changing society?

 

Penny for your search?

Wish you could have a penny for every time you searched on the internet?

Well too bad, you can’t.

However your favorite charity could recieve the benefites instead.

GoodSearch introduces a break through concept, utilizing advertising money invested in internet browsing and distributing to qualifying charities.

The process is simple and user friendly. Anyone wanting to benefit the charity of their choice can simply visit GoodSearch for their next internet search. Upon opening the page you will be prompted to enter your charity’s name, and once verified as a registered charity, you simply run a search as usual.

For every search ran, a penny is donated to your selected organization.

For most, a penny is chump change, but according to an article ran in O magazine (because I am too lazy to do the math myself):

“If 1,000 people with the same charity search twice a day for a year, the charity earns $7,300.”

Think of all the Wii (s)? you could buy with that kind of money, but then realize that the charity may be a bit more responsible with spending. Thus, each penny can go a long way.

As for me, I have been a proud user of GoodSearch for a whole 48 hours. In this time I have raised $1.20 (for those who do the math that means I have searched 120 times, divide that by the hours I have been utilizing this product and you may realize I have no life).

I figure I can do 10 dollars per month easily, totaling a respectable $120.00 per year (proceeds to Ark of Cleveland). Not including the proceeds from any converts I might add to the system along the way.

The best part? You are doing nothing outside of your daily routine. Just homepage this search engine and do what comes natural.

A revolutionary idea, if you dare to get involved.

And remember: You can list or register ANY charity you support… even EDDMU…

Eradication of Dastardly Devious Mimes United

Ok, so this one’s not real… yet.

(Note: In writing this blog I have raised 10 cents more)

 

Technology is for the birds

Sure the early bird catches the worm…

But the early worm gets eaten.

Everett Rogers theorized that people fall under one of five different technology adoption processes.

And the choices are:

• Innovators – Those who read, study and worship technology. They are the ones that camp outside a store for days to ensure they are the first to own a product.
• Early adopters – Those who acquire the product during the rush because they can simply afford the higher prices, or may need it for educational or career purposes.
• Early majority- Those who wait until the products reach the shelf, after the kinks have been discovered and fixed and the prices has sufficiently lowered. They are also deliberative and only chase after practical technology.
• Late majority – Those who are generally skeptical, or only upgrade technologies due to necessity. They see that “everybody’s doing it” and decide it is alright.
• Laggards – Those who never adapt. Believe it or not, there are still people who don’t own a brain…

I would consider myself an early majority… but only on the things that matter.

I was so proud to own the 2nd generation iPod, in all of its beauty.

But just as with the early worm strategy, a year later I realized I missed out on a color screen video iPod for about $150 cheaper than what I paid.

So whats your strategy, and how is it working out for you?

And remember: If everybody’s doing it…

 

Love, Hate Relationship

Is it just me or does technology simply seem to be adding more duties to daily life.

Sure it simplifies communication and brings the world to your fingertips. But is it adding to the daily work load?

I ask this due to a recent observation.

Every week I make a “to-do” list, in attempt to keep my life in some sort of order. Yet as I read over the sheet I found that I had listed “check all emails, check online bank statements, print recent pictures, backup computer files,” etc…

Has keeping up with technology become a chore?

Should we cut back, should there be limitations, and what would these guidelines be?

I know technology is a cultural launchpad, but where is the blurred line for when it becomes a hindrance or a tool for procrastination.

Maybe there is a time to put down the blog and pick up the vacuum.

Speaking of which…

But Remember: Do your chores, or else…

 

Just don’t look inside

Just a little FYI here for those who are always interested in finding fresh, upcoming music:

Pandora is an internet radio with a goal of introducing listeners to new music everyday. Pandora is also completely personalized, as the user is able to list their favorite artists or songs and is then accommodated.

How does it work?

Each artist you list creates a separate station which is dedicated to that artist, while mixing in other groups with similar sounds. As you hear the new music you can select a thumbs up or down so that Pandora will remember in the future what styles you prefer.

Pandora runs off an account system, so each time you log in your selected stations are loaded — for free!

A Pandora bonus is that you can navigate between radio stations with relative ease. It also lets you skip ahead, so you are not stuck listening to a song you dislike.

Tip: Try out the shuffle section after rating for a few days. It will shuffle all, or selected, stations to ensure your maximum listening pleasure…

The best part about Pandora is that they strive to avoid mainstream music and many obscure bands are available.

Go ahead and broaden your horizons, I dare you…

I double dog dare you.

And remember: Drug addict does not equal artist…