Live hacker

Clean up your cables

Kent J. Chen — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:19:09 GMT

Livehacker threw out another neat top-10 post that would be a huge help for the people like me who often get frustrated when seeing, facing, and organizing the mess cables either under the table or behind the computers. Man, people are creative. I especially like the number 2, get under-desk cables off the floor with a wire basket, and the no. 1, mount your gadgets to a pegboard. Time to make my own cabling system to make my study room nicer. :)

Tips to decorating like a pro

Kent J. Chen — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:15:14 GMT

These tips are also from Wired How To 2007, in where they pinged Todd Oldham, the celebrity-designer host of TV's Top Design, for some tips.

1. Mix two shades. The laws of interior design say you should never mix different shades of the same color - especially not green. Ignore them. Trimming a pastel with a darker tint says confident.

2. Think big. Don't pick small pieces for small spaces; that creates clutter. Instead, stretch the visual space with one or two large items. "Fewer gestures is a great idea, especially in bedrooms".

3. Show some wires. In a clean space, a few exposed wires just make the place look lived in.

4. Work the walls. For example, use strips of adhesive shelf paper on your kitchen walls and cabinets to make a motif that brings the space together.

5. Be crafty. For example, if you are stuck with fluorescents, sheath them in plastic tubing or try leaving half the tube exposed and alternating 6-inch strips of pink and orange over the other half. "It'll look like it's always 5 o'clock in your house."

Tips about MultiTask

Kent J. Chen — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:50:51 GMT

Wired 2007 How To issue is so good, it's full of tips in various topics, so useful and handful. I will be keep posting more as I read. Enjoy.

1. Double up on tasks that use different channels, i.e. writing a report while brainstorming designs for a new logo.

2. Think carefully about the requirements of each task, the actual processing needs may not be what you'd expect.

3. Juggle selectively. Minimize unnecessary distractions, when knowing that interruptions will be frequent, focus on routine tasks.

4. Interrupt tasks at natural breaking points whenever possible.

5. Set aside time when you will not do anything at all. Take breaks, eat well, exercise, and be sure to get enough sleep. IMO, this should be on the no. 1.

Sure, multitasking is often requested in almost all work places and is supposed to improve the productivity but it might make you less productivity in reality. So doing it right without losing your mind is something that we all need to focus on as well.