Being a remote professional often involves travel and work in… ahem… unusual locations. You may find yourself working on the road, in your car, at a library or coffee shop, onsite with a client, or anywhere in between. Desktops are great,  but they will tie you to a single work spot. They are usually stable and cheaper than the portable alternatives. That is, until recently.

If you are a power-user and you need to multi-task, keep a slew of windows open, and often push the limits of both your CPU and your RAM, your mobile options won’t be low cost.

If, however, you have started using some or many of the online options for thinks like book keeping, email, calendar, etc., a netbook may bridge the gap between portability and pocket-sensitivity.

For under $400 (and even below $300, as of today) you can now get an amazingly lightweight, highly portable, low-power computer with longer battery life than was possible just a year ago.

The first netbooks were rather light on HD size, but there are better options today and 120-250 gig drives aren’t uncommon. Promises of upcoming (June 2009) Ion-based CPUs will make these lightweights heavy-hitters in the remote professional market. Dual-core netbook options are rumored to be in the works and should be available by year end.

Some options have optical drives, others require a USB drive to load software. Alternatively, you can drop the CD or DVD into a network drive and load software via Ethernet or wireless connection.

If you can’t wait that long, look at the sale on the ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 10-Inch Netbook at Amazon (with a $50 rebate) — which has recieved excellent reviews from customers and techies alike. Today, Dell has released their own low-priced netbook called the Mini 1011 Bear with a base price of $299 and several upgrade options, according to a review article on Engadget.

So, if you plan to buy a portable machine in the near future, your options may be more diverse than they were the last time you looked. Weigh all your options and come up with the best option for your needs. If you buy a netbook,  be sure to get a 6-cell battery and max out the RAM options (2 gig minimum), for the best performance in these machines.

Have fun!

I’ve been through a slew of iPhone cases in my quest for the perfect one. SLEWS of them. I love my iphone, ask anyone who knows me… but, trying to keep it safe and in excellent working order isn’t always easy when you take it everywhere. (Heck, I even listen to music on mine in the bathroom while taking a shower — so I needed a moisture-resistant, shock proof, tough case for it.)

Yesterday, the ideal case finally arrived. I got mine on eBay, but it’s available on Amazon too. I got myself an Otterbox Defender Semi-rugged Case for my iPhone in girly pink. It’s also available in white, in black and in black with yellow trim, for those of you who aren’t that interested in going all girly.

It doesn’t maintain the sleek, thin lines of the iPhone. It adds a great deal of bulk and weight — but I don’t care. I love it. It seals it from the elements and from my daily abuse. It’s even got a well-functioning screen protector (unlike those that inhibit my ability to use the touch screen on those ever-so-delicate game sessions when I’m waiting in line or in a waiting room). These things matter!

The holster is also pretty cool. I wish it had been available in pink too — but the pink case comes with the standard issue black holster. It’s quick and easy to slide the phone in and out to answer it, and it keeps it protected and at the ready.

The holster clip can also be adjusted to become a defacto easel back so you can watch videos in landscape mode (which is really nice!)

The only thing that bugs me about this solution is how hard it is to get it in and out. It no longer slides easily into my iHome for extra speaker boost, and it’s required me to get more creative with the Griffin WindowSeat Windshield car mount I just got for my car. Aside from those small issues, it’s the best protection I’ve ever seen. I’d probably not even have a heart attack if my precious iPhone went skidding across a parking lot now — so long as it was in the case.

It’s also uber-easy to find in the bottom of my cave-of-a-purse with the bright hue!

If you are looking for the best possible protection for your iPhone, check it out. It really rocks!

Ok, anyone who knows me knows that I love a bargain. I love treasure shopping. I love the “hunt” for cool stuff. I also adore Goodwill and other thrift shops. (I would have been a pirate a few hundred years ago. Not for the stealing part, but for the finding of the loot.)

For years, I’ve said that you can find ANYTHING you want at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough.

Now I knew there were some exceptions to that rule, but only the obvious ones. I’ve wanted a platinum or 18K diamond ring for awhile now (I love ebay for trying to find those types of items) and I know that Goodwill isn’t hte place to find that… or at least I thought I did.

Last week, while looking for a few final “necessities” for my new apartment with my son… he found some jewelry that appeared to be sterling in the mass tangle of the jewelry basket. I checked it and it was, indeed, sterling.  So we start digging.

What we found, essentially, was an estate collection of sterling jewelry along with a couple pieces of gold. The most impressive piece was found by my son… it’s an 18K white gold band with a beautiful (and perfect) diamond in a tension setting. Simply lovely. He had it checked out at a jewelers and has since “loaned” it to me to wear.

The cost for this treasure? $1.00

So, I have to amend my earlier statement to include everything — not just nearly everything — is available at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough. I’ve picked up leather coats, gold and silver jewelry, crystal, sterling flatware, designer purses, down comforters and an assortment of other delightful items at Goodwill in my travels. During this economy, it’s nice to know there’s a place you can score a $2,000 ring for $1 — isn’t it?

Have a great day and happy hunting!

While recovering from a case of the creeping-crud, I’ve spent many hours over at the apps store catching up on what’s new and cool. I’m not BEING very productive lately, so I’m researching productivity (and other) apps. (Hey, at least I’m accomplishing something!)

In particular, I was looking for:

• a better way to handle my to-do lists
• a way to maintain standard packing lists
• a quick-launching notes program
• a running diary for those “when did I do that?” queries
• a grocery shopping list-maker
• a way to do my @ lists (loosely based on GTD philosophy — VERY loosely)

I found one of the most incredible database programs to date for the iPhone. It’s called iDB Datamaster Pro (there’s a free version and a lite version, but I wanted a limitation-free option). It was developed by Evince Technologies, Inc specifically for the iPhone and is not a port or a re-write of another program.

It literally replaced half a screenful of other apps on my homepage — and we all know how precious that space is!

The layout is good and the templates (which I hope will continue to expand) handle most of what I’ve needed so far. I like the integration with the native apps which permits one-tap phone calls and web site launches from within the databases.

The best features?

1. A powerful search across ALL the databases. (Really nice!)

2. The ability to “pause” the database and return to the exact same place next time the app is launched saves taps and frustration. (Small feature, huge impact on usability.) It even has time-stamped logs for locating what was done when.

3. I particularly like the fact that I can backup the databases to my own computer in CSV format — but need to play with this a bit more to learn how to backup and restore effectively.

It’s a little more expensive than the standard .99-4.99 apps, coming in at 12.99 for the pro version, but it’s worth every penny, IMHO. I’ll review a few more of my best finds over the next few days, including writer’s tools for the iPhone and (hopefully) a decent replacement for some of the standard apps (like calendar).

In the meantime, go download the free version of this DB app and give it a try. I think you will like it as much as I do.

I’m loving Hulu. If you haven’t discovered it yet, go there now. If you have finished with the Thanksgiving meal and need a little kick-back time (and you aren’t a sports fan), Hulu will come to your rescue.

I’ve registered so I can keep the cool stuff I find in my queue — and so I get automatic update emails when a TV show I’m following has a new episode, but you can view without registration.

Right now (since I don’t watch TV) this is where I watch: Bones, Chuck, Lipstick Jungle, Terminator, The Starter Wife, Heroes, Burn Notice, Crusoe, Valentine, and Battlestar Galactica. (There are also complete seasons of cancelled series and others I’m not currently following).

And I recently added a few great movies to my queue as well. There are some second rate titles on Hulu, but there are also a great number of top movies (and old favorites).

As a few examples, the ones currently in my queue include: The Professional, A River Runs Through It, Requiem for a Dream, GhostBusters (because my daughter has never seen it… ditto for Xanadu), Kiss The Bride, Sense and Sensibility (because it’s been awhile), Hans Christian Anderson (also for Alex), and Rob Roy.

(I only wish I could view this over my wi-fi on my iPhone. That would make it even cooler!)

If you want an all-night horror movie fest to go with your indigestion, this may be the best place to get those too. Why get out to go rent something when you can stay in and save time, money and gas?

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve been collecting a host of twitter tools for a blog entry for some time now. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it may be enough to help expand the usefullness of one of my favorite social media platforms. Check them out for yourself:

Twitter rank – Like pagerank for twitter users.

Twitter search – Want to look for particular terms (or your own name, brand or competition) on twitter? This is the tool!

Twitter Fan Wiki: Apps – Want to find the best of the twitter platform apps for your own use, check out this exhaustive list.

Twitter alerts: TweetBeep – Would you like an email when someone on twitter mentions you or your products or your company — or even your favorite topic? This is the tool… but beware, too-general terms will overflow your inbox in minutes!

Twitter pictures: TwitPic - Expand the platform from 140 characters to include photos with this service.

Tweet from Firefox: TwitBin – If you love Firefox as much as I do, and would like to twitter directly from there, try this addon.

Twitter in groups – Want a way to narrow the collective into groups and specific conversations/discussions? Try tweetworks.

Tweet-grid – Select a handful of topics you would like to follow and create a browser-based grid to hold them all. I tested this during the election and found it to be quite useful.

Twitter directory – get listed here and find people with similar interests!

Prettify your twitter – grab a twitter background to rise above the norm.

Twitter hashtags – a way to group specific keywords/topics when trying to stay on top of twitter speak.

Tweet clouds – ever wonder what you tweet about most often? Find out!

Twitter cost – once you start following some of the bigger names, you may find that you don’t have the time to read all those microposts. Check the guy/gal here before committing to a follow — or do a vanity check on yourself. Are you worth the cost? Are they? (Also shows the political index of any twitter user.)

And, if all this talk of Twitter is like Greek to you, try Jason Hiner’s excellent Twitter article as your intro to this platform. It’s from May of this year, but is a great starting place for those new to twitter or twit-wanna-bes.

I’d welcome any additions to this list, so tell me what you guys use!

(Note: Bluebird photo courtesy of gracey of morguefile.com)

I’ve been enjoying the free Amazon selections to build my ever-expanding music collection for ages now, and I thought it might be time to share a few valuable links with my readers.

The samplers are an excellent way to try the freebie offers and these are particularly good:

• Very Best of Naxos Early Music – Classic, alter-boy style album (12 songs)
• ECM Touchstones: The Amazon Exclusive Digital Sampler – A Jazzy sampler (10 songs)
• Celebrating 10 years of Music – by Christian Hommel - A classical sampler for you (11 songs)
• This is Daptone Records – R & B retro stylings for your ears (14 songs)
• Best of Nuclear Blast – Metal Mix – not my cup of tea, but my eldest would like this – (10 songs)
• This Is How I Roc: 2008 Yep Roc Label Sampler – Alternative and rock sampler from this label – (11 songs)
• Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill – Sampler of five excellent songs – Instant personal classics done in my favorite styles of music. (5 songs)

In addition, you can go and peruse over 500 of their free mp3 selections here.

I just wanted to share a particularly good resource with my readers this holiday season. Pick and choose as you will…personally, my musical tastes are a bit eclectic. Enjoy!

Ok, I’m loving the way the platform for the iPhone is constantly expanding. Holding up the device to a radio and using an app (Shazam) to identify the song, artist and offer the ability to buy that song… well that’s just cool. It works pretty well, I had it on my iPhone for awhile.

(I took it off to make room for more apps I wanted to test. I don’t really NEED to know a song that often, but it’s cool to have when I do.)

Being able to scan a barcode and look up the product online, complete with price comparisons to get the best deal… that’s a great concept as well (It’s on my list of apps to try, but I’ve not done this one yet — I’ve heard it still needs a bit of work). I’ll wait for the next version.

One that I did recently download (a paid app) that is uber cool is called the Ocarina by smule. This has GOT to be one of the coolest expansions of the different parts of this device for a completely new purpose.

The mic is used as a “reed” to blow into in order to play the instrument. The touch screen offers combinations of four virtual “buttons” to make a multitude of tones and sounds. And if having a little instrument in your pocket isn’t cool enough… they’ve also taken the social networking aspect to a new level by broadcasting (with your permission, of course) the music of all players all over the world.

So you can watch on a globe of the earth as someone far away struggles with those beginning chords of amazing grace, or triumphs over the final chords of Greensleeves. If you get tired of listening to one new-iphone-age artist, you can hit the next button and the globe spins and picks up another player somewhere else in the world.  Hit the heart emblem to give props to those you like — everyone has their own username.

Yeah, I know that the iPhone has had mini-piano programs (I got the free one to play) and drums and guitars, and some that are a whole band in your pocket… but this is different. This is something completely new.

It’s an instrument FOR the iPhone and it’s worth the 99 cents just to play with the expansion on this smartphone’s overall concept and what it can do. Very cool. Try it.

Last night, while at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky I bought a book and a magazine. While waiting my turn to check out, I noticed that the three displays closest to the main checkout were quite an odd collection of topics… and then I thought about it and decided that the person responsible for the setup of these displays may be making their own statement.

I’ll let you be the judge (I got photos of each of the three for your review):

First there was this one…

then this one followed…

and the third (and last one) before the checkout…

Accident, irony or overt political statement? You be the judge.

Every year around this time, I start thinking about what I’m going to buy myself for my birthday. I start early because it always takes awhile to come up with the perfect item. Even once I determine what it’s going to be, it takes awhile to find the perfect specimen.

It’s always something that I’d never permit myself any other time of the year.

It’s usually something that is a little on the pricey side — and WAY on the cool and luxurious side. In recent years, it’s usually had something to do with writing. A hand-tooled, leather covered journal. A fantastic pen. Luxury papers. A leather-bound book. A leather case for my writing tools or a leather cover for standard composition books that turns the ordinary into something extraordinary. High quality inks. A watercolor set. Art papers. A engineering-grade mechanical pencil.

It’s not that I intended to do the pen and ink path… it just happened. But this year, I’m going to break away from that.

This year, I’m going to attempt to locate my perfect daily-use knife. I love my sterling flatware pattern. I’m spoiled and hate to eat with stainless. I like MY fork. (Eccentric, perhaps, but true.) I prefer my spoons to any others. And the sterling knife that goes with the set is great for spreading butter… and little else.

I need a real knife, one that can slice through a medium-rare slab of steak as easily as it would slide though Jello. I want it to be sink-washable, beautiful and a pleasure to use. I don’t want anything that’s run-of-the-mill.

This summer, at a Renaissance festival, I saw my perfect knife. Unfortunately, it was not for sale. S’ok, though, the one at that same booth (that was not as pretty) was over $600. If it had been for sale, I wouldn’t have bought it. I’m eccentric, not crazy. (Not rich either.)

It wasn’t terribly decorative or overly fanciful. It was beautiful in its simplicity. The blade was artfully marked Damascus steel with a nice, hefty full-length tang and a hand-polished bone handle. It was balanced and ideally weighted. The handle was neither too long, nor too short. It was perfect. And it is responsible for starting my knife-lust. (Dang it!)

So now, I’m searching.

I’ve found some fantastic examples. Some are more art-knives than knives intended for daily use. Many of the really pretty ones are “folders” and I really want a standard “fixed” blade knife. But, with that said, here are some pretties for you to view:

http://www.gallagherknives.com
http://www.stamascus-knife-works.com/ (check out the custom engraving work on some of these!)

And if you are richer than Midas, and want something that is an amazing work of art, you can bump around over on this site: http://www.engravingarts.com for works like this engraved knife and this one or maybe one from a different site, like this one. Wow, eh?

A pen may be mightier than a sword… but is it prettier than these knives? (Now, my pen is really pretty, but I don’t think it beats out these beauties!) I may not find my knife this year… but I’ll be looking for it now. Eventually, I’ll find it.

I hope that an expanded play list will be added to this great new resource for those iPhones and iPod Touch models availing themselves of the use of a wi-fi connection.

Hollywood Pocket is a website offering Quicktime movies that download and play beautifully straight from the website. The selection is rather small now, but I hope it will grow.

This resource is a great example of what could be done with the the wi-fi access of these pocket devices. Since I get most of my television shows from the Internet these days (through Hulu usually or straight from the TV websites), I’d love to see iPhone-friendly layouts for those.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to cruise to the latest episode of Bones or Life or Gossip Girl (yeah I watch it, so sue me), or a dozen other great options — all on my iPhone?

If the idea is to increase viewership, I’d hope that one of the executives realizes that there are some of us who would not only use the service, but would wax poetic about it if it were available.

In the meantime, check out Hollywood Pocket and see what (I hope) the future will hold.

My disappointment that Wowio went from a free to a paid model a few months ago has now been replaced with awe that there’s an iPhone optimized version. Why?

Because all the content is still available to be read online. You can use wifi, 3G or Edge — and now the whole library is available from wherever. How nice. View yours here: http://www.wowio.com/iphone-wowio.asp

The comic books are particularly pretty on the iphone screen (check out the Grimm’s Fairytales).

You will be required to register to gain access to the free content, but it’s worth the effort. I’d love to see an app for this, so the settings are stored and so I could have access to some of the content when I don’t have a connection.

Is anyone at Wowio listening?

I’ve always adored Halloween. That and St. Patrick’s Day have always been my favorite holidays. I know, I’m weird. I’m accustomed to getting that response.

My “wicked” business theme was launched back on October 31st, 2002. And, even though I have changed the business name, I managed to retain the “wicked.” I like it.  I like the double entendre of bad and good. I like that it was “born” in October. Despite the warnings I received on selecting that theme, it has served me well and continues to do so. So, even with my business I celebrate the Halloween holiday.

I’ve never really been into jack-o-lanterns or ghosts or most of the more traditional Halloween imagery… except for witches and bats. I think the witchy imagery is fun and bats… well, I find them to be intriguing animals.

This year, for Halloween, my son gave me a sterling silver bat charm. I collect sterling silver charms. (He knows I love them.) This one is amazing. It’s not a tiny little thing — it’s a full two inches long! It feels like it weighs a pound! It’s solid and three dimensional. (I’ve never liked those one-sided flat charms, I like cool ones — and this one is awesome.)

It’s in the sleeping position, all snugly wrapped up in wings and hanging upside down, shaped like a bullet. He picked it up at a Renaissance festival this summer. I’m currently wearing it on a long chain and I’m enjoying it more with each passing day.

Today, I starting wondering what attracted me to bats and decided to do a little research on symbolism. I thought I’d share my findings with you (just in case anyone else out there likes bats and isn’t sure why).

Holiday Symbolism

Bats are a common image because when this season’s bonfires are lit, it attracts the insects that, in turn, attract the bats for a feeding frenzy. Since this happens in the fall, bats are seen as a symbol of transition and change — in the season and in the human experience.

Bats represent: Social relationships, communication, motherhood

It is a symbol of communication. Native Americans observed bats to be highly social creatures with strong family ties. They are nurturing, exhibiting verbal communication, touching, and sensitivity to members of their group. Bats are sensitive to their surroundings and are seen as intuitive, with the ability to see through illusion and discern truth. Devotion of the Bat totem will never fade, encouraging the journey to achieve the highest possible potential from an individual. (Information paraphrased from this page on Animal Totems)

Since bats are the only winged creatures to suckle their young, they are also a symbol of motherhood (and by association… fertility and sexuality… which is also supported by the dwelling in caverns in the “womb” of mother earth.)

East vs. West: Symbolism of the Bat

Westerners hold a more negative view of this creature, possibly because of the dual nature of winged and mammal, or because it’s nocturnal.

Eastern cultures view the bat as a symbol of wealth, longevity, peace, good health and a good death. In China, the symbol for bat is “fu” — which is also the symbol for “good luck.”

“Sometimes four bats are shown surrounding a fifth bat or five bats circulate around a stylized symbol for longevity.  In both cases, the five bats stand for the Five Happinesses:  wealth, long life, peace, cultivation of virtue (or sometimes good health), and a good death… a Chinese bat (or simply the character for fu) will sometimes be placed upside down.  That orientation derives from the fact that the words for “upside down” and “to arrive” also sound the same in Chinese (dao), such that the upside down bat means that good luck has arrived.” (taken from this page on tattoo symbolism)

The Maya culture of Central America considers the bat a type of guardian god — a god of fire. Images of bats were used to decorate pottery and funerary urns.

A Mis-match of other interpretations of bats:

Bats are symbolic of rebirth and can mean (in dreams) that you need to release the outmoded ways of doing things to permit a new, better way to enter your life because your old habits no longer suit your new opportunities. They also demonstrate that sight with eyes is only one way to know the world.

Personally, I relate to the fact that it is naturally nocturnal and is adept at finding its way — even when things seem completely dark (and foreboding). So after a little research, the idea of rebirth, changing outmoded views, being intuitive and maternal, focusing on communication and the five happinesses — it all makes me much more happy with my fascination with these little creatures.

Other interpretations may be more “dark” and negative – but these fit my world view and the classic, traditional interpretation of bats and bat symbols make me happy. And I love my charm (thanks, sweetie!)

Need a practical, median priced gift for your favorite artist, writer or student this year? Know someone who would benefit from a GTD command post that would fit in a pocket or purse?

Maybe a little bitty notebook could be the cornerstone of your gift giving season (you save money if you buy in bulk!)

My own love affair with the Moleskine:

Despite my love of Moleskines for everyday use, I really appreciate the artistic side of things where these little gems are concerned. I enjoy them so much that I’ve been collecting some sites that show off the best illustrations, hacks and accessories for the little volumes.

I know that they now make smaller and brighter colored versions (Volant versions). I just got the email yesterday. It’s pretty fresh news. But, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to my notebooks.

I’m not saying I won’t try one of the tiny ones — it looks like those may represent a “can’t help myself” episode in full force. Gee, I love paper and pens and pencils (Oh. My!)

Newfangled colored and flexi-covered versions aside, today I’m going to share a few cool things with you, fellow classic Moleskine lover. And these things can make a notebook into a token gift or an amazingly rich gift… depending on how you play it.

Moleskine Art:

Some ideas for the artist in your life. Select a Moleskine Small Sketch Notebook (pocket-sized) and add a high quality graphite pencil set and art erasers. If you are particularly fond of this artist, add in a lust-worthy water color pencil set and/or travel watercolor brushes or professional quality colored pencils to create a portable art studio.

Smashing Magazine’s Collection of Moleskine Art
‘Skine.art – a site dedicated to the decorated moleskine
Flicker Hive Mind collection over on FivePrime.org

Hacks:

A writer’s Moleskine Hacks – Mikes version from 2004, but still quite applicable (and I use the writer’s tools PDFs printed out and glued into my own). Add a package of post-it tabs, brightly colored index cards, a fabulous pen (I highly recommend the Namiki Vanishing Point Raden if it’s in your budget. I swear by mine.) You may prefer to opt for a high quality mechanical pencil, instead. Be sure to tuck an Amazon.com gift card in the pocket to support their reading habit. And dedicate it to the writer on the inside cover. No writer likes to be caught out without a place to capture ideas. IMHO, there’s no better, quicker, easier tool to capture those thoughts on the fly than a properly outfitted pocket-sized, ruled Moleskine notebook. Leather covers are nice too (see below.)

GTD Moleskine Hack for Students – Great gift idea! This How-To printed out with a brand-spanking new Moleskine, a good no-skip pen and a mechanical pencil, a few Post-It tabs, a package of index cards, a large rubber band and an eraser. Add a funky, properly sized sticker and tuck an “emergency $20 bill” in the pocket alongside a prepaid calling card and you have a “to die for” gift that will actually be enjoyed and appreciated.

Accessories:

Want a beautiful, handmade leather case for your favorite notebook? Try Gfeller Casemakers.
Want one that’s got the midas touch, and is made to order? Try Sojourner Leatherwork

To whet your appetite for bitty notebooks:

If you aren’t already a convert, learn more about all things Moleskine over on Moleskinerie. Those of us who are already in love with these little notebooks will wait, we are patient. It’s only a matter of time before you join us in our addiction.

Ubiquity, by definition, means being everywhere (or at least seeming to be everywhere) at once. That’s the dream I’ve tried to fulfill for decades. Now, even though I’m more about “slowing down” and taking life a bit easier — I’m still a stress-monger when I’m online.

When I’m on the web, I always juggle a dozen things (at least) at any given time. So when I find a tool that promises some relief… I’ll take it!

I find that my online workstyle is a bit schizophrenic — I’m so many different people, going in so many different directions. The problem is compounded now that I’m participating in several social networking groups. It’s hard to get all the different versions of me synthesized back into a single entity once my workday is over.

Life seems a bit fractured. Between you and me, carrying an iPhone everywhere doesn’t help, but I won’t eliminate that complication — I’m addicted.

A new Foxfire addon, Ubiquity, promises to whittle away at my problem. And the way it does it — by using standard language commands to do a whole slew of tasks online from inside your browser window — is simply awe-inspiring!

With a shortcut command (the standard is alt-space, but you can set it to anything you like), a grease-monkey overlay pops up and you can use plain language to do what you want. Like… “Twitter I’m testing Ubiquity and am loving it!” and it updates your twitter. Ditto for the steps to update Facebook. Other platforms are probably planned for the future.

I’m still just testing this little gem, but so far, I’m loving it. It’s still under development. It’s free. And, it promises to be just one more reason that I’ll never give up Firefox.

The only thing that I don’t like is that it’s still limited to Google Calendar and Google Mail for the quick launch apps (and I’m using Google Apps which doesn’t play the same way.) Learn more on the Ubiquity Wiki. Then download Ubiquity and try it for yourself!

A whole little Village of Sims on my iPhone!

I’ve been looking and looking at the apps store for JUST what I found last night…

Tiny little sims for my iPhone. Life is almost complete, now.

This appears to be made by the same company who created the earlier, more rudimentary version for my formerly beloved Treo (called Village Sims). The company that created both the older rendition and this new “Virtual Villagers: A New Home” is Last Day of Work. But, in the apps store, the seller is listed as Vivendi Games Mobile, (but it is copyrighted by Big Fish Games of LDW fame.)

When I ordered from LDW before, the customer service was amazing. I really like them as a company.

With this app going through Apple’s app store, I’m not sure how much direct contact I’ll have with the developers — if LDW is in fact the creator of this port. (I may have to drop them a line to inquire and then thank them for creating these cute little guys for my iPhone.)

Coolest new feature? The mini-games you can play to speed up the progress of the itty-bitty people learning new skills.

Biggest frustration? Grabbing them isn’t easy. I have to try multiple times to tap successfully to pick them up and move them where I want them to be. (Hoping this will be fixed in the next update.)

So, if you have been jonesing for some little sims for your iPhone, your wish is granted. And, it’s just one more way iPhone rules the smartphone/gaming/communication realm.

Not that I’m biased, or anything.

(note: Photo taken using the built-in screenshot tool on my iPhone – just hold down the home button and briefly tap the top button. The screenshot will be added to your camera roll automagically!)

iPhone to Thunderbird Sync Client.

I’ve not tried this one myself, since I use Google Apps now, but it looks like someone found an easier way to make this happen than what I’ve seen to date.

Check out the full info page here:

Sync your Thunderbird to your iPhone.

First, let me say that I don’t sew. EVER. I suck at sewing — loudly. So, I accept that this is not one of my talents. I embrace it. Heck, I don’t even sew on buttons when I can help it. (When a button flies off, I consider it a divine indication that I need to donate said item to Goodwill). I know, I know, I’m thrifty in so many ways… this just isn’t one of them.

Secondly, let me admit that I love to see the creations of those who make art with fabric. I admire textile gurus. With that said, I tripped across this today, and thought I’d share.

At this time of the year (one of my favorite holidays) I thought others may be interested in seeing how really awesome costumes (albeit for the stage) are constructed.

It’s amazing how complex life can become. Writing, it seems, is more difficult every day. I love to write, but whenever I sit down to do that (especially creative writing) I find myself torn by the constant dings of this program or flashing notifications of that one.

Sure, I should be more disciplined when I write. I should ignore all that noise. I should be able to just mentally turn it off — but I can’t.

Alternatively, I should be able to physically turn off all the distractions, disable the notifications, log out of all the programs that clamor for my attention before I even begin a serious attempt at writing…

But I won’t. I don’t. It’s too much trouble. Besides, once I’m finished, I’d have to go back and try to remember everything I turned off and flip it all back on. What a hassle. So… I tell myself:

“Maybe it’s just better to wait until things are quiet to write. Now’s not really the best time… later I’ll be more focused…”

And that’s how the writing I really want to do never actually happens.

Now, I have a way to do it all — keep all my techie stuff up and working and have a clean slate to do my writing without distraction. I’ve looked at several of the “blackout” programs that take your stuff off-screen and give you a blank slate for writing.

Most of them look like one of the old computers my father built in the late 70s and early 80s. So, there’s an attractiveness for me to that black background/green text look. It reminds me of the Multi-mate program I used when I was first hired as a reporter at the newspaper in St. Mary’s County, MD.

So, it has some sentimental value and a offers me a reminiscent feel that others may not enjoy.

Today, I tripped across one that was free! And it’s multi-platform. So no matter if you are a Mac user, a Windows buff or a Linux fan — there’s a version for you. You can change some of the colors to fit your own preferences and there’s even a PDF Manual available for those who need to know everything about a program.

This writer’s tool is called JDarkRoom. Check it out for yourself.

It’s not really a word processor. It’s not going to tell you if you have spelling errors or grammatical issues. It’s basically a typewriter — a distraction-free environment for those who take writing seriously and need a place on their computer to slip into the creative “zone” for a few minutes… or a few hours.It delivers your writing in a plain text file that you can then import into a word processor for editing, spellcheck and format tasks.

Personally, I find it terribly alluring. It’s already got a place of honor on my iMac’s Doc. I love it.

Brent Lengal and Mary Beth Warner pose with Alex following their roles as John Proctor and Abigail Williams in the Russell County Production of Arthur Miller's Play "The Crucible"

Alex and I saw a wonderful production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” this afternoon. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. This was Alex’s first community production experience, and I must say she was enthralled.

Russell County’s own Brent Lengal and Mary Beth Warner (playing John Proctor and Abigail Williams) offered to pose for a photo with Alexzandria following the show. (She was thrilled.)

The next event will be the telling of ghost stories on October 23rd.

For more information, you can visit the Star Theatre online or visit in person at: 546 Main Street, Russell Springs, KY 42642 in Russell County, Kentucky.