Ok, my new printer is a nice one. It’s an all-in-one and does everything but serve my lunch. It is a wonder of modern technology… so why do I hate it?

• I have determined that there are some areas where I am exceedingly simple.
• I discovered recently that printing is one of those areas.
• I don’t want any more wiz-bang in my technology than I can properly appreciate — and not a whit less, either.

I love the networking/wireless feature. That’s way cool! But other than that…

I think that the rub here is paying all that extra money for the fancy printer and the expensive multi-part inks all to end up not being able to print a single sheet of black and white text simply, quickly and in a fashion that if it gets a little damp — it won’t run in rivers, which leaves my text MIA.

(What’s with the sounding like a plane on the tarmac revving engines for a full two minutes before the first sheet of printed material finally emerges? I’m an instant gratification gal — I don’t like that.)

So, while I love most of my technology, I long for a compact, inexpensive LASER printer that can meet my needs economically and simply without all the noise, expense and hubbub.

Seriously, is that too much to ask?

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)

If you are working with limited space, you can still enjoy a full featured office. Home office technology and the ability to “go paperless” dramatically reduces the physical space needed to do your work. The first rule in working and living in small spaces is to eliminate everything that isn’t essential and organize everything that is. Aside from that, I’ve assembled the following list of essentials for a well-appointed tiny office.

Low-profile computer

I, of course, love my iMac. But, there are many little computers that don’t sacrifice features or function to enjoy a substantial amount of screen real estate while maintaining a dainty footprint. If you prefer a laptop, your tiny office will love you for it!

Go wireless

The fewer wires you have to string about, the happier you will be. The new bluetooth keyboards and mice won’t even require a dongle if your computer is bluetooth equipped. Printers now come wireless and network ready — without a huge pricetag. Using one printer for all computers in the house simplifies life.

All-in-one data scanner/printer solution

Once a week (if you aren’t a “daily” type) you should empty your inbox, scanning in anything that you need to keep and filing it in a software filing program (or in your own system of nested files). Keep only those items you are legal bound to retain. Scan and file those and discard the rest.

Go for quality

Don’t skimp on the quality of your keyboard, don’t accept a less than perfect height desk, and buy the best, most ergonomically sound desk chair you can afford. Buy a good headset for your computer. In addition to making it easier to utilize the cost-effective VOIP options, it will also keep your conversations a bit more private if you are sharing close-quarters with others.

Save your eyes

Make sure you have excellent general lighting as well as task lighting in your office. Squinting at the screen isn’t a good way to spend your day. If you can manage to position your desk so that you can gaze out a window, you will allow your eyes a much needed “mini-vacation” during the course of each day. A few minutes gazing outside and focusing on items in the distance will prevent eyestrain and headaches.

Desk Accessories – A listing of my personal essentials

• Stapler (and refills)
• Weighted tape dispenser
• Three hole punch
• Mechanical pencil (with extra lead)
• Ink pen (a good quality roller ball or a fountain pen)
• Bar-style or other eraser (Papermate “black pearl” oval erasers are nice)
• Paper clips
• Ruler or a small tape measure
• Highlighter
• Sharpies (Black in medium and fine tips)
• Garbage can
• An inbox and an out box
• Stack of index cards (or a note pad if you prefer)
• Microfiber monitor/screen cleaning cloth

Stationery

• Notecards (preferably customized with your business name or monogram)
• Business cards
• Stamps (save yourself the hassle and buy the “forever” variety)
• Printer Paper
• Standard Envelopes
• Return address labels
• Small notepad or stack of index cards

Data storage

Two thumbdrives (one for work stuff, one for personal items) This eliminates the need for most CDs and DVDs and is a much more earth-friendly way to handle your data. It also conserves your office space.
Two external hard drives (one for onsite backups, one for offsite backup storage)

How to handle sticky and space-hogging items

Software disks and manuals can become cumbersome. First, sort through all the ones you currently have and discard/donate any that are outdated or that you no longer use. For those still in use, store a copy of the disk on your computer and back it up to your external hard drives and store the original copies in a less convenient location.

This will keep your office clear, without risking a loss due to a hard drive crash. It will also make it easier to get a new computer up and running by keeping all your software install info in one central location.

• Have one folder for each type of software disk copy (Utilities, Games, Productivity, Graphic Arts, Music, Video, etc.)
• Use a password program (like KeePassX) to store your software activation numbers, purchase information, etc.
• Keep a folder of ebooks on your computer and label one “Users Manuals” – most disks now come with a PDF version of the manual (and those that don’t usually have a version available online.)

NOTE: Be sure, if you go paperless, that you backup your hard drive no less than once a week and keep that copy offsite (safety rule-of-thumb is 50 miles from your home office). Another option is to use one of the smaller hard drives and place it in your safety deposit box. If you use two drives and rotate them, it will be easy to drop one off and pick up the other any time you are out anyway.

The much touted one laptop per child project is hitting the streets next month. The project can be found online at Laptop.org and features a durable laptop running a Sugar OS. Amazon is featuring a Buy one, get one laptop program and the items were made available for preorder starting yesterday!

They will be shipped on December 16th (just in time for Christmas for a little one in your life — while you give to another little one across the globe!)

Not quite the $100 laptop originally sought, these $199 laptops do meet the other qualifications like low power consumption (10% of normal laptops), built to take abuse and keep working with a rugged exterior, built-in wireless, and a screen that can be viewed in direct sunlight. For more information, you can visit the One Laptop Per Child News site or you can watch a thank you message from an XO recipient.

Donate one and you can say…

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.

Until recently, even if you didn’t have a “network” enabled printer, you could putz around with the thing and get it to work… especially if you have a dedicated server to run it through.

Those days are over.

In the same way that the win-fax modems put the stupid in a periperal, the printers are now relying on the CPU of the host computer to run the things. This means that they need a constant connection with that host computer.

Thus, if you try to “share” it across a network, a whole host of ugly (and hard to troubleshoot) things can occur… like intermittent printing, endless spooling, and serious wait times — I’m talking up to 12 minutes to print a simple .txt file!

So, if you think that a printer you are going to buy now might EVER need to be on a network, do your research carefully and skip on over to Best Buy and New Egg and CNET for the reviews and the ratings (stars for BB, eggs for NewEgg) and read what others say about the products.

Like I just told my “social networking naysayer” father — social networking isn’t just about Twitter and Facebook… it’s about using the collective knowledge to make better choices. (He still resents that I call his time spent on NewEgg as “social networking” time — of course he’s just a lurker, he never actually leaves any reviews of his own.)

I’m wearing him down.

So, save yourself the headaches, stress and frustration — do the research first and don’t assume that the old “tried and true” methods will work. You can’t simply add a printer or even lock it in via TCP/IP or, set it up as a local printer by specifying the IP address and share name of the printer.

Times have changed.

Also, the drivers for Vista are not all created equal. Very few of the lower-end printers have decent drivers for Windows Vista 64-bit machines. (They do well to support standard 32-bit machines).

And before you buy, Google “problems with ________ (insert the model you plan to purchase) with __________ (the operating system(s) you plan to use) on a network.” Then read and be scared… very scared.

That just about does it for my rant’o the day. It’s late.

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?

Wrapping that makes sense

Internet superstore, Amazon recently announced that they were offering recycled “frustration free” packaging for some of their top selling items this holiday season. This is one of the company-wide initiatives to be a bit more eco-sensitive. Aside from being eco-friendly, it also promises to reduce “wrap rage” this season, so we can all rest a bit easier.

Wood is the new metal

I just bought a couple new leather cases for my iPhone (the price was hard to resist — $6.00 for each one, complete with my personalized engraving on the back of each — thrown in for free!) I was feeling pretty good about my purchase until I saw a wooden, laser engraved iPhone case by Miniot out of Holland. Now, you will need to be prepared to pay alot of green to be THIS green with your iPhone… but isn’t it so pretty? I may be salivating over that one for awhile.

Even computers are showing up with wooden chassis — and some of those are easily renewable bamboo rather than hardwood. But a few (like the Asus) are discovering that function has to come before form. Asus had to rescind this bold, green move due to overheating issues. The newer model has just a bit of bamboo trim, and underpowered cpu and an inflated price.

You can also get bamboo keyboards, bamboo monitors and even a bamboo mouse.

Conserve by Comsuming Less

I’ve been watching the independent builders mod out uber-low power tiny boxes that allowed computers to run on itty bits of energy, but the pet project of the uber-geeks has now gone mainstream. Dell has come out with a “hybrid” computer that is low power (70% lower) and low profile for a greener office.

It even has a wooden cover option if you want to LOOK as green as you are. It’s all about recycled… from packaging to the “system recycling kit” for when you are finished with the computer. It’s also just a little larger than a standard external hard drive for easy grab-and-go options. It’s pretty easy on the eyes, too.

Do Your Part:

One of the biggest consumers of energy in your home office is that big, widescreen monitor. It’s nice not to squint, isn’t it? But setting your monitor to go off when not in use and powering down your hard drives and hibernating your computer after just a few moments of inactivity can also add up.

Even something as simple as using Blackle (a dark, energy saving version of Google) as your homepage and yoru primary search page will save quite a bit of energy over Google’s standard bright white page. (They claim over 900,000 watt hours have been saved through its use so far).

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!

I’m hard on computers. I’m always pushing the limits. I replace my hardware every 12-18 months. I have to. Heck, I wear off the letters on my keyboards every 6 months. My family laughs about it and no one ever wants my “used” keyboards.

I was sick and tired of rebuilding my system. I went to Linux to avoid the rebuild of XP that happened every 6-12 months, when the OS went from “speedy” to “getting slower” to “crawling.”

The only cure was to wipe the hard drive and reinstall the OS. This process rendered me unable to earn a living (or sleep) for 2-3 days while I tried to pull everything back. It’s not like I wanted to rebuild my machine so often. I didn’t. It made me crazy.

The Move to Linux

With Linux, it was easier. Once you got it working, it usually stayed that way. And, if there was a problem, you could reload the OS and pull your data back in pretty easily. The only problem was when I started poking around in Terminal, sometimes a “tiny” change would hose my whole system.

After spending weeks “tricking out” my Linux box and making it function flawlessly to do what I needed, I took extra time to make it pretty. I like pretty.

Form IS Function!

My father fusses that I spend too much time customizing. We share technology “finds” and argue about computers/software/hardware a lot. It’s our “thing.” For him, computers are a hobby. For me, they are also a tool to get my work done. Sometimes I confuse the “hobby” portion of my work with the “income producing” portion and this causes me headaches.

My Dad swore I’d like Linux better if I’d go with the standard look and feel – and just regen in minutes (unlike Windows) if it started acting flaky.

That would certainly take less time for a new set-up, but I liked having a witch hat for my personal files, a hard drive with a lock icon for my data backups, a globe for my Internet, etc.

I like pretty — but I also like efficient. It takes me less time to glance for a visual clue and click than to read through a list of generic folders with the contents listed in text on at the bottom. As many times a day as I clicked each one, this is a substantial time savings.

Two monitors are better than one

I always worked better with two monitors in Windows, but I had real problems getting two monitors to work with Linux. I decided to fix it by going and buying two identical monitors – so there were no conflicting driver issues.  I didn’t care how much it cost anymore, I was tired of poking at my machine. I wanted it to work.

I was lured over to the Apple display at my local Best Buy by the huge monitor on the back wall. It just happened. Honest! The monitors were so pretty and BIG. I wiggled the mouse on one machine and what popped up made my eyes go wide!

Then I got angry.

The layout on the iMac was amazingly close to what I’d spent days building on my Linux box. And, I’d never touched a Mac. Not EVER.  I left in a huff, without my two new monitors.

Sacrifice or simplification?

In recent months, I’ve tried lots of paths to simplify my life, many of which only complicated things. I didn’t need a new computer, but I did need to get a better display. I did need something that would work for all the windows I keep open. I liked the multiple desktops of Linux, but I needed more real estate on my monitor.

My father suggested that I ditch the idea of two monitors and buy a single large widescreen. He spouted off the math on how I would gain by having a 24″ widescreen instead of two of the 19” square variety. He won. I decided to buy a single large monitor.

I went back to Best Buy. I saw the iMac again. It had a 24” widescreen monitor, and the iMac had the rest of the computer built into the back of this flat screen. It was fascinating. It also had one cord. ONE. “No more rat nests of cords trailing down the back of my desk,” I thought. It had pretty lines, it was sleek. And, if it was as enchanting on my desk as the iPhone had been in my pocket… I’d be in heaven.

I looked at the Mac Pro Box. It had more cords, I could get into that box and change things… then I realized that was not a good thing.

I returned my gaze to the iMac. I wouldn’t take it apart, because there was no upgrade – other than maybe a little RAM in the future.

I was tired of having my weekends sucked away by a computer hardware or software upgrade/crash issue. If I were really planning to focus on writing and online work, a Mac would serve as well as Linux or Windows, right? Maybe better, since it wouldn’t derail me from from my main focus to go on some hardware/software tangent.

Learning about the Mac

I had done a bit of research on the OS after my first encounter. (Late at night, so no one would catch me at it. I even cruised the computer section of the Apple site. Shhhh!)

OS X is Unix based, like Linux, only with a slicker interface and it comes “ready to plug and play.” This was becoming more appealing to me by the second.

I talked to some folks that had Macs. I ignored those who had never used a PC – those who spouted the same hatred about PCs I’d blindly spouted about Macs. I did pay particular attention to those who knew a little about Linux and who had been PC aficionados before going to the Mac. I kept hearing, “It’s bulletproof.” I kept hearing, “There’s no maintenance.”

I started to want one.

I finally decided that if I was going to buy a new monitor, I’d have to rebuild my Linux box. It’s one of those things about Linux, video stuff is tricky. And, if I had to spend the time to rebuild a Linux box, I could probably use that same amount of time to learn a new OS. A Mac OS. I justified my desires.

And that’s how I ended up buying a new iMac.

Travels with Mia

I’ve always named my computers (and my cars). They have usually been male gendered. My iMac, Mia, is a little different. Still just as strong under the hood, she’s a bit more concerned about her appearance. (She likes being pretty.) There’s room on my simple desk for more than just a computer… and there’s room under my desk for my feet! I don’t get tangled up in cords every time I try to plug or unplug something.

I’ve had her almost a month now and I’ve never regretted it. Not once. My father quit speaking to me for awhile and threatened, “Don’t say ‘Mac’ at me anymore!” But, aside from that, there have been no issues.

Having a Linux box made high-end tweaks in Mia’s Terminal much easier than they would have been if I’d only had PC experience — but most users would never even need (or want) that. I find that the tech community online for the Mac OS is strong and helpful like the Linux community. There’s even some crossover.

The time machine function does automatic backups – I really like that. Mia works beautifully with my iPhone and external drives (although I did have to reformat them initially). And the biggest payoff? I’ve had more time to handle the other areas of my business and my life that needed an overhaul.

These days, it’s more about the big picture and less about spending countless hours with the gritty little details in my life. The more “grit” I eliminate, the more clearly I can see my life and my business.

Of course, Mia’s nice big screen only improves the view.

While putting the polishing touches on my brand new website, I played with the cool wordcloud tool over at Wordle.net. If you want a “search engine” view of your website, with a little more organization and a lot more visual appeal, go make a wordle of your own.

Wordle's Word Cloud for WickedWriter.com

I had such high hopes for Apple’s “cloud.” I believed (I really did) that it would be the answer to my mobile dreams. For years I’ve searched for a way to get what I need quickly and easily from anywhere. I’ve tried sync programs, I’ve tried web apps. I’ve used a laptop, a Treo (or two or three), a Tablet PC, and now an iPhone.

I’m so in love with my iPhone, I just assumed MobileMe would be another fantastic product from the mind of Apple. I’m glad Newton wasn’t under the tree when this Apple product fell. History may have been quite different.

I don’t want to use Outlook and although I’ve been seriously considering buying an iMac, I’ve not done so yet (despite the rather suspicious “second chance” offer on that one eBay iMac that I nearly won). Mobile Me won’t let me upload my information from Google. Nope, I can’t upload my calendar, not even in iCal format. I have to Sync it. That means I’d have to either load up Outlook on my computer again (ain’t happenin’) or hand enter all the calendar items (that’s probably not going to happen either.)

I love Gmail as a “cloud” app — the search ability is obviously without competition, the spam filters and the ability to avoid viruses and not have to maintain alot of extra CPU-devouring programs on my system is made possible by Gmail. I adore using Gmail with only a few caveats (notably the “sent of behalf of” addressee information) and I think using Google Apps may address those. I’ll know soon.

I want to keep Gmail. Does the Apple email program have the same quality of spam filtering, virus protection and search? Doubt it.

But I can’t upload my email to MobileMe from Gmail either. If there’s a way, it’s some convoluted backward, third-party app sort of methodology. I’m no longer interested in finding a difficult way to get things done. Nor am I willing to change the way I do business to facilitate the use of certain technology. I’ve done that for years. It’s over.

So, the simplicity that is the beauty of the iPhone is completely lost on MobileMe. Suddenly I don’t really want to be “mobile-me” I think I want to be “mobile-somebody-else” — somebody who has an easier way to make the cloud, the iPhone, and the computer play nicely.

Aside from the lack of functionality it’s SLOOOOOWWWW. I mean creeping. Like molasses in January… outside… during a particularly cold snap… in Vermont. It’s THAT slow. And, it throws errors after making you wait.

I’m going to give it a full 30 days out of my 60 day trial period before making a final decision. I hope I’ll be eating crow… Maybe there will be enough of an uproar from people like me that they will add some real-world functionality to the product… but somehow I doubt it.

I had hoped MobileMe would be my “IT” app. It isn’t.

I have seen the future (today, on YouTube) and the future is now! Go and watch the CBS news segment on the medical clinical trials for regenerating human tissue, organs and even limbs!

It’s really cool, but rather scary. If we can do this, then how long before we reduce/eliminate mortality? Speaking as a middle aged person (Gosh, that’s hard to say!), who is in no hurry to grow old and die, I’m not sure that eliminating mortality and morbidity is a good thing. I believe that mortality and the knowledge that life is short is what makes us human — what makes us either noble or despicable as individuals.

Removing that may well remove other aspects of our being that we don’t even know are in peril. I don’t know where I fall on this issue (not that my opinion could possibly alter the direction this technology is taking), but I do know it will give me something to contemplate for quite some time.

I’m loving Pandora. I really am. I like “discovering” new music that comes pre-matched to my musical tastes. It never gets old and there’s always some new artist, style or song to enjoy. If you haven’t tried it yet… go … do it. Now.

I have also found a literary version of the same “database analysis approach” to recommending new things to try, it’s called WhatShouldIReadNext.com. So if you want to get some qualified recommendations for your next book, give it a whirl.

Once you find the book you want to read, why not read it in the same way NetFlix lovers watch movies? Check out BookSwim, it’s the NetFlix of books. If you prefer to read your book recommendations online, why not try DailyLit – and read the books you want in “bitesized” pieces via email or RSS. That way, you can read it on your cell phone/smartphone as easily as on your computer monitor. (Try on one of the free titles for size before committing to buy.)

I love iFrogz cases… love them so much that I’ve purchased them for myself and for other members of my family. My daughter loves her purple metal one. I only wish I’d been able to do so while they were on sale like this!

If you haven’t checked them out, visit iFrogz today for some of the coolest silicone and leather cases around. You can also find the metrobag (gee, I just LOVE bags) and some other accessories, like an uber-small (and bright green) compact speaker (it looks like a tiny yo-yo) that will work on any MP3 player you may have. And 40% off is always nice (but it only lasts until Wednesday).

I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on. — Beryl Pfizer

My perfect OneNote replacement will go above and beyond. It will:

Launch almost immediately – When I have a thought, an epiphany, a note, a grabbed reference from the web, a blog idea or a quote worthy of saving… I don’t want my creativity and my flow interrupted by having to wait for an application to launch.

Require Few System Resources - It would be nice if I could automatically launch my “everything” PIM on boot – and if it would sit quietly in the background (and in my systray) without sucking up all my CPU and await my commands.

Be Easy to Backup and Transport – It should backup quickly and easily on a thumbdrive and be able to be used on any computer anywhere.

Offer Web Access - It should allow me to install it or access it from my web server so I can “carry” it with me on my iPhone. It should be password protected and secure.

Be Open Source – Of course I’d want to be able to use it on my current Windows OS and on my upcoming Linux machine.

If anyone has found this type of program — without it being horribly complex — please let me know. In the meantime, I’ve downloaded and am testing Chandler to see if it will fit the bill.

(Note: Hats off to Matt’s Idea Blog for sharing the poignant quote!)

Ok, I don’t know about you, but I think this is just creepy. I like my technology, but this brings to light all my upbringing during the age of Battlestar G and Terminator movies: Nexi on YouTube

I’m seriously considering moving from Kubuntu to Ubuntu. If I do so, I’ll want to use Evolution to handle my email and to serve as my PIM. Before I make that move, I wanted to try Evolution on Kubuntu.

First snag? Getting my email moved over.

I have all my essential information under a data storage file folder on my home folder — so I always know where my most important data is stored. This means when I set up a new system (or do a re-gen of a current OS) I point my programs to where the data is always stored so I don’t have to “hunt and peck” to find my mission critical info. I also don’t have to spend an afternoon Googling “where does ______ store ______” over and over again.

Since I’m just testing the Evolution, I made sure that the accounts I set up were marked to leave the email on the server — that way they will all still “land” in the Kontact system, until I make a decision.

To move my current email files from Kontact to Evolution, I took the following steps:

1. Copied my Kontact emails into a new folder (so I didn’t hose my current emails accidentally).
2. Created a new account in Evolution:
   1. Go to Edit, Preferences, Mail Accounts (and hit the plus sign to the right).
   2. Add in bogus information, calling the account “import”
   3. Select server type “Maildir-format mail directories”
   4. Under configuration, select other and add a path that leads to the top-most folder copied from your Kontact (called ‘mail’ unless you renamed it)
   5. Be sure this isn’t your actual Kontact data, but is a copy.
   6. Add in bogus information to complete the account.
   7. Open up the “import” account and all your emails should be present.
3. Move the emails (and folders) into your actual email account on Evolution.
4. Once all the emails are moved over, delete the “import” account.

Hope this makes it easier to move over and give Evolution a try, if you have been using Kontact. I’d love to hear the pros and cons of this move from others who have (or are) making the move.

I was reading about the latest type of mobile processor by Intel today and the writer, a Brian Caulfiled, wrote one of the funniest comparisons I’ve seen in awhile:

“An atom-powered device sounds powerful, even if one might hesitate to crack it open. By contrast, the Celeron sounded like a speedy vegetable.”

It’s been a long day, and maybe I’m just punchy, but I loved it!

(Note: Mr. Celery photo from BlueRocks.com.)

So, if I were to be independently wealthy … and if I were willing to wait until the second half of 2008 to get it … would this new surround-video, curved monitor from Alienware be configurable for a Linux system?

Go salivate for yourself here: http://video.techrepublic.com.com/2422-13791_11-183969.html