Category: advice

If you are having problems charging your fitbit flex, consider this fix

If you plug your fitbit into your charging cable and then into your computer, lights should start pulsing.  (See here for details.) If they don’t start pulsing, then your fitbit will not take the charge. How can you fix this?

Take a look at the three very small circles at the bottom of your fitbit. They should be a shiny copper colour if they are clean, and they need to be clean in order to take the charge. Ideally they should always stay clean, but it is easy for them to get dirty since they are so close to your skin.

To clean them, you need a very gentle abrasive to clean them. What worked for me was taking the end of a paper clip and very gently scraping the circle until I could see the shiny copper again. Then I plugged it back into the charging cable that was attached to my computer and the lights started pulsing.

Note! If you are the least bit concerned about breaking your fitbit by doing this, then do not do this. Instead, take it back to where you purchased it and see if they can help you. You are responsible for your own fitbit.  That said, this worked for me and my fitbit worked fine afterwards.

10 ways to get more out of another great tool, Evernote

Yesterday was about ifttt. Today it is all about another great tool I highly depend on: Evernote. Evernote has become my go to tool for capturing information. (Bonus: it works great with ifttt). There are many great ways of using Evernote. If you are using it or planning to, here are at 10 for starters: 10 Tips On How to Use Evernote To Its Fullest « The Solopreneur Life®.

Please share any other tips you have. I find the one key tip I have for users of Evernote is this: the more you use it, the better it gets.

 

ifttt 101. Yes, you need to take this course. It will change your life.


Of all the things on the Internet, ifttt is one of my favorites. It could be yours too. Simply, it is a way to take two of your favorite things on the Internet and combine them into something even better.

First, to learn more about it, go here: How to Supercharge All Your Favorite Webapps with ifttt.

Second, once you read that, go to the site and browse the recipes. Or try and create your own: it isn’t hard.

I especially encourage it for anyone trying to update several forms of social media at the same time. You can link Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, Tumblr, Google, Blogger…you name it. With some practice, you will find recipes that help you keep all your social media in sync and working automatically.

I also encourage people who are interested in the Internet of Things. Or people who want to supercharge their phone. Or…well, just browse the recipes and you’ll likely see one that makes things easier for you.

4 p.m. recipe(s): some good meals to make this autumn and winter (soups, salads, and rice)

I was going through my list of recipes I have been collecting, and rather than trickle them out, here are four worth trying this autumn and winter (all via Chatelaine.com):

P.S. I am a fan of recipes from Chatelaine: they are well tested, nutritious and healthy. The recipes aren’t boring, but they are easy to make and it is easy to find ingredients, even if you don’t live in a big city.

You want to take better photos with your digital camera? Henri Cartier-Bresson has 10 tips for you

Ok, it’s not advice directly from the Master. However, the author of this piece, 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography, has distilled 10 lessons from Cartier-Bresson’s photography that easily applies to digital photography. Anyone looking to take better digital pictures can benefit from this lessons, especially the last one:

 Always strive for more

You wouldn’t go to work drunk: why are you going to work tired?

I ask that because as you can see from these charts, in terms of impairment, there is not much difference from showing up for work tired and showing up for work drunk:

Weirdly, if you do show up tired from overwork, you may be praised: if you show up drunk, you may be fired.

Regardless, to do good work, you need to sleep. (I know, I should practice what I preach.)

Julia Kirby in HBR has more on this in this piece: Change the World and Get to Bed by 10:00. You’ll be convinced to go to bed earlier by the time you finish it.

The trick of caramelized onions

Caramelized onions are a great thing to have: many basic dishes can be enhanced by adding these golden beauties. Sound good? If so, consider this:  Why recipe writers lie and lie about how long they take to caramelize onions.
 I recommend you read this before you try to make caramelized onions, otherwise you might wonder why the burned/undercooked ones you just whipped up don’t have the appeal you expected.

Stuck for a recipe to use them with? Consider this egg dish recipe from Martha Stewart: Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola Quiche Recipe or this pasta recipe from:  A CUP OF JO: Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola.

The Economist (and yours truly) on why you want to update your LinkedIn profile

If you think LinkedIn is a waste of time and something no one uses, think again. For starters, check out this chart:

More and more companies and people are using LinkedIn.

You might counter: I have never heard of anyone getting a job on LinkedIn. To that I say that people are losing jobs to LinkedIn, in that HR and others are using LinkedIn as a screening process. Good use of LinkedIn might not get you a job, but poor use of LinkedIn might lose you a job.

I’d add that lots of recruiters use LinkedIn, more than you think. The better your profile, the better chance you have to get linked in with someone with a new and better job for you.

Lastly, LinkedIn is becoming a longer and better version of a resume. Just like you should have an up to date version of that, you should have an up to date version of your career highlights on LinkedIn.

For more on this topic, and to see where I got the chart, go to The Economist’s excellent tumblr

Some thoughts on ebola and the measles

There’s been so much written and spoken about ebola in the recent hysteria concerning it that I hesitate to add to the noise. Instead, what I want to do is highlight another disease: the measles. I want to highlight this one because it is a disease that there is little hysteria associated with it. If anything, people sometimes think it is a right of passage, like acne or puberty.

Now look at this simulation: How quickly Ebola spreads compared to other diseases – Washington Post.

The measles may not be as deadly as ebola, but as a disease it spreads faster and is deadlier than anything else, save ebola and smallpox. Despite that, more and more there are people not immunizing against it.  To me, that is stupid and irresponsible.

People who aren’t vaccinated or whose children are not vaccinated against the measles (and other diseases on that list with vaccines) should get vaccinated.

More evidence – in case you needed it – that many great things take time

The overnight success idea is one that refuses to die, regardless of how much evidence there is that great things take along time to accomplish. If you needed a reminder of this, then consider this: In Praise of Slow Mastery: 10 Great Achievements That Took Time – 99U.

Even as things get faster, it remains true that to accomplish great things you need time. Here’s to you on the great things you are on your way to achieving.

Are you travelling for work? Listen to Austin Kleon and travel smart

You may not being going on a book tour, but if you are travelling for work, you can steal these ideas from Austin Kleon (Austin Kleon : 10 Things I Learned On Book Tour) and have a much better trip.

Ideas I stole on a recent trip:

  1. Invest in good gear. I had my carry on well packed, and it fit nicely above my head. It made my 2.5 hour flight a breeze to get through. Plus I had everything I need, meaning no need to scramble at my destination looking for things (time you usually won’t have, anyway).
  2. Wear a uniform. I do this now on all trips. You look presentable, you look good in photos (if you take selfies), and you don’t have to pack as much.
  3. When in doubt, go to an art museum. I was in Tampa, and I found out where their museum was and visited. Not only is it a great museum, but they had on two good shows. Bonus: the area around the museum was excellent in itself.

His entire list is worthwhile. If you are travelling soon on business, you will benefit from reading him first.

P.S. Photo from a link to his blog. Go read his blog. Better still, buy his books.

Making walls better with moulding


While you can do interesting things with paint or wall paper to your walls, another idea is to use simple moulding to break up boring walls. The woman featured in this post, Charlotte’s Budget Beauty — House Call | Apartment Therapy, has  it throughout her place, and I think it looks great.

Want more ideas on how to do that? Here you go 🙂  http://lmgtfy.com/?q=add+moulding+to+walls

Helpful advice in preparing for dealing with the death of a parent

If you are fortunate, your parents are living and you have a good relationship with them. The dreaded day will come, though, when they die. It will be hard to deal with, no matter what advice you get, but this piece of advice will certainly help: Things I Wish I Had Known When My Mother Died :: YummyMummyClub.ca.

I would add: expect to deal with a lot of administrative tasks that will seem surreal at times. There is much more of it then you think. At best it will seem bizarre. At worst, it will be agony. Either way, it must get done, and if you don’t think you will be able to do it, consider who you would lean on to help you with it when the time comes.

(Thanks to Emma W for the pointer to this.)

For people with big todo lists and/or like to draw on walls

I give you this:

I really like this idea, but then I am an IT architect and we like to stand up and draw on walls (ok, whiteboards). A whiteboard would also work, but if you have kids, there may be times when you want to save anything they did. Or never mind kids: maybe your own doodle was keep sake worthy.

By the way, you can get such paper dispensers at IKEA. Most people mount them on a table, but clearly the wall is an option too.

Wall-Mounted Kraft Paper Roll Dispenser – Design Milk.

If you think being vegan will limit you in your attemps to build muscle and compete in sports…

Then you need read this article. If that doesn’t convince you, then head on over to this site to see just how great you can get on a vegan diet.

If anything, being vegan may help you, depending on your current diet and other factors that may be limiting your ability to improve.

Some of the best things in Paris are free


And the Guardian has a list of them.  If you are going to Paris, take a quick peek and take notes. Yes, many you may have heard of, as I had. One I hadn’t is pictured above and is relatively new:

Opened in 1993, six years before New York’s similar High Line project, La Promenade Plantee is a tree-lined walkway on an old elevated railway line in east Paris. The 4.5km trail is a wonderful way to explore the city, taking you up and down staircases, across viaducts, above the streets and offering the occasional chance to wave back at the lucky Parisians whose apartments overlook it. The walkway also runs over the Viaduc des Arts, a bridge in which the arches are now occupied by galleries.

• 12th arrondissemen, promenade-plantee.org

For more from the list, see 10 best free things to do in Paris | Travel | theguardian.com.

Bonus: here’s a piece from the Globe and Mail how to eat like a Parisian. Since you’ll be enjoying all these free things in Paris, you’ll have more money for food.

Are you trying to learn to code? Are you finding it difficult?

It’s likely not you. As this piece argues, Learnable Programming, there are limits to the approaches that online sites have which many can get by, but some cannot. If you are in the latter group, give this piece a read. Afterwards you might think: aha! That’s why I couldn’t get it!

With technology, if you don’t understand something, don’t assume the problem lies with you. It may, but most of the time, the problem lies with the technology.

It’s Tuesday. You need some inspiration

If you are following this blog, yesterday you fixed up your (Windows) machine. You got a new todo list. Excellent. Now, perhaps, you need something inspiring for your desktop wallpaper.

If you agree, check out these wallpapers from Design Milk. There should be one to appeal to you, regardless of whether or not you are a designer.

The best todo list ever? Certainly the simplest. Likely the one you need.

By now you’ve had a chance to go over the things you need to do this week. Quite possibly it is looking overwhelming. Even though you are working hard, you don’t feel like you are accomplishing things. If so, try stepping back, take a minute, and read this: If you do this and only this, today will be a good day.

It really is a good way to approach your day. (And yes, it’s fine if you do more than one thing.)

It’s Monday. Your Windows computer sucks. Here’s how to make it less sucky!

First, take this list: 25 tricks to make working with Windows faster, better and more fun.

Second, apply as many as you can. Even if you aren’t technically savvy or comfortable with changing things, look through the long list and find some you are comfortable with and apply them.

Third, ask for help with the ones you can’t do (either because you aren’t comfortable or their are restrictions regarding what you can change on your computer).

There! Your computer is better and less sucky already. And a less sucky computer means a less sucky work week.

Good luck! Thank me later! 🙂 Also thank ITBusiness, which is where I found it.

Are you dreading going to work tomorrow? Maybe the problem is your work location


There are lots of reasons to dread going to work, from the work itself to the commute to and from. While I can’t help you with all of that, if you live in Toronto and you have flexible working locations, I highly recommend this list from blogTO: The top 10 places to work or study in Toronto. (If you don’t live in Toronto, check it out for ideas and then look for similar places in your city.)

If you find yourself cooped up in your home or from force of habit going to the same ole same ole coffee shop, go through that list and aim to work at different spots. Working at a new and better spot should help alleviate some of that negative feeling you have towards your workday.

P.S. One place not on this top 10 list is the Toronto Reference Library (seen in the photo). It’s a great spot to work from. I like the top floors with great views overlooking the city. Also free wifi. Did I mention Balzac’s coffee shop on the ground floor? All the things you need to be productive in a good setting.

Beautifying the dreadful rental closet door

If you live in a high rise apartment, you likely have big sliding doors hiding clothes in your closet. It’s bland at best. (That’s being kind.) If you want to tackle this and make it into something more attactive, then go here and steal some ideas: 5 DIY Ways to Upgrade Rental Closet Doors — Renters Solutions | Apartment Therapy.

By the way, I highly recommend Apartment Therapy and Renters Solutions for people in apartments that want to make the space look more attactive. It can be done! 🙂

Marketers! Here’s a way to get extremely valuable ad space for next to nothing

How? Use this idea from this great food blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. What Caroline Mignot has done is create attractive monthly calendars for people to use as their desktop background.

Think about this: what is the one thing people stare at up to 40 hours a week or longer? That’s right: their computer! Most people have not so great backgrounds. Make them an attractive one with some message you want to communicate and you will have them thinking about it all the time.

Thinking and thinking better about scarcity (time, money, love, etc.)

We all suffer from scarcity. If you are poor, this is a given. But there are other types of scarcity too, including scarcity of time and even scarcity of affection. Regardless of the form it comes in, it affects you in ways you might not expect and prevents you from making the better choices. This book, Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, explorers scarcity from all these angles, and it made me realize the effect scarcity has on me. People think they can rationalize in the face of scarcity, but as the authors argue, it is much harder to do than we think. I highly recommend it. (It comes across as a book in the business book genre, but it is much better than that.)

Part of the problem resulting from dealing with scarcity is that we adopt a scarcity mindset. I do that sometimes, either by choice or out of ignorance. (e.g. “You mean I have many choices? I thought I had only one choice?” If you ask yourself questions like that, you may have a scarcity mindset.) It would help if there were ways to dealing with this.

One way of dealing with it is in this article: From the Scarcity Mindset to the Abundance Mindset at The Simple Dollar. It gives you some ways to avoid the scarcity mindset and move towards a mindset of abundance. Try the article: you’ll be surprised, I believe, just how often you assume a mindset of scarcity. You will also have to work at having a mindset of abundance, but it is worth the effort.

Finally, I don’t mean to trivialize people’s real needs and lack of resources they have to fill them. I do think we often make matters worse because of the way we think about what we have and what we could have. This book and this article can help with this.

You can get the book from book sellers like indigo.ca.

How to give a great — exceptionally great — presentation?

Follow the steps that Marc Ensign outlines here: The Tale of Inspiration, Perspiration, Preparation and Celebration.

I am convinced that people who give a great presentation do it because they put this much into the presentation. For people who give so-so to good presentations, including myself, you likely just manage to get it done. For people who give great presentations, they do all the things that Marc outlines here.

If you are wondering is it worth it, I can say that it is. I have given a small number of really good presentations, and every time I have, they were good because I went through a process similar to Marc’s. What strikes me is that years later, I am still happy and proud to think of those talks that I gave.  That’s what makes me think it’s worth  doing all of the things that Marc talks about.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this advice and Marc’s piece. Bonus: he’s funny.

Add colour to your room: no paint required

While there are lots of great rooms that consist only of neutrals, I think every room benefits from bright colours. If you can’t paint your walls — and many people who rent cannot do that — there are ways to get around that, as this article shows: Put Down the Paintbrush: 10 Ways to Add Color Without Painting — Renters Solutions | Apartment Therapy. Some require more require more work than others. Others, like in the photo above, just require some a book shelf, coloured paper and adhesive. (If you are stuck for coloured paper, go to a place that sells sheets of wrapping paper.)

Sofas online and on sale

Shopping for sofas is a pain, I think. But I was looking into them and came across this: Bargain Alert! 10 Stylish Sofas on Sale Now at Apartment Therapy. The prices are good, the styles are varied and should appeal to many, and best of all, many of the places featued deliver.

If you are in the market for a sofa, check it out.

(The sofa above is Fog Kendall Sofa from World Market; was $699, now $549.)

 

Why Laurie Penny writes may also be good reasons for you to write

In the Overland literary journal, Laurie Penny has a long and interesting essay on why she writes. For anyone who is thinking of writing more and writing publicly, I highly recommend it.

Have reservations about writing? Her piece should persuade you to give them up and get down to the business of putting your thoughts and words out there for others to read.

Do it!

Thinking of painting one wall in your house a different colour? Before you do, consider this

Not for everyone of course, but this article shows you a novel way of turning a good idea – painting one wall of a room a different colour to make the room more interesting – and going one step further. The result is something like this:

If you are still interested, see Before & After: Maura’s $13 DIY Wall Art! | Apartment Therapy. Get the lamp, too.

Changes and life improvements should not just be for the first of January

You can start life changes any time. These may be aimed on people making New Year resolutions, but you can resolve to change right after you read this.

Good luck.

Are you planning to move to a small space? You need this list

Over at A CUP OF JO is “15 Genius Tips for Living in Small Spaces” that really are worth a read if you live in or plan to move to a small apartment or condo or dorm. It’s advice taken from a couple that live in a 250 square foot place, and they practice what they advise. 250 square feet is very small, as you can see:

And yet it looks like a beautiful space. Take a look.

Phishing alert! Look for emails with the subject: Your iCloud Account Invalid Address #fb

This phishing attack is really good. Other than text like “we regret to announce” and a misspelling of “Apple”, most of the phrasing is well done and it all looks very official. Of course they sent it to my wrong email address, so that was another sign it was a phishing email. Most of the links are valid, too, except one that points to myioscare.uk. So yeah, beware. Here’s the text of the email:

Apple ID – <my email address at work>, (19 – September – 2014)

This notice is to therefore to inform you we regret to announce you that your Apple/iCloud Account (<my email address at work>) has been temporarily frozen until we can verify your iCloud Account details. This security measure to protect your Apple Account from unauthorized usage. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
You will be unable to access Apple sync/backup or the iTunes/App Store & Apps Store until you update your Apple/iCloud Account details on file, we urge you to complete validation as soon as you can. Failure to update your account details within a 74 hours can result in deletion of your Apple/iCloud Account to protect our system.

How can I validate my Apple Account and restore my iCloud/Apple ID?
Just proceed to the highlighted link below to verify ownership of your Apple ID. Log-in in using your Appe/iCloud login and password, then read the instructions.

> Validate My Apple/iCloud Account

While using Apple products and apps, you’ll still sign in with your primary e-mail address as your Apple account.

If you have queries and want support, please visit the Apple Account Care site.

Regards,
Apple/iCloud Europe
Case Validation Request: #UJ13HA41317-EU11

Do you have Chromecast? Then you want 5by

Chromecast is great for putting YouTube videos on your big screen TV. The problem for me, though, is finding good videos to watch: I want to spend less time searching and more time relaxing. 5by.com answers that problem by providing you videos picked by them around themes. I have just started with it, but it looks good (in more ways than one).

For more information, see Video Concierge.

Why I am backing the ‘1984’ Stealth Fashion for the Under-Surveillance Society by Zoltan Csaki on Kickstarter

Here are my reasons for (and why you might want to as well):

  • To reduce abuse of access to your data: There are more and more stories of organizations, government and other, using and abusing data given off from your cell phone (e.g. this story on location based marketing in Toronto being just one).  This product can help put a stop to that.
  • To increase the amount of control I have: I may not have an issue with others using this data and there may be times when I think there is a benefit to me to have this data accessible. Generally I don’t, but I like the option. This product helps with that.
  • To encourage more people to make such products: if this campaign is successful, I hope to see more businesses attempting similar but different and possibly better products, which is a benefit to me and people like me who values their privacy.

Reasons against:

  • it’s not foolproof. By that, I mean anyone with enough motivation could still use the data you inevitably will give off when you are using your phone to extrapolate things about you. As well, there are other ways you can be tracked (E.g., abusive apps).

In my case, I think the reasons for outweigh the reasons against, and that is why I have pledged to this Kickstarter campaign . I would encourage you to pledge as well.

Here’s a link to it: ‘1984’ Stealth Fashion for the Under-Surveillance Society by Zoltan Csaki — Kickstarter.