Continuing the discussion from 2015 classes and workshops:
What is your tool chain for Life and Productivity.
What Tools/Software do you use and why do you use them?
What is your everyday carry?
It will take me a while to reply properly as I invest a lot of time into this stuff. I will later on tonight
Lastpass + catch all domain + google apps + gmail
I use a catch all domain that will accept any emails that are sent to anything @ funvill.com. For example: bestbuy@funvill.com, VHS@funvill.com, IHateRogers@funvill.com all redirect to the same address.
This address is handled by goggle apps and gmail that filters out most of the spam. This also allows me to give specific email address to people and companies I donāt trust with my good email address. (I am SexyBunny69@funvill.com) When I find that an email address is getting spammed or I donāt want to talk to that untrustworthy person again, I block that specific email address.
I also use lastpass as a password database. This lets me use a unique, long, auto generated password for every website that forces me to create an account.
Effectively what this allows me to do is every on-line service I have a unique email associated with it and unique auto generated password. When a site gets computerised, it doesnāt affect any of the other sites because they are all unique.
I try to keep the things that I carry with my to a minimal.
Phone - Nexus 5 with an encrypted disk.
Evernote - Note taking, audio recording, pictures, OCR, a record of everything. See note about Evernote below.
Car2go, - Car sharing. I use this 3-5 times a week. This means that I donāt have to pay for gas, pay for insurance, or parking or car payments. If I need a truck I rent one. I spend about $75 a month on Car2go.
Authenticator - I actively select services that support two-factor authentication. I use this app daily 5-6 times a day.
Lastpass - Password database. Every service that I have to sign up for uses a different password and email address via a catch all domain. (Paid service)
Rdio - Music streaming service with local catching option. (Paid service)
Moves-app - Quantified self, step tracker and location service. Great API that yo can download all your data from.
FourSquare aka swarm - Quantified self, and social location check-in service.
OSMand - Open source, offline maps that work in countries that donāt like google maps like china or where I donāt have cell coverage.
GPS status - Keeps track of what apps are using the GPS, lets me fake my GPS location, and other location based tools.
Google hangout - All my servers, applications, FTTT, and robots talk to me via google hangout. They send me messages and I send them commands via google hangout. Its my preferred communication tools.
Slack, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social sites. because I have too.
Keys - I have one key. My work is the only location that does not have a digital lock that I visit regularly. I hate keys.
MOMENTUM Sennheiser - Good all-round in-ear headphones with mic and remote.
Wallet - Mighty wallet. DuPontā¢ TyvekĀ® fabric, rip proof, seamless, water proof, stylish, Super thin, Anything can be printed on the cover. I have several of these and I have been completely happy with them.
Expanded carry
My hacking bag, This is what I take to the hackspace, or coffee shops or hackathons, conferences. Everything stays in this backpack.
Evernote. Havenāt quite drank the coolaid, but slowly moving that way.
Google Inbox. Email as todo.
Google Drive, Calendar, apps, etc.
Also a sublime text fan.
Same approach for catch all emails as @funvill
EDC:
Expanded:
I donāt know if the lack of posts = lack of interest but Iād be interested in a LifeHack session. I have had EverNote for years, but never used it. For myself, I need to see a demo from someone using it as broadly as @funvill - so a VHS show-and-tell would be much appreciated. (including some of the other s/w items you mentioned)
I think one problem with Evernote is āmetaphor shearā - by referring to ānotebooksā my brain immediately conceives of using it one way. Iāve been looking at a few online articles, and will try out some things on my own.
But Iām a +1 for some kind of LifeHack get-together, if others are into it.
Iād definitely be down for that. I seriously need more organization in my life.
Iād be interested with that. Managing Full time work, and a CNC machine
shop, and 2 soccer teams getās a bit hectic when you throw in a wife and
three kids!!!
+1 on the evernote demo.
Iād love to know more about what people use for managing digital stuff:
backup software/cloud, VPS/VPN, etc.
Iād also be curious to know if anybody has any good insights on how to
clean your place efficiently. Iāve done it for many years and somehow I
always feel Iām far from optimal. A nice improvement was when I switched
from mop to swiffer.
My EDC is quite small, basically wallet and keys. I hated having a big
bulge of keys ripping through my pockets, and I got a keysmart
http://getkeysmart.com/ actually helps quite a bit. I also got a nice
wallet from a dude in Hong Kong
https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=greatdismal%20wallet%20hong%20kong#safe=off&hl=en&q=wallet+hong+kong+cuben
that makes them out of cuben fiber. Super light and so far seems
indestructible, although a bit transparent. In the extended EDC category,
my favourite item is a zebralight http://www.zebralight.com/ head lamp.
Tiny, indestructible, only needs one AA, super bright setting (good enough
for night skiing/climbing), and a low enough one that I can read in bed
without disturbing my wife.
Iām co-maintainer for Sovereign, a popular open-source DIY personal cloud server. You clone the repo and point the scripts at a Virtual Private Server (such as a $10/m one at Linode) and Sovereign sets it all up for you. Iād be happy to do a workshop or an install-fest at VHS if thereās interest.
A lot of people here probably do know how to run their own mail/web/file/irc/foo server, but donāt because of how much maintenance they expect it will require. The value of Sovereign is that it gives you an excellent default configuration, vetted by your peers, and which evolves over time to include updates, better security practices, and more features. You can tweak it to your heartās content, but you donāt have to because it generally just works.
Lastpass + tons of Gmail filters
Iāve got tons of tags/folders set up in Gmail. Whenever an email shows up in my inbox that isnāt tagged, I create a filter for it ( or sometimes edit an existing one ). I get tons of email ( flyers, various auto-mailers, etc ), but only the stuff I actually care about ends up in my inbox.
Iām a huge fan of Lastpass. Paired with my Yubikey NEO I feel pretty comfortable with my account security. I also enable 2FA ( two factor authentication ) on any site that has it.
I actually use the Yubico Authenticator app instead of the Google one ā I have to tap my Yubikey to my phone to get my 2FA code. Someone would have to steal my phone AND my keychain, and know my unlock code in order to log in to any service ā plus theyād have to know my Lastpass password. I may have gone overboard, but Iām happy with the setup.
I got big into the every day carry community. Iām in the process of upgrading a few things, although I think thatās pretty much always the case.
Right now itās pretty simple:
I stuff those two things into a messenger bag I picked up at PAX a few years ago along with my lunch when I head to work. My laptop kind of sucks ā itās over four years old, and 4 GB of memory just doesnāt cut it for the development work I do on a day-to-day basis ā so I tend to just leave it at home.
Iām planning to upgrade this system a bit:
My EDC and Expanded Carry is always evolving though. Iām slowly working towards something that Iām happy with. Iām probably always going to be switching things in and out though, trying to find the best setup for my needs.
+1 Evernote demo, I donāt know yet if itās what I need but I do need something to co-ordinate with my partners.
Wonderful topic, I spend a considerably amount of time trying to refine my habits for the purpose of limiting anxiety and increasing productivity.
Iāve been working on a manual of standard operating procedures for my two workplaces, on the farm the concerns are safety, quality and time. Identifying limiting factors for speed has already shaved a day off of cultivation time over the course of a year and the farm has been operating for decades, you figured theyād already be dialed in. I began with writing a SOP for writing SOPs and after looking at ones for the beef industry found that we both converged on essentially the same method which is validating, but not surprising!
Methods
āAt home flailing, post it notes sorted into left and right hand lineups, leaving projects of priority out on the floor so I canāt get around without walking around them and so cleaning up become an exercise in productivity.
I was just given an old Visor Handspring, like a Palmpilot, I like its battery life, lack of GUI lag and stylus writing, it also has folding keyboard accessory. Iāve traditionally been using paper notes and calendars/agendas, but I think I may be able to eliminate a lot of disparate paper clusterfuck gongshow messes if I get into a habit of using it, and I appreciate that it delete locked files if someone tries to change your password. Unfortunately the dock for syncing and keyboard is broken but probably just needs to be resolder and it still has IR. The stylus unthreads to reveal a screwdriver so itās like they anticipated that you may need to open the case and havenāt pulled any bullshit like making it triwing, like an acknowledgment that yes you do in fact own this and can open it, hereās the tool!
I prefer the idea of segregating technology so I have a good camera, a good recorder and good PDA instead of a computer/telephone that doesnāt excel at any particular thing and keeps all my eggs in one basket.
ā For computer desktop clutter if you put a nice picture on your desktop and then set desktop as the default location for downloads as the desktop gets cluttered clearing and sorting it is necessary to appreciate the picture. I have a template folder of folders, with different icons and then periodically dump the batch into dated folders which get duplicated. Everything gets archived. Everything. The desktop clearing method is reminiscent of āGals Panic!ā if anyone is familiar with this one from MAME.
Tech
ā Phone- a non-smart nokia flipphone, Iām not a heavy phone user, itās earned this position by being a survivor.
ā Recorder and camera in a milsurp ammo pouch, the Tascam DR07 recorder is stereo so it can be placed between two people and have them in L and R channels. It can playback in loops and has fourier pitchshift which is an incredible utility for learning music by ear. The recording quality is wonderful if it isnāt moving otherwise the case noise from its plastic shell is unbearable.
ā Camera is a waterproof Fujifilm xp, I carry a prehensile mini tripod or used to carry a base from a helping hands, the recorder also has the same threads as standard on tripods. It can definitely take a beating when itās turned off, Iām not so sure about its shock proof claims if it gets dropped when turned on.
ā E-Reader -Kindle touch, Iāve got numerous people on my @kindle.com address book so I as well as my friends can send me documents and it syncs through wifi. I just ordered a solar charging lighted case so that I will soon be in possession of a never-ending book that doesnāt need to be connected via wire for anything. It just needs ādonāt panicā engraved on it in large friendly letters, I hope the case plastic is laser friendly.
ā Multitool -Some promotional leatherman clone, I had the real McCoy classic for the longest time til it was stolen. I like minimalism if I can but canāt deny the utility despite the weight. Iāll often carry folding camping cutlery too. I have an assortment of sharps but none had more mileage than the Gerber boxcutter/moneyclip. Eventually the clip failed, there is a limit to the thickness you can clip it to.
ā Keys- too fucking many, ugh. My truck has three keys because thatās a utility in the north to be able to leave it locked while it warms up, and I have a padlock and barrel bolt on the passenger door due to the latch only working intermittently, this recently prevented a break in and is a really affordable security upgrade so Iāll be welding barrel bolts onto the drivers side and gas door.
ā Wallet A simple one by shortyās which I think is a skatewear company, itās very pragmatic, 5 compartments, the velcro that holds it shut is placed perfectly to hold one ID card out front for easy access on public transit or similar needs. I have all my RFID cards between two pieces of copper foil though I donāt know how effective this is.
I used to have a tyvek one I made by folding a 8.5x11 envelope twice and running it through the sewing machine one for 4 passport sized pockets. Amazing how long those can last. Those envelopes should be stamped with āThis is not disposableā I hear UPS used to let people take them for free until people realized their other utilities (microfilters also!).
Non-tech?
-Wax coated bag for samples, usually mushrooms or plants
-Nitrile gloves
-Square folding microscope 1"x1"
-Pen and small coil notepad. Coils at the top, all other types seem to get mangled in pockets.
^^ these seem like the pocket contents of a detective
-Pill case for earplugs with a rare earth magnet attached. stick a ball bearing to the magnet for the worlds smallest executive toy!
If Iām at school or expect to take lots of notes Iāll have an aluminum clipboard with graph paper. Itās enclosed to keep things dry, hinged on the left, and has a loose paper compartment and a bottom flap that prevents the next sheet of paper from getting dented as it sits under your current page.
Clothing
I have a vest which has identical pocket layout to my jacket, so even when Iām not dressed for inclement weather Iām not wasting any thought about pocket procedures and I think this is a strategy Iāll be hanging onto.
I like hats because they make good buckets for pocket contents if youāre going to be sitting down. Perhaps this is part of the reason for the convention of removing your hat when come indoors and expect to sit down.
What else? | like using pipes to have multiple homepages which | use everyday. Here have a pipe |. | made it from a pipe | found because | canāt remember the alt-codes. You can use it to make as many pipes as you want.
I really really need a lifehack for punctuality that isnāt just setting my watch ahead ten minutes.
Evernote - some projects, mostly vhs/web stuff
IFTTT - craigslist monitoring etc would be good to use this more for other services
Dropbox for file transfer and more personal notes/projects
Google Docs for cloud stuff that isnāt personal such as recipes
Phone - GNex with a Wind data account, apps for all the tech stuff I like (e.g. Transit)
Everday carry - keys on a Resqme, phone, notebook, chapstick, hat, in messenger bag)
I have a deep/borderline-obsessive interest in always having the right tool and am very interested in what everyone else is using.
Onhand:
Wristwatch - Either a chronograph or at least with a seconds hand. I have several. Either a selfwinding automatic or an Eco-drive(self recharging solar). It completely silly to have to pull my phone out of my pocket every time I want to check the time. I dislike being late.
IPhone6 - I generally find myself whelmed (not overwhelmed or underwhelmed) by IOS however in my experience the battery life has been pretty amazing and I feel that a phone with a re-occurring dead or limited life battery is pretty useless no matter how awesome it it when it has juice
Standard keyring - with a key shaped thumbdrive
EDC:
Ipad Air - (Iām not really an apple fan. But I received this as a gift and am continually finding new utility in having it)
Bluetooth keyboard - for ipad
WIFI USB/SD reader for ipad - runs on an internal battery and nicely compensates for Apple devices annoying lack of external memory lets me transfer gopro video to or from an external usb powered HDD
Leather Zippered Folio with legal pad and graphing pad
Uniball 207
Leathman Wave
LED Flashlight
Headlamp (for when I need light and both hands) negative points for looking ridiculous when I use the headlamp
Philips Action fit Headphones ( Theyāre bright orange so I cant lose them and the cable sheath is kevlar coated for added durability) the driver is purportedly moisture and sweat proof so they work well at the gym, in the rain and everywhere else
Grip-It with chargers and charging cables for everything
10,000mah USB battery for charging my Ipad, Iphone(on the rare occasion), work phone (which is a useless blackberry) and other peoples phones on the go.
My expanded carry involves bringing my laptop ( a Windows7 Thinkpad W520 running several VMās) and/or a number of small modules that pack everything for a specific task together into a small pouch that can slip into my backpack:
Small hand tool pouch - this has every conceivable 1/4ā bit and security bit, small sockets, bit drivers, tweasers, forceps, tiny prybar, hobby knife, push drill, punch
GoPro pouch - camera, housings, batteries, memory cards
Network pouch - cable tracker, cable tester, punch down tool, pocket switch, pocket WAP, cat5e cables
Seagate 2TB external HDD - usually gets packed when I have the gopro pouch.
