ClearYourMind is a personal blog about science, productivity, gadgets, business, web 2.0 and everything a "web-guy" loves by Javier Cabrera, owner and principal of Emaginacion, a small web design agency.
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I haven’t been using networking sites a lot lately (linkedin, facebook, etc) those are kind of boring to me, I hate going around “bothering” people with the “Javier asks if he can join your network” kind of message those web apps spread over everyone’s emails. Some people take it well (like me) others believe they are spamming them with those. I like more the one-to-one approach in which I just send an email to talk about things and see if I can invite them to have a beer or something; in case they are in another country, it gets more difficult, but not impossible.
Twitter is an excellent tool to let everyone know what you are doing right now. I know I know, I’m six months late with this, but believe me, it has a great business potential. I can let know everyone I work with (clients and employees) where I’m and what I’m doing all the time, even through my cellphone; which is invaluable. People out there is saying the BlackBerry is evil because it forces you to stay online or in touch 24/7, I say this is the cure for the BlackBerry syndrome. With just 1 minute, you can open your account and through your cellphone or instant messenger you can actually keep everyone up to date with what’s going on with you at the moment. This breaks with the urgency of “I will email Phill to see where my project is right now” or “Let’s email John to see if he forgot about our project, it is about a week now that I don’t get any answers from him”.
With Twitter you have instant update on the table; everyone will know what you are up to, and everyone will know what you are doing. Last week, it was an ugly week for me, lots of deadlines and lots of fun too (doing something that it may change some people’s way of working… it’s beautiful, will talk about it when the client allows me. Kevin, thanks!) and some other things that are extremely interesting (Branden! it is a go!) and Twitter has helped me with the rest of my clients and people I work with during those days.
It is an excellent tool for communication, and I will integrate to my blog when the new site comes live. Right now, you can find me at http://twitter.com/doncabrera
This one is really freaky; it shows how to make fire with a potato, toothpaste, salt, cotton, and toothpicks; it can be useful if you are lost in the woods with those elements. Of course you can always carry a match, but hey, this will impress all your survival companions and set you up like the macho alpha!
I love this video, I simply love it. I’m so tired of people who say “dont call it web 2.0, it is just nice color gradients on a minimalist design” and that’s so not true. Michael Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology of the Kansas State University made a video that is moving the floor at YouTube, it’s a very easy explication of what Web 2.0 really is and I encourage you all to stop for a second, and watch this video.
It was worth it don’t you think? We need more videos like this. Thanks Mr. Wesch!
The firefox team has launched a wiki to gather user’s points of views and suggestions on their upcoming update for firefox, that would be firefox 3.0. Excellent idea fellows! right to the user’s chin! :) Yes, some users will of course make strange suggestions (I read someone already wanted a tab expose for firefox, there is a plugin for that; but they seem to want it integrated with the browser).
The only thing I will want is a lite version, something really light you can carry on a USB pen drive or even on your desktop. Something very, very basic, with no functionalities at all, just the minimun to get people started and to help those ones (like me) who doesn’t want a button for every single functionality of the browser. I don’t even use the Go button since 1999, I use the enter key like every human been on this planet.
Now you know it and you have no excuse, if you want a better firefox, here is your opportunity to brainstorm with the developers.
This is one of the coolest thing I ever seen! An awesome, custom-built mechanical lion created by a local artist and taken out for its first ride, in Brugge, Belgium; looks awesome! This kind of stuff makes me think how cool would it be to go to the local coffee store with your own mech.
This guy is crazy! he is a truly genius! he made a Boba Fett helmet from a cardboard box! yes! the one you get when you buy a monitor or something; and it truly looks amazingly well done too!
Of course, this is no walk in the park, you need to know what you are doing or you can cut your own fingers with scissors (it may sound stupid but if you aren’t used to do this kind of things don’t get surprise if it takes you two weeks to have a mediocre version). Anyway, I take my hat in front of this gentlemen, a very well done work.
I never used a bag, I don’t needed one because most of the time my things where at my office, and my home office later. But now those days are long and gone my friends and I need to keep up my work even when I’m not at the office, so I need a backpack. If you have any suggestions at all, let me know; but this is how I planed it so far:
My BrainStorm folder (I will talk about this one another time).
Right now, that’s on my list. For obvious reasons, I will not bring to my office everyday my laptop, but I wanted some recommendations if anyone is kind enough. I already saw the whole flickr pool about whats in my bag, and people is carrying too much things I don’t think they need; but again, it must be just me. What’s in your bag?
Working on it. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos
Working on it. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos
