{ "attachments": [], "comments_archived": true, "date": "2005-08-09T13:59:00.000Z", "layout": "post", "title": "Homebrew Productivity via Rube Goldberg", "wordpress_id": 673, "wordpress_slug": "homebrew-productivity-via-rube-goldberg", "wordpress_url": "http://www.decafbad.com/blog/?p=673", "year": "2005", "month": "08", "day": "09", "isDir": false, "slug": "homebrew-productivity-via-rube-goldberg", "type": "entry", "postName": "2005-08-09-homebrew-productivity-via-rube-goldberg", "html": "

Here's a quick weekend assemblage of a hack that might be of use to someone:

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I recently switched to a Palm Zire from a Handspring Visor--which itself was a downgrade from a Treo 600. The Zire was a bit of a lateral move from the Visor, since the Zire is rechargeable and more pocketable, but has less storage and a screen with tinier eye-strainy pixels. (Actually, the product page I linked here shows the Zire 21, whereas what I have is the discontinued classic Zire.)

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Anyway, I've been idly poking at making this thing more useful as my take-along brain bucket. The out-of-box tools--Palm Desktop, etal--have never quite worked for me, so I wanted to see what might actually help me get some use out of the thing. So far, it turns out that it ends up being most convenient when I use it as a glorified electronic notepad, a Hipster PDA with a USB socket.

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I've thrown together a combination of MacNoteTaker, Markdown, Remind, Dasher, and ShellWatcher to implement my own idea-dump and to-do conduits into my PowerBook.

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The nice thing about MacNoteTaker is that it simply syncs text files. From there, it's easy to route things through Markdown and Remind.

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I was using Nick Vargish's Remind Widget before my hard drive crash, but since then the download seems to have gone AWOL. So, ShellWatcher it is, running ~/local/bin/remind to update my Dashboard reminders on a regular basis. To keep these reminders in my face throughout the day, I've got Dasher set to bring the Dashboard up whenever I walk away for more than 5 minutes.

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As for plain old ideas, I've got a 00-random.txt file I maintain between the PowerBook and MacNoteTaker. This is in Markdown format, and I occasionally view it via a filter CGI in my browser. I'm considering plastering it up on my Dashboard via a browser-refresh widget also. Eventually, these ideas migrate into Tinderbox or a personal wiki.

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For my next productivity micro-project, I'm thinking of setting up an email gateway to let my fiancée email me honey-do lists that'll get merged in with my reminders...

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Archived Comments

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\n\n\n", "body": "Here's a quick weekend assemblage of a hack that might be of use to someone:\r\n\r\nI recently switched to a [Palm Zire][zire] from a Handspring Visor--which itself was [a downgrade from a Treo 600][down]. The Zire was a bit of a lateral move from the Visor, since the Zire is rechargeable and more pocketable, but has less storage and a screen with tinier eye-strainy pixels. (Actually, the product page I linked here shows the Zire 21, whereas what I have is the discontinued classic Zire.)\r\n\r\nAnyway, I've been idly poking at making this thing more useful as my take-along brain bucket. The out-of-box tools--Palm Desktop, etal--have never quite worked for me, so I wanted to see what might *actually* help me get some use out of the thing. So far, it turns out that it ends up being most convenient when I use it as a glorified electronic notepad, a [Hipster PDA][hipster] with a USB socket.\r\n\r\nI've thrown together a combination of [MacNoteTaker][notetaker], [Markdown][markdown], [Remind][remind], [Dasher][dasher], and [ShellWatcher][shellwatcher] to implement my own idea-dump and to-do conduits into my PowerBook. \r\n\r\nThe nice thing about [MacNoteTaker][notetaker] is that it simply syncs text files. From there, it's easy to route things through [Markdown][markdown] and [Remind][remind]. \r\n\r\nI was using [Nick Vargish's Remind Widget][remind_widget] before [my hard drive crash][crash], but since then the download seems to have gone AWOL. So, [ShellWatcher][shellwatcher] it is, running `~/local/bin/remind` to update my Dashboard reminders on a regular basis. To keep these reminders in my face throughout the day, I've got [Dasher][dasher] set to bring the Dashboard up whenever I walk away for more than 5 minutes.\r\n\r\nAs for plain old ideas, I've got a `00-random.txt` file I maintain between the PowerBook and [MacNoteTaker][notetaker]. This is in [Markdown][markdown] format, and I occasionally view it via a filter CGI in my browser. I'm considering plastering it up on my Dashboard via a browser-refresh widget also. Eventually, these ideas migrate into [Tinderbox][tinderbox] or a personal wiki.\r\n\r\nFor my next productivity micro-project, I'm thinking of setting up an email gateway to let my fiancée email me honey-do lists that'll get merged in with my reminders...\r\n\r\n[tinderbox]: http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/\r\n[dasher]: http://www.splasm.com/products/productdasher.html\r\n[remind]: http://www.roaringpenguin.com/penguin/open_source_remind.php\r\n[shellwatcher]: http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/developer/shellwatcher.html\r\n[remind_widget]: http://www.43folders.com/2005/06/dashboard_widge.html\r\n[down]: http://www.decafbad.com/blog/2005/06/14/gadget_flashback\r\n[notetaker]: http://homepage.mac.com/wis/Personal/programs/NoteTaker/NoteTaker.html\r\n[hipster]: http://www.hipsterpda.com/\r\n[zire]: http://www.palm.com/us/products/zire/\r\n[markdown]: http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/\r\n[crash]: http://www.decafbad.com/blog/2005/07/05/exocortex_stroke\r\n\r\n
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Archived Comments

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