Archive for simplicity

An analog PDA in a digital world

August 1, 2009 at 10:32 · Filed under internet, paper, simplicity, technology

A while ago I wrote about my analog PDA. It is still my primary calendar and todo solution. I have however made some upgrades since.

The basics of the system are the same. Printouts from Google Calendar and Google Tasks gives me a “wear and tear” couple of A4-sheets which fold nicely into my back pocket. Extremely portable, nobody will steal it and it doesn’t matter if I loose them or I get caught in a downpour.

I previously used Remember the Milk for Todo’s, but since Google Tasks now provides a printout option, I decided to try it out. I have absolutely no complaints against RTM, but I think it’s nice to have a fairly homogenous base for the Analog PDA.

I also print out a sheet with all my contacts phone-numbers and fold it between the calendar-sheet and the todo. This is a precaution in case my phone battery is dead or otherwise freaks out and loses all numbers.
I still use the Fisher Bullet Space Pen as my stylus.

So how does this very lo-tech solution gel with hi-tech cellphones and Internet applications? Well, I still think it’s nice to write things down on paper. The todo-sheet is ubiquitous in a way that an electronic notes-application can’t be. You can doodle anything you wan’t. Mix and match different kinds of information and it’s feels very natural and organic. A proper PDA feels a bit too organized for my tastes. Everything in it’s place and so on. With a sheet of paper I can match my grocery-list with songs I wan’t to buy from iTunes with GPS-directions for a restaurant with a reminder to book service for the car.

I also think it’s kind of nice to check the calendar in the phone for availability and then jot down the new appointment on paper. That’s right, I one-way sync my Google Calendar to my phone. I’ve had to much problems with two-way syncs to try that again, and with the analog PDA I don’t need it.

This also gives me an amount of freedom. I can now go to the beach with my old rickety Sony Ericsson K700i and my analog PDA. I can leave my real phone at home, not having to worry about it being stolen while swimming and still be organizationally aware.

The key is in the analog PDA.

Comments (1)

Google Chrome OS

July 8, 2009 at 08:53 · Filed under internet, minimalism, simplicity, technology

Google just announced their new project, Google Chrome OS, which is Googles second operating system (the first being android).

This one however is targeted at netbooks, not cellphones. 

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

I love the simplicity of the Chrome browser, and an entire operating system along the same design principles sounds very exciting.

Comments (2)

Decide what you care about

May 23, 2009 at 18:16 · Filed under simplicity

One way to simplify your life is to establish an attitude of not caring about things. If you don’t care, you can’t stress out about it, right? But the question is, is life worth living without care? Probably not.

But how is life really when you care about EVERYTING? Hardly harmonious and definately not simple. Despite that we have more and more things calling for our attention and for us to get involved. Our society seem to demand that you care about (and be deeply commited to) things happening in other parts of the world. Who has right on their side? Israel or Palestine? What happens with apartheid in south africa? It’s appalling how the Chinese governement is behaving. As if that weren’t enough you also need to have an opinion about who is the rightful winner of “Survivor”, “Americas Got Talent” or whatever.
Maybe all this is the flipside or our global communication society where information is immediate. What can we do? I think it helps if you can develop an unconcerned attitude towards things you don’t really care about. Not easy in a society which demands your commitment on everything.

Note that I don’t prescribe a complete indifferent approach toward everything. Just the things you don’t really care about. For the things you DO care about, be very committed. This won’t make you a bad person, it will make you a more harmonious, calmer person.
In part this is about accepting things you cannot change. Whatever happens, happens. Nobody has ever found happiness by puddling things that might have been.

Leave a Comment

What is simplicity?

May 6, 2009 at 17:25 · Filed under minimalism, simplicity

That is a question I am sure there are almost as many answers for as there are people answering it.

I’m sure that most people agree about the actual meaning of the word, but when it comes to simplicity as a lifestyle, the opinions start to differ. I actually prefer the term minimalism because it more accurately describes the sort of lifestyle I see as a simple life. That helps a little, but there are still different interpretations out there.
According to Wikipedia, minimalism is mainly an art movement. Others equate minimalism with a Waldenesque, back to nature kind of simplicity. And thereby making the logical connection that minimalism and simple living is a “greenie” movement. Not for me. I certainly don’t want to live in the woods. I love the city. Sure I care about the environment, but I don’t wear clogs and Fjällräven clothing.

For me, simplicity is about freedom. It’s about reducing limiting commitments and items or stuff. Let’s start with the stuff.

The Washington Post wrote a couple of years ago about the trend that people tend to carry more stuff with them every day. As far as I can observe, the trend certainly hasn’t lessened. People everywhere carry an enormous amount of stuff and that is not minimalistic. Minimalism is to reduce the number of things you carry or own. Fewer items lead to less to worry about. Just imagine trying to catch a subway train with a backpack, rolling suitcase and a canvas bag. Now image the same with no bags or just one small backpack.
But to further simplify you can be conscious about how you select your items. An example is sunglasses. You wouldn’t bring those with you every day. At least if you live in sweden. In fact, you would cherish the days when you CAN bring them with you without looking foolish.
In this case, it might be appropriate not to invest a couple of hundred dollars for a pair of Rayban that are a prime target for thieves. Having replaceable items leads to more freedom. For non essential items, you should consider the simplest (cheapest) alternative. That’s why I love my Analog PDA.
Having said all that though, the items you do carry every day and always need you should never comprise the quality of and the should be carefully selected. If you decide to invest in an item, make sure it is of the utmost quality. Don’t ever skimp on quality. The good thing is that if you do your best to limit the number of things you own and not overspend on seldom use items you should have no problem going for quality when it matters. Also remember that smaller if often preferable to  bigger, unless it means you have to take a hit on quality.

Fewer things

What happens when you cut down on stuff? Potentially you get more space. For most people, a cramped space with lots of stuff everywhere increases stress, while a big open space with few things visible conveys a feeling of serenity.
There are lots of ways to reduce the amount of junk you own. A classic technique is to go through your stuff putting things in three different boxes. One box is for things to throw away, one box for things to give away or sell and one box for things to save.
The idea is to close and put away the box of things to save and date it. Write the date on the outside of the box. After one year, if you haven’t missed anything in the box, throw it away. Don’t open the box! If you do, you will start to rationalize the items in the box all over again. If you haven’t needed the contents for a full year, the benefit of keeping them is not great enough.

What about fewer things to carry?

This is what I call the crap-factor. I find great satisfaction in not having to carry alot of things when I leave the house. I feel lighter somehow. I am sure a lot of people develop all kinds of pains and ailments because they load up like sherpas to go for coffee.
One way to reduce on what you carry daily is to plan and prepare. Find items with multiple uses. Mobile phones are great in that respect. A mobile can serve as a timepiece, music player, camera, calendar, web-browser, alarmclock and even as a phone just to name a few uses. For anyone interested in reducing the crap-factor, I can’t think of a better item.
Next up is the wallet. Most of us experience a kind Parkinson’s Law about our wallets manifesting in the fact that they are always full. Sadly not with money but with receipts, ticket stubs, membership cards and other useless stuff.
Thankfully there are products that can help. I use a Jimi Wallet to limit the amount of crap I bring with me in the wallet. That means I can have my wallet in my front pocket which also reduces the risk of becoming the victim of pickpockets.

Regarding quality

First, a quality item lasts longer, meaning you don’t have to replace it as often. Secondly, a quality item delivers.
Imagine that perfect moment when your son or daughter has caught her very first fish. You reach for your “Cannon” camera bought at a bargain price two weeks ago at the “Really Cheap Crap”-chain of electronics warehouses. Already aware of the unbelievable slow startup time of the camera, you holler at your offspring to “Hold still while daddy (or mommy) gets the camera out.”
You turn on the camera… and nothing. Frantic, you start to rip out the battery to see if it’s empty (again). Slam the replacement in, and nothing. In panic now, you flip that on switch back and forth like a madman until finally, a miracle happens and the camera starts.
The moment is lost. Your child has lost interest and any posing for a picture is sure to have lost that initial beaming pride.
This may be a contrived example, but dependability shines through in all situations.

In summary
A few quality items for the things that really matter to you combined with a few supplemental replaceable items gives you simplicity. It also leads to less things to worry about and thus peace of mind and more personal freedom.

Leave a Comment

My Analog PDA

June 27, 2008 at 08:35 · Filed under internet, paper, simplicity

As I confessed earlier, I am a perpetual switcher. But for the last couple of weeks I think I have found a solution that finally sits well with me. I know i’m not the first to coin the phrase “Analog PDA”. Others, far greater than me have already written about this type of device. But I do think i may bring something a little new to concept.

I keep all of my appointment in google calendar, and all of my todo’s in rememberthemilk. Both of these services offer the possibility to print out your calendar and todo items. In gcal, I select the 4 weeks ahead view before printing, giving me a nice overview of the weeks to come. In rmilk, I have prepared a “smart list” with the search dueWithin:”1 week of today” OR due:never OR dueBefore:today, but you can use whatever suits you best.

I then take these two printouts, fold them twice and put them in my back pocket.

Done.

My stylus for this PDA is my fisher bullet space pen. When folded, it barely takes up any space at all in my pocket and it’s nice to write with.

How to work the system

There are two key points to making this system work. First, I need to view my printouts as my main system. Not the online applications, they are backups. This helps me to not confuse which version is up to date. Nothing can exist in the backups if they are not on paper. Which brings us to the second point. I need to sync events from my PDA to the backup systems daily.
To create a quick overview process of which items are backed up from paper I use a few tricks.

In my todo-sheet, I write down new todos as I come up with them. As an example, we’ll use the task “Investigate USB memory stick memorysizes”.
As soon as I remember I need to do that, I write it down in the todo-application of my PDA (i.e. the printout from rmilk).

When I get a chance to sync todos, I look for any written down tasks on the sheet.. err.. I mean in the todo-application. All tasks that aren’t completed I copy into rememberthemilk, and then I put a square box next to the item on paper for checking them off.
The presence of a box next to the todo item is a signal to me that the item has been synchronized.

For calendar items I put a small dash in front of the task as a signal that the item has been synchronized.

So when the PDA starts to look worse for wear, it’s time to “recharge” it. This means I print out new copies from the backup systems. It’s important to synchronize before recharging to prevent loss of data.

But what about appointments further away than four weeks?

I’m glad you asked.

For this I use a neat little program developed by Johnny Matthews called getCals (as reported on lifehacker), to copy my google calendar into my iPod when I recharge or update the iPod.
As long as I do this at least every four weeks I’m ok.
So, when someone asks if I’m free at some specific date three months from now, I just whip out my offline backup device (i.e. my iPod) and check the calendar. Then I still write down the appointment as a todo or on the back of the calendar application (the printout).

Comments (2)