5 tech solutions to help avoid procrastination
— -- You know how it is: As soon as you need to buckle down, everything but the task at hand suddenly clamors for your attention. That messy desk is so inhospitable; it must be organized for the sake of staying on track. Your laptop is all powered up… but one quick game won't hurt. And before you know it, one clean apartment and 12 levels of Angry Birds later, you've wasted half your day.
But for every Angry Birds, Xbox 360 or other form of distracting technology, there exists a solution to gently guide you back on track. Here's a look at at five ways tech can help you increase productivity.
ALFRED
Even if you only use the most basic function of Alfred (for Mac OS), you'll instantly realize how much time you'll save.
It's the type of application that's so helpful and intuitive that you only think about it when it's not running. At the most basic level, Alfred is an application launcher. You open it with a keyboard shortcut and begin typing the name of the application you're looking for. Once you hit return, the app launches.
But that's just the beginning. With a combination of free features and its Powerpack upgrade ($23), you have the entire world at your fingertips. As a writer, I find the ability to double check spelling or a definition on the fly invaluable. Meanwhile, I know software engineers who use it to graph integrals or calculate the size of the human genome, thanks to integration with the computational-knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha. Even something as basic as searching is easier — whether it be files on your desktop or queries on Google, Amazon or Wikipedia.
Available for Macs for free, with optional Powerpack ($23). For Windows users, consider Dash Command ($20) or Launchy (free).
MOPHIE
Of course, the realm of work extends beyond your desktop; that smartphone or tablet can be integral to finishing your project while on the go. And for moments when there's no power source in sight, you can whip out Mophie's juice pack powerstation.
The powerstation is a battery pack about the size of the iPhone. It can juice up any USB device with the right charging cable. The 4000-mAh battery capacity is enough to give your iPad about a 60 percent charge and can power the iPhone several times over. It works quick, too, with a charging output of up to 2.1 amps, about four times faster than most USB batteries.
Charging the powerstation, though, takes a bit longer. The device comes with only a USB charger, and it took about four hours to get the device from half to full charge. But this is a small complaint that a standard wall charger easily fixes.
The device works right out of the box, so travelers on the go can buy this at the airport and put the fully-charged device to use immediately.
Available for $79.95.
GMAIL LABS
It's a fact: When my computer is on, Gmail is open.
The product as it stands is great. But there are a couple tricks to make it even better. I'm talking about Gmail Labs, the playground for experimental features to alter the e-mail experience. To find, simply head into Gmail's settings and click on the Labs tab. Here are a few insanely helpful Labs features that will save you time and keep you productive.
Inbox Preview gives you a sneak peak of messages in your inbox while it's loading — especially helpful when your Internet connection's spotty but you need to check for new messages. The feature gives you a brief head start, allowing you to assess which important e-mails to tackle before the inbox even loads.
Send & Archive adds a new button when composing e-mails. If you know you want to archive the e-mail thread immediately after you send it off, the Send & Archive button does just that, saving you a couple steps and seconds in the meanwhile.
Send in Background liberates you from an idle screen. If your connection signal is weak or your e-mail includes large attachments, sending can sometimes drag on and on… and you can't do anything about it since you're held hostage in front of a static page. Keep productive by sending messages in the background, allowing you to go back to the inbox, search messages or access contacts.
Gmail Labs, like Gmail itself, is free.
AEROSHOT
Need some caffeine to get you through the day? How about a shot?
AeroShot's bullet-like cartridges are filled with caffeine, as much as a large cup of strong joe. Each contains 100 milligrams of caffeine in powder form. To consume, pull open one end, put the other end in your mouth and inhale; each AeroShot contains about six to eight puffs. Unlike energy drinks or coffee, you don't have count calories because there are none.
Where did such an invention come from? Academia, of course. Nowhere else are people so miserably trying to stay awake cramming unfathomable amounts of knowledge (while also keeping the social life intact). The creator is David Edwards, a professor at Harvard University who also leads ArtScience Labs, described as an "international creativity movement."
THINGS
I've been using Things since its beta in 2008. From the start, this application by Cultured Code was so simple, elegant and powerful that it became an integral part of my organization and a mainstay in my computer dock.
Plenty of free to-do applications exist. But unlike Remember the Milk or Gmail's Tasks, Things shines in how it organizes and presents information. When you enter a to-do, you're given the option to include tags, notes and a due date. An intelligent task bar allows you to filter only relevant to-dos, such as those tagged with as high priority or work-related. When you're done filling in the details, the to-do collapses to show only the most pertinent information, a key aspect in making the application easy on the eyes. Tasks that are due on a certain date will appear under the Today tab, with a check box highlighted yellow. If it's past due, the box is red.
To-dos can be grouped into projects, an easy way to break down complex goals into manageable tasks. For instance, under a project named "Wedding," there might be tasks reminding you to mail out invitations or send a check to the reception venue. And after the big day, you can check off the entire project.
The ability to schedule tasks is especially valuable. If you want to check your credit score once a year, schedule it to show up at the same time every year. Or, if you're dying to pick up the latest Nexus phone, just set a task to appear on the launch date.
Available for Mac ($49.99), iPhone/iPod Touch ($9.99) and iPad ($19.99).
—
Contact Alice Truong at techcomments@usatoday.com .