Merlins Tower

PDA – Back to Basics or Going from Digital to Analog

Posted on June 29th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Communication, GTD, Hack, Miquelrius, Moleskine, Tutorial, Uncategorized, Web Service.

Look at all the interesting people going back to digital and what they are using. This past week The Boston Globe had an article entitled PDA Buffs go back to basics. The article is quite interesting and would recommend taking a look at it if you have a few moments to spare. The report that Mike Rohde (Certifiable Palm Fanatic) has gone analog. He was fed up with all the years of cracked screens, battery outages and many glitches that come from owning a PDA and went back to an old comfort zone. The PEN and PAPER. Mikes Blog shows his digital to analog ways and is documenting it. His system is called the “Analog Task Management System” or Notebook Here is a link to his resource. Which I have been reading for quite sometime as it really is a good information resource.
The Boston Globe article is 2 pages and list a few good resources that I have mentioned before and a few I will look at in more depth. They mention the PocketMod (as seen in the photo above). They also mention Merlin Mann (one of the creators of the Hipster PDA and creator of 43 Folders.com ) And Douglas Johnston of DIYPlanner.com. All Great Resources if you plan on going from Digital to Analog – or if you are already doing analog and have a few hints to provide or want to pick up a few interesting helpful hints.

Tags: analog, Blog, DIYPlanner, GTD, Hacks, HipsterPDA, Indexcard, IndexCards, Lifehack, Moleskine, notebook, Notecard, Online Reference, Organization, Organizer, paper, Reference

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Google Checkout – Finding the Deals online!! Enjoy the Savings » « Great Stock Photos – FREE!

Fountain Pen – Care and Feeding – Part 1 – How to fill a fountain pen

Posted on June 25th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Art, Gadgets, GTD, Journaling, Tutorial.

Today, I was doing some research on the web to help me anticipate the care and feeding some some new fountain pens I just ordered. Well not me personally but I placed an order for a few pens and new inks for my brother. It will be his first time using a fountain pen and in anticipation and to get him to read my blog {Wink, Wink} I wanted to jot down a few notes about how to best take care of the pens he ordered. Todays article is how to fill them. The pens he ordered are from HisNibs.com – One of my favorite pen sites. {Great Service – Great Pens and all around nice guy}

My brother asked me to order him the Hero ’329′ in burgandy color as shown here.

He also purchased some Private Reserve Ink – Sonic Blue – I personally have not used this ink – But from what I have read on the Fountain Pen Forums this is a nice ink. He also had me order a Hero ’367′ Series Blue Pen.

These are two entirely different pens – Both beautiful looking. The major differences are that that Hero ’329′ is an aerometric style or pump fill. To fill one of these pens you MUST has bottled ink to fill them they will not take any of the prefilled ink cartridges.

Here is an excerpt from RickConner.net’s Site about filling pens:

The Aerometric filler (a Parker term which has since become somewhat generic) is actually a variation on the old-style sleeve filler that was used early in the century. It usually consists of a rubber or rubber-like sac (some are transparent plastic) inside a metal sheath; there’s an opening in the sheath through which you can see a pressure bar. To fill the pen, simply dip the point all the way into the ink bottle, mash the pressure bar, let go and allow the sac to expand and draw in ink. If the pen is new or nearly empty, you might repeat this maneuver a couple of times to make sure you get as much ink as you can.

Now to fill the other pen – You have to either only use ink cartridge or purchase a converter to fill it up. This pen comes with one ink cartridge. To use a standard cartridge it is quite easy to fill. Again Directions taken from RickConner.net Site:

Make sure you have a cartridge that will work in your pen. You’re usually safe buying the cartridges made by the same company that made the pen, but many pens (generally European) use a standard design making these cartridges more or less interchangeable.

Unscrew the barrel from the pen; pull out the old cartridge (might want to do this with the pen pointing up so you won’t drip any of the remaining ink from the cartridge). Put the new cartridge in its place and push; usually, you have to break a membrane or dislodge a small bead in order to start the ink flow (you should be able to feel a nice “thunk” when you’ve accomplished this). Reassemble the pen and you’re back on the trail. If the pen was dead empty or dried out, it will take a bit of scribbling before the proper ink flow starts up. If the new cartridge is a different color, it may take some time for the new color to appear (the pen must use all the ink stashed away in the feed before taking on new ink from the cartridge). You really shouldn’t have to pinch or squeeze the cartridge to get the flow started.

If you use cartridge pens, you should consider switching to a bottle fill converter; not only is this more economical (not to mention more environmentally sound), but you’re flushing out the feed every time you fill, so it will stay cleaner and will be less likely to clog).

I recommend purchasing a converter for this type of pen for the reasons mentioned above. First I like using a better grade of ink and having the ability to flush the pen out with water to keep them clean that really is one of the best reasons. And this allows you to change the colors when you want. But if you don’t want to purchase a converter and want to clean your pen – check out my next article in the next few days about cleaning a fountain pen.

After purchasing a new pen I have read that it is a good idea to just sit and write and write with it on a sheet of paper what ever you want to “Break” in the pen. This will help the nib get a nice smooth flow going and help give the nib a nice smooth writing experience.

Tags: analog, Fountain, Pen, fountain pen, Gadget, Gadgets, GTD, Ink, Office Supply Porn, paper

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Great Stock Photos – FREE! » « Extending Your Wireless Reception Cheaply

Extending Your Wireless Reception Cheaply

Posted on June 22nd, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Communication, Computing, Gadgets, GTD, Hack, USB, Weird Stuff.

Everyone is selling antennas and extenders and all sorts of pieces of technology to extend your wireless reception. But what if you are on a budget like I am? Spouse, mortgage, car payment, 2.5 children, it all adds up to precious little for computer parts. And if your boss has put his foot down and won’t let you order ANYTHING from the internet on the company account. What do you do? Broadband is not a possibility (old house, old wiring old lady) so what is the alternative?

The neighbors! Out of everyone else around me there has to be SOMEONE that has their cable modem or DSL on a wireless router. I have an old notebook that work no longer wanted and it has a built in wireless adapter that is really low powered. No help there. I did a warride and found a few in the area but none could be access from within my house. After all, if their transmissions reach inside my home I can do with them whatever I want, right?

Along comes WOOT! and I get a cheap-o deluxe $14 wireless antenna that I can direct towards any direction I want. I slap it in and scan for available wireless networks. SUCSESS! FAILURE! SUCCESS! FAILURE! SUCCESS! ARRRRGHH!!! I get better reception but nothing that allows me to do anything more than wish my house weren’t made of bricks 100 years ago.

I google for ways to enhance my reception and I see all these propeller heads that have built these “wireless guns” that look like AR-15 rifles and antenna extenders right out of Johnny Quest. I am just an old hack trying to get around rewiring my entire house just so I can surf ebay faster.

I go into the kitchen to get a bowl of generic Corn Chex cereal and while I am scooping the spoon as fast as I can into my mouth before bed I wonder… will this metal bowl work? Not remembering any of my College Physics at the moment I can bring to mind the last episode of the Red Green Show. DUCT TAPE TO THE RESUCE!

I have an old speaker stand, some tape, a cheap USB wireless adapter, and a metal cereal bowl. Shucks, just try it and see if it works.

Don’t laugh. It drags in a signal. It is weak but it is reliable and I usually get 11 mb throughput.

Check with the laws in your area but privacy rights usually rule and if your neighbor is putting out an unsecure signal and it enters your home what you do with it is your business.

Tags: wireless, DIY, hack, duct tape, GTD, Walmart, network, dlink, woot, red green show, USB, notebook, DSL, cable modem, linksys

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Fountain Pen – Care and Feeding – Part 1 – How to fill a fountain pen » « Leather Travel Journal – Keeping it all together

The Unfolder Wallet Organizer

Posted on June 21st, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Craft, Gadgets, GTD, Hack, Journaling.

This is the UnFolder Organizer Wallet - I spotted this little organizer that seems to keep it all contained. The unorganizer wallet is for those frustrated with conventional organizers. The unfolder’s organizer section formalizes and tames the haphazard, paper flurry of loose, losable notes. The Wallet section hold twice the usual wallet’s contents in half the space.  The Creator called it the unfolder because it unfold one’s life and unfold one’ destiny.

The author states that the unfolder works because you write your note first, then you figure out where to put it in the organizer. This is accomplished because the unfolder has only one place to write: a page full of small blank stickies. Then you can move it to one of the several blank pages depending on what you need to make this note. Such as @work, @home etc… The unfolder has six blank plastic pages to store your notes on. Or you can move them as you don’t need them to your other notebook to keep them for long term storage.

The top image show the unfolder open to the wallet section. It has room for several credit cards, pen loop, and lanyard for keeping a key or two and a change pocket. The second image show the plastic pages that store your notes and you can put a few more credit cards.

This image on the right shows the wallet being held open with a toothpick.  This really is a nicely designed wallet organizer.

More info can be found here.

Technocrati Tags: Wallet, Organizer, GTD, HipsterPDA, Analog, PDA HPDA

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Leather Travel Journal – Keeping it all together » « Fountain Pen Inks – Ink Sampler

Fountain Pen Inks – Ink Sampler

Posted on June 21st, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: GTD, Journaling.

Fountain Pen Inks. Which one to use, how do you choose which ones to buy? I have my favorites. I love the Noodlers Brand of inks. I love the rich color and I love their Noodlers Black. (See Previous Post on Fraud Prevention)
But now I find myself wanting to try out some of the other colors and “Flavors” of inks.
But at $8 – $15 a bottle you don’t just want to buy something without finding out how good it is. How it flow and how it looks. I found this great site offering an Ink Sampler Book. I know I will be buying one of these soon. Right now at the time of this writing. He has over 400 various ink in all the colors sampled. The inks are painted on to the pages to show the true real color of the ink. These are all handmade and bound. He even offers an upgrade if you purchased a previous book and and want to see the new inks that he now includes.

The inks that he includes are too many to list them all here in this blog entry. But here are a few of the ones that caught my eye. Of course he has my favorite Noodlers, with all the various colors they have. Plus he has listed an Ink I have been wanting to try Private Reserve. He states what I have read. Private Reserve is a favorite among the Pen Collectors. One of the reasons is that these inks are created by Pen Users. Also on the list is Rotring, Sheaffer, Swisher, Parker, Montblanc, Namiki, Panache, Lamy, Levenger and much much more.

From what I see this would be a great resource to actually see the colors before having to buy the inks. Since it is so hard to display the correct colors on screen having this book in front of me before purchasing them would be quite nice.

Tags: analog, Fountain, fountain pen, Office Supply Porn, Pen, Ink

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The Unfolder Wallet Organizer » « $8 Network Rack – Cleaning up the Computer Desk

$8 Network Rack – Cleaning up the Computer Desk

Posted on June 15th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Computing, Gadgets, GTD, Tutorial.

OK here is one project I am putting on my GTD list right away. A quick and easy way to help me keep my desk a little neater.

This is such a wonderful Idea. He took 2 (2 Packs) of Rubbermaid Letter trays (Model 74095) and build a nice looking network rack. Keeping all the wires and wall warts placed neatly on his desk.
Such a simple Idea. I wish I had thought of this. The complete description and plans are found on Flickr.

Now, seeing this Idea. I can think of a few other Ideas to use these trays for. Like adding 2 more trays to the bottom to actually use for Paper or items I need to use on a daily basis. Would be nice to find a small plastic container like a craft organizer to put in all my small parts etc and just slide it into one of the trays.

Nice Job.

Tags: Network, GTD, Desk, Organizer, MAKE, Clutter, Organization

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Fountain Pen Inks – Ink Sampler » « Happy Memorial Day

De Clutter and GTD – Shred your Sensitive Documents

Posted on May 22nd, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Gadgets, GTD, working.

I have been needing a paper shredder for quite some time. I have been storing all my sensitive and personal documents that I didn’t want to just throw out.

I have been putting off buying a shredder for a while. Well until I found this one. As always I will not just buy something. I have to do the research first and see what is best for the money I am going to be spending.

I came up with is the Aurora 10-sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder. I chose this one because it will do a nice smaller sized Crosscut Shred as opposed to the traditional straight paper cut. This just makes it that much harder to see my sensitive papers.

The other feature I really wanted was a way to destroy my backup cds once they were no longer needed. I tried breaking them in half but that almost sent me to the hospital with the little slivers flying everywhere and I then had to vacuum up really well as I didn’t want to step in the small shards of CDs.

This unit will do 10 sheets at a time. Some of the others in this price range was only 4 or 5 sheets.

As I mentioned this will shred CDs into un-usable strips of plastic. (Also shredding Credit Cards.) As I really didn’t want anyone trying to get my records and backup info off cds I burned. And this way is just so much safer.

I feel this will help me cut down (Pun intended) on my clutter I have accumulated. I have stacks of items I wanted to throw out but hesitated as it had confidential material on it.

Keeping with the Getting Things Done (GTD) point of view. I am de-cluttering my office by finally being able to rid myself of piles of junk mail.

To top off this – Shredding can be really relaxing. I enjoyed sitting at the shredder destroying years of my personal history. (Insert Evil Laugh Here)

So Go and Buy yourself one today. You will not regret it.

Tags: analog, GTD, paper, Confidential, Security, Shredder

0 comments.

Happy Memorial Day » « Various Inks put to the test – Fraud Testing.

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