What to do if your keyboard on the screen. And if there are dozens of screens: At CES, the Russian design Art Lebedev, the company shows upcoming Optimus Aux Optimus popularis keyboard with a mini and a series of six unique keyboard for data input devices on the key to the home screen.
My goal was to create a simple and cheap vacuum former. I knew the sheets of material I would be forming would be 12in x 12in and so I would design the vacuum former around that . I came up with this design that follows similarly to many other DIY vacuum formers out there.
Design A base board would have a hole in it for a household vacuum hose. A small frame would be built in the center of that measuring 11in x 11in. It would be glued to the base and then later sealed with caulk. A square section of pegboard would be glued to the top of that frame and act as the bed for the vacuum former. Separately, two frames made of MDF would sandwich the material to be vacuum formed and those would be held together with bolts. Some sort of rubber tape would run around the perimeter of the frame to form a vacuum seal. This frame with the material in it would go into the oven to heat the plastic and then be placed over the bed to form the part.
Parts I bought the following parts from Home Depot for this project: 1x2-8ft Strip: $0.98 White Peg Board Panel: $8.45 3/8"-16 Wingnut (3 bags): $3.54 Hex Bolt, 3/8x2-1/2 (8x): $2.96 Foam Tape: $5.67 1/2" 2'x4' MDF Project Panel: $9.73 The following are extra parts that I used to make the table a little more user friendly and had lying around: 1x4-8ft Common Board: $4.12 3/4 PVC Pipe: $1.23 3/4 90ยบ PVC Elbow: ~$1 The total cost before tax of this vacuum form system is about $38.
Tools You'll need basic wood working tools for this one: a miter saw, circular saw, and a power drill. Wood glue is a must and caulking is optional but recommended. I found a Dremel was just fine to do the job of cutting the center out of the frames, but any method you prefer will work too. You may also want some type of square to make sure those corners are 90 degrees.
The first time I stumbled upon a NES purse instructable, (here) I made one of myself right away. In the process, and in the daily usage, I found many glitches that I tried to overcome. Such as: coinage make the case rattle too much, and the purse can be opened halfways wide open, dropping all the content. So, this is my third NES purse (v 1.0 was stolen (too cool to let in my backpack unnatended), v2.0 was rendered as a gift to my girlfriend (also stolen from his backpack, thievemagnet this thing is)), so in v 3.0 I managed to backup the whole construction process, to end up with a fully capable and wearable object.
I just worked on a borrowed idea. Credit given where credit's due.
Enjoy.
...and keep it safe. It's a wonder how the regular people feel impelled to steal this little gizmo.
You will need the following:
- an old NES controller. Prefferably not-working. I still have my NES console with a pair of working controllers. Do not use those kind. Go to a flea market or something. - a jacket zipper, 35 cm (13.8 in) long. To match the NEs scheme, I selected one in red. - phillips n°1 screwdriver - nose-end pliers - vinilic glue (like the one used in plastic water pipings, or acrylic scale models). - Instant glue. - EVA foam sheet for insulation. - book paper binders (many of 'em)
Later on I ended needing the following
- X-acto or tip-top crafts knife - Red sewing thread - Sewing Needle
When Google Keep launched, it never got the fanfare it deserved. The people that did review it compared it to all the wrong apps, like Evernote or Microsoft OneNote. That's a shame, because a surprisingly good note taking app went under the radar, underrated for coming up short against contenders it wasn't designed to face. It's about time to give Google Keep a fair shake, see where it shines, and how it fits in with the competition.It was a little less than a week after we lost Google Reader that Google Keep launched. Naturally, the first thing everyone said was "Why should I use this if Google's just going to kill it someday?" We all know everyone's worried about what Google might kill next, but that doesn't mean you can't trust any Google service ever again, and it's certainly no reason to avoid a perfectly good one that's here, now, and begging to be used. Simply, Google Keep is a syncing notepad that connects to Google Drive. It also supports photo notes, voice notes, and checklists. We covered it when it launched, but the short version is that Google Keep lets you quickly take and save those notes, photos, voice memos, and checklists to Google Drive, and then access them again on any other web-connected device you use. It's ideal for quick note-taking on the go, anyone who appreciates simple, fast note-taking tools or to-do apps, or for saving notes on the desktop that you know you'll need on your Android phone, like shopping lists, addresses, phone numbers, checklists and to-do lists, or conference call codes. Keep even supports Google Apps accounts, so you can use it with your own domain or a business account.The interface is colorful and easy to use. Those colors are actually organization tools that make it easy to tell your personal notes apart from your work-related ones, or your family-related ones, and so on. Google Keep's shallow learning curve, the Android app, the web interface, and the the Google Keep Chrome App all make getting it into your regular workflow easy, regardless of whether you prefer taking notes on the desktop or on your Android phone or tablet. Bottom line? If you're not using a syncing note-taking app yet, you love Android, and Google Chrome is your default browser, Keep could be the productivity and organizational tool for you. Let's take a look at some of its best features and how to apply them.Between voice notes, image notes, and text, Google Keep has a number of features to help you stay organized that you may not be aware of (or be using in another app already). Here are a few examples:Google Keep is fast. Google Keep is really fast, even on older devices. The app itself requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, but even older devices that have been upgrades don't have a problem with the app. Adding quick-notes is as simple as tapping the text box at the top of the Keep window and typing—it's best for those times when someone's giving you a phone number or address that you want to remember but tapping a half-dozen times just to start typing makes you wish you had pen and paper. Just below the quick note field are the individual buttons for text notes, checklists, voice notes, and images, and adding each of them is just as quick. You don't have to tap around or switch views just to add different types of notes, and you don't have to switch views to see different types of notes, either.Google Keep's voice notes are better than the competition. Adding voice notes in Google Keep is as simple as tapping the microphone and speaking. Once you're finished speaking, the app converts your speech to text, but it also attaches the original voice recording to the note so you can play it back and hear yourself. The last time we saw a feature like this so well integrated with a simple note-taking app (especially one that also supports to-do lists) was in the (now defunct) ReQall, and Keep does it much better. ReQall's banner feature was quickly-transcribed voice notes, and since it all but died, no other to-do app has really stepped up (and the ones that have offer terrible transcription). Fans of the also-defunct Jott know what I mean. Making quick recordings to yourself in the car on the commute home saves you from typing while driving, and honestly, sometimes it's just easier to talk than it is to type. Google already knows how to do speech-to-text well, so it's no surprise it's implemented well in Keep.Google Drive syncing means your data is portable (and you own it). Regardless of whether you think Keep is around to stay (personally, I think it is—it's likely destined to be a core feature of Android, and will probably be more closely integrated when Key Lime Pie arrives), Google Drive definitely is. Since Keep is so closely integrated with Drive, everything you store will be available in Drive within seconds. Plus, it doesn't matter whether you're making your notes on the web or on your Android phone—it's all there in moments.Google Keep's webapp is fast, minimal, and functional. Most of us, when we get to work or sit down at our desks, want to put our phones down, dock them, charge them, and get to work on our computers. Just because you're working on a computer doesn't mean you have to use a different to-do or note-taking app. Keep's Chrome App and even the web interface make it easy to continue using the service from your computer the moment you put your phone down. Plus, Google Keep was actually designed to function well both on Android and the web. Many of our favorite to-do apps work great on your smartphone, but suck on the desktop—if they're available via the web at all.Search and archive make organization crazy simple. Keep brings some of that old Gmail magic to a note-taking app. Instead of just deleting your checklists when you're finished with them, or deleting photos you've saved when you buy the item you snapped a pic of, archive them instead. They'll be easily searchable if you ever want to find them again, and yes—if you didn't know, Google Keep does have universal search, not just for titles, but for note contents as well.Google Keep's home screen widget is awesome. Google Keep isn't the first app to feature a home screen widget that works well for to-dos, but since Keep's widget combines your notes and the ability to quickly add new notes without opening the app first, you'll want to make room on a home screen for it.Google Keep isn't perfect. If you're not an Android user, the webapp is good, but it's not as robust as it could be, and it's missing the ability to add voice notes (although color-coding, photos, and checklists are still there). Still, it's a far sight better than the web versions of some other to-do apps we've seen. If you're an iOS user though, you're out in the cold, at least for now. If you don't like Google Drive, you can't move your notes to another service like Dropbox or Box.net. Keep is also missing tags, and even though the built-in search is great, tags and categories would be a welcome addition to keep everything neatly organized. Even so, it's seriously fast, completely free, and a strong contender...when compared against the right alternatives.Much of the launch coverage around Google Keep compared it to tools like Evernote or Microsoft OneNote, which makes sense since they're the juggernauts of the category, but Google Keep isn't really designed to compete with them. Plus, Google isn't trying to lure Evernote, OneNote, or Springpad users away from their preferred apps to Google Keep instead—it won't work. Their goal is to give every Android user a simple syncing notepad with their Android phones that they can also use on the desktop.Former Lifehacker editor (and occasional contributor) Kevin Purdy put it nicely in this column at IT World, where he ponders the same question I asked when Keep launched; "Why are people miffed that Google finally added a notepad feature to Android?"
Google Keep is not Evernote. It is not, at least at this point, a robust tool meant to fit into a total Google workflow. It is the equivalent of Notes on the iPhone: a space in which to write quickly, with online backup and access as the only real feature. If you put the Keep widget on your home screen—or, on phones running the relatively new Android 4.2 or later versions, on your lock screen—then you can very, very quickly record a voice transcription, snap a photo, or jot out a quick list. It's accessible through Google Drive, and you can read and edit through a full browser, but Keep is mostly a phone tool. It will likely be standard on future Android phones, and it will only grow features at a slow pace.
Comparing Google Keep to those Evernote is a bit like comparing a screwdriver to your favorite cordless drill. One is a generic, basic tool that can be used in multiple ways, but has its limits. The latter is a tool that can be used in place of the former, has a broader set of use cases, and is admittedly more powerful. Even so, your cordless drill needs to be charged regularly, properly stored, and you need to put a little effort into fetching it and using it, while your screwdriver is probably in your desk drawer already.Similarly, Google Keep is designed to sit quietly on your Android phone and in Chrome, waiting for you to need it and then use it. To the contrary, a tool like Evernote requires you be invested in using it, and already know how it works best for you. They can exist side-by-side, or you can use one over the other depending on the job in question, and your personal preference. Regardless of your preference though, they're not playing in the same field.If you're looking for services to put Google Keep up against, it's better compared to some of the more basic, fast, and flexible syncing note-taking apps on the market. For example, our favorite syncing note-taker for Android, Flick Note, and Simplenote, the simple, plain-text note taking service is connects to, offer a similar (if not pared down) feature set to Google Keep.Simplenote isn't alone here. Fetchnotes, another service we like, and previously mentioned organizational tool Workflowy are both closer competitors to Google Keep than apps like Evernote or OneNote. In fact, right after Google Keep launched, the developer of Colornote Notepad for Android called Google out for building a note-taking app that looked and worked almost exactly like his long-standing utility (which is still available if you want to check it out).If you're using one of these syncing note-takers to keep your to-do list organized, keep a running grocery list, or organize your to-dos in simple lists and plain text, Google Keep can offer those features (assuming you're invested in Android and Google Chrome, and don't prefer iOS or another browser) and then some. Those are the apps Google is gunning for. More importantly, the features that Google Keep offers—and the ones we'll see added to Keep as it evolves—are the basic tools Google wants to add to Drive, Android, Chrome, and eventually, Chrome OS.
David Foster Wallace's commencement address to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon college has gone down as one of the better pieces of life advice out there. His suggestion is pretty simple: when you're annoyed with another person, think about why you would do what they're doing. Of course, this is easier said than done. We have all kinds of biases that prevent us from seeing another person's point of view. One of the problems is our bias blind spot that suggests we can't really compensate for our own biases because we don't believe we have them. As Wallace suggests, the best thing you can do is try to think about how you think. Scientific American has another similar approach:
Mindfulness, in contrast, involves observing without questioning. If the takeaway from research on cognitive biases is not simply that thinking errors exist but the belief that we are immune from them, then the virtue of mindfulness is pausing to observe this convoluted process in a non-evaluative way. We spend a lot of energy protecting our egos instead of considering our faults. Mindfulness may help reverse this.
It's not easy, but choosing to think a different way can make plenty of life's annoyances less frustrating. You can read Wallace's full speech here. This is Water | Vimeo
Windows/OS X: CupCloud makes it easy to save and stop your work on one computer and pick right up where you left off on another, or save your session so you can reboot your computer and get right back to work without opening a ton of tabs or applications again.CupCloud is in public beta right now, but it works like a charm. Just keep CupCloud running in the background on your Windows PC or Mac, and when you need to save your computer's session, just bring up the window and click "Cup" to save your system's current state—that includes open browser windows, open documents, files, and Explorer or Finder windows. Then, when you sit down at your other computer, you can click "uncup" to automatically open the programs you were working in, tabs you were reading, documents you were editing, and so on. It's quick and easy—and you don't have to leave everything open on the other computer for it to work.Similarly, the app is useful if you suddenly have to reboot—like after a new application install, or because your IT department just pushed new updates to your computer that require a restart. Just Cup your current session, reboot, Uncup it, and you're back to work. You can even share those "cups," or saved sessions, with others so you can work together.CupCloud isn't perfect—right now it only supports popular web browsers, Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, Finder, Explorer, and Acrobat—but more applications are coming soon as the beta progresses. You'll still have to remember to re-open your IM client, for exampe, or your favorite Twitter app. However, the service is completely free and very useful. Hit the link below to see how it works, and to sign up.CupCloud
The first time I stumbled upon a NES purse instructable, (here) I made one of myself right away. In the process, and in the daily usage, I found many glitches that I tried to overcome. Such as: coinage make the case rattle too much, and the purse can be opened halfways wide open, dropping all the content. So, this is my third NES purse (v 1.0 was stolen (too cool to let in my backpack unnatended), v2.0 was rendered as a gift to my girlfriend (also stolen from his backpack, thievemagnet this thing is)), so in v 3.0 I managed to backup the whole construction process, to end up with a fully capable and wearable object. 
You will need the following: 
Google Drive syncing means your data is portable (and you own it). Regardless of whether you think Keep is around to stay (personally, I think it is—it's likely destined to be a core feature of Android, and will probably be more closely integrated when Key Lime Pie arrives), Google Drive definitely is. Since Keep is so closely integrated with Drive, everything you store will be available in Drive within seconds. Plus, it doesn't matter whether you're making your notes on the web or on your Android phone—it's all there in moments.Google Keep's webapp is fast, minimal, and functional. Most of us, when we get to work or sit down at our desks, want to put our phones down, dock them, charge them, and get to work on our computers. Just because you're working on a computer doesn't mean you have to use a different to-do or note-taking app. Keep's Chrome App and even the web interface make it easy to continue using the service from your computer the moment you put your phone down. Plus, Google Keep was actually designed to function well both on Android and the web. Many of our favorite to-do apps work great on your smartphone, but suck on the desktop—if they're available via the web at all.Search and archive make organization crazy simple. Keep brings some of that old Gmail magic to a note-taking app. Instead of just deleting your checklists when you're finished with them, or deleting photos you've saved when you buy the item you snapped a pic of, archive them instead. They'll be easily searchable if you ever want to find them again, and yes—if you didn't know, Google Keep does have universal search, not just for titles, but for note contents as well.Google Keep's home screen widget is awesome. Google Keep isn't the first app to feature a home screen widget that works well for to-dos, but since Keep's widget combines your notes and the ability to quickly add new notes without opening the app first, you'll want to make room on a home screen for it.Google Keep isn't perfect. If you're not an Android user, the webapp is good, but it's not as robust as it could be, and it's missing the ability to add voice notes (although color-coding, photos, and checklists are still there). Still, it's a far sight better than the web versions of some other to-do apps we've seen. If you're an iOS user though, you're out in the cold, at least for now. If you don't like Google Drive, you can't move your notes to another service like Dropbox or Box.net. Keep is also missing tags, and even though the built-in search is great, tags and categories would be a welcome addition to keep everything neatly organized. Even so, it's seriously fast, completely free, and a strong contender...when compared against the right alternatives.Much of the launch coverage around Google Keep compared it to tools like Evernote or Microsoft OneNote, which makes sense since they're the juggernauts of the category, but Google Keep isn't really designed to compete with them. Plus, Google isn't trying to lure Evernote, OneNote, or Springpad users away from their preferred apps to Google Keep instead—it won't work. Their goal is to give every Android user a simple syncing notepad with their Android phones that they can also use on the desktop.Former Lifehacker editor (and occasional contributor) Kevin Purdy put it nicely in this column at IT World, where he ponders the same question I asked when Keep launched; "Why are people miffed that Google finally added a notepad feature to Android?"