Two Time Savers: Autopilot and Download
Posted on April 14, 2008 - Filed Under Personal |
No secret is made of the fact that I would like to have a mobile lifestyle. Nothing like ultra-vagabond Tim Ferris but flexibility to go wherever, whenever for however long. Being a perpetual traveler holds no appeal but being able to travel certainly does.
Presented below are two items which I believe anyone can benefit from. Perhaps having a mobile lifestyle is not in your choice but these ideas may make life a little easier, maybe simpler or a bit more flexible.
Autopilot
Reclaiming those precious hours of the day has become more important to me. Also reducing the number of hassles in general is always good for the psyche. And of course, one bill always slips through the cracks. How can this be? An inventory of my bills was in order.
| Project #1 Mortgage | Credit Card #1 |
| Project #1 HELOC | Credit Card #2 |
| Project #2 Mortgage | Credit Card #3 |
| Project #2 HELOC | Electric |
| Project #1 Waterbill | Cell Phone |
| Project #2 WaterBill | Cable/Internet |
| GrassGuy | Car Insurance |
Fourteen bills. Ohmigod. For a guy who’s lucky to match his socks in the morning, it’s no wonder 1 bill slips by. As I reread this list, I know I have missed one. But which missed escapes me . . .
A few months back, an experiment was started with paying my cell phone bill. Instead of logging in, entering credit card information, and paying $50/month I set my phone up to charge my credit card automatically. It has been a resounding success. It is a wonderful feeling, not having to worry about one bill.
The electric bill will soon suffer the same fate. Followed by the car insurance and cable bill.
Download
Reading blogs at 32,000 feet?
Mobility. This is why I purchase laptops instead of desktops. Internet connections however aren’t available everywhere. One of my pet peeves is places that advertise internet but then want to charge you for connecting.
An article has already been written, talking about Google Reader as a time saver. I’m a big fan. But I discovered something the other day that allows me to take all of you with me. On the screen, in the upper right hand corner, is a button which allows all the blogs in your Google reader to be downloaded to your local machine. This button is part of Google Gears.
On the eve of my flight, the download button was clicked and I proceeded to get ready for my departure. Once on the plane, my mac was opened and I caught up on all my reading over the weekend. How nice is that?
If you liked that post, then try these...
What I've truly missed on August 9th, 2006
Steaks from Costco: $20
GE Stove from Lowes: $450
New Kitchen to prepare dinner: $25,000
Steak served with Cognac demi-glace sauce along with potatoes, sauteed in foie gras fat: IN-FREAKING-CREDIBLE
.
Something in the water on August 16th, 2006
"I want to meet the owner of these houses!" a voice screamed from the street.
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3 Responses to “Two Time Savers: Autopilot and Download”
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Very nice! You appear to be Mr. Google these days. You have to love technology.
A foresee a time in the future where the Internet will be accessed via satelite and we’ll be hearing about your travels as you sail through the Phillipines and scuba dive the shorelines of Australia.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Matt’s last blog post..Conspiracy Theory? Or Reality? (North American Union)
I hear you about the internet connection. I didn’t want to pay a ton of money for a wireless card that I would use infrequently, so I hacked my blackberry. It was the best 1/2 day of programming I’ve ever spent.
Matt, I wouldn’t be such a big proponent of Google if they didn’t create which enhanced my life. Their model calls for not announcing anything with great fanfare so most tools go unnoticed for a long time.
SCUBA diving in Australia, eating sushi in Japan, eating couscous in Fes: I’ll report back on all.
Carla: you hacked your blackberry. Nice! Many coffee shops I go to want to charge me a connection fee. Like Harbucks. Surprisingly the airports at Denver and Phoenix have free WiFi.