TeknologikL

Initially I said I didn't want an e-reader or a tablet. Now I have both and love using them in certain situations. The e-reader's a great alternative to carrying several books when I travel; the tablet easily makes my work much more portable than a clunky laptop.

Most importantly, the tablet helps me stay connected. There are a number of apps that I use for work, connectivity, and productivity. Here are five:

1. Splashtop - This remote desktop app allows me to connect to my PCs from anywhere. The free version allows connection to any laptop on the same network or one that you can access via VPN. I connect to my work computer by VPN and connect to my home computer from home to access certain files or software.

2. Evernote - I use Evernote to write blog posts, create lists, and brainstorm. It's a great way to save information that can be accessed anywhere, either via the website or an app on a tablet or smart phone. This is an app that I use almost every day, especially when I'm working.

3. join.me - This service allows you to share your computer screen with others. A free, easy alternative to tools like WebEx, it's great for virtual meetings and conference calls. A picture's worth 1,000 words and being able to see what someone's explaining can really help with understanding complex points in a meeting.

4. Dragon Dictation - If you're not the best typist, this app is a great one for converting speech to text. (It's also good for those who like to hear themselves talk!) I've tested it a few times and it understands me quite well; the opposite of the trouble I have with most automated phone systems!

5. HootSuite - Another tool that's available as a web-based application, HootSuite is a social media management tool. I schedule tweets for @CR4_News, respond to messages, and keep an eye on the social media conversation. It's compatible with major social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Apps I don't like? For some reason I can't get the hang of the LinkedIn app. I prefer the experience of using that social network in a web browser. Same goes for Google Reader. I've tried Feedly but I really prefer using the original Google Reader to catch up on my favorite RSS feeds.

How about you? What are your favorite apps? Any that you wish existed?

Call me old fashioned, but I like to write things down and print things out. Especially as an editor, it is so much easier for me to get out the trusty red pen and draw all types of cryptic markings than for me to read/edit something on the computer. Soon I could have the best of both worlds. Human Media Lab has created a working prototype of a paper-thin tablet computer.

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According to an article in PopSci, the paper-like tablets communicate with one another to make working "more like shuffling papers." The product, which comes out of research at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, is named PaperTab.

PaperTab looks and feels like a sheet of paper, except it has a high resolution 10.7" plastic display which is a fully-interactive, flexible, touchscreen. PaperTab can file and display thousands of paper documents, replacing the need for a computer monitor and stacks of papers or printouts. Unlike traditional tablets, PaperTabs keep track of their location relative to each other and the user, providing a seamless experience across all apps, as if they were physical computer windows.

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PaperTab has a unique user interface which makes them work more like actual pieces of paper. They are designed to work in clusters of up to ten tablets and the user can control various screens at once. This means that you can have several documents or apps running at once and work across several PaperTabs to execute tasks while moving thing around between them. The whole process sounds very complicated, but it is better explained with this video. Instead of swipe gestures, the corner of the notebook is dog-eared one way or another (i.e. push it forward to fast-forward or turn a page.)

My favorite function is the ability to link multiple tabs together to extend the viewing screen and allowing you to click and drag, as well as draw/write on the screen. As someone who organizes information on a daily basis, I could see the benefit of being able to click and drag text from one line to another without losing my spot (like I always do on the computer). Being able to handwrite my notes on a screen and then link it with the actual task would be pretty great too. People remember 70% of the things they write down, so having that notebook-like functionality would feel seamless.

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I'm excited about where this product is heading and the potential it has to streamline work and make information more tactile, which is something I miss at work.

Cooler Master has been redefining the PC gaming accessory market with high quality products at better prices than the competition. I was so pleased with the products I'd been testing that I reached out for more. I've spent the last few months with the CM Storm Recon mouse and it has met most of my expectations.

The build of the Recon felt great. It's light and very solidly built, but I was sad to see no braided cable - which was included on all CM keyboards I've reviewed - on this mouse. The design is ambidextrous - which is fine - but I also found another gripe here. I kept hitting the forward and back buttons on the right hand side of the mouse unintentionally. Even months into ownership, I still hit these side buttons on the right from time to time. The Recon has on the fly DPI adjustment via 2 up and down buttons under the scroll wheel which I found very convenient. There's a wonderful finish on the mouse which is nice to grip while keeping things soft and comfortable.

The driver for the Recon stumped me for a moment. When I installed it I couldn't make any adjustments until I realized a new profile is needed to edit any settings. A little strange, but once I had a new profile made there were lots of options and setting to adjust. The Avago ADNS-3090 sensor does very well and is found in many high end gaming mice. It supports 800-4000 DPI. I found it to track very well.

The Recon comes in at around 39.99, which is very fair for what you are getting. I'm not the biggest fan of the shape and ambidextrous buttons I hit by accident. In the Recon's defense this was my first time using a mouse not designed for a righty. I would still recommend this mouse as it packs a ton of value and wonderful build quality.

Pros:

Build Quality

Solid Software

Great Sensor

Price

Wonderful 'Feel'

Cons:

Shape

No Braided Cord

I recently received a new product to review from Cooler Master called the Skorpion. What is the Skorpion? It's a cable bungee; its function is to limit or totally eliminate cable drag and snagging geared towards PC gamers. I must say I have had my cable snag many times in my day, but it was never an issue I had imagined needing a product to solve.

I opened the box to find a heavy, well-constructed bungee shaped like a Scorpion. Between the weight of it and the rubber feet, the Skorpion stayed in place throughout all my time using it both working and gaming. I was very happy to find the same build quality I've come to expect from Cooler Master.

After running my mouse cord through the rubber channel or "stinger," and adjusting the length to my preference, I could feel the benefit almost immediately. It makes a wired mouse feel nearly wireless. When I brought my review unit home from work and started gaming I really appreciated how it made my mouse feel lighter and faster without having to drag the cable around with it. When I went back into the office, I found myself wishing I had brought the scorpion with me. I was hooked on the lightweight mouse feel the Skorpion provided and I loved having my mouse cables out of the way.

So how much is the Skorpion? About 20 bucks. Google found me one for 17.99. Yes you can get a wireless mouse for less. But a gaming wireless mouse for the price? I doubt it. Further, you never have to replace batteries with a wired mouse paired with the Skorpion, but you'll still get the wireless feel.

I wouldn't have guessed I would fall for the Skorpion when I pulled it from the box, but truth be told I'm head over heels. A must have for wired mouse gamers and a must have for me in the office.

As part of an engineering forum, I can confidently say that at least a handful of you out there dabble in building/repairing desktops or laptops. Part of the fun in starting a new build or upgrading an old rig is looking at all the different parts by various manufacturers to optimize the performance per dollar spent. Any veteran of the hobby can tell you that one of the harder decisions comes down to what processor you're going to use and what motherboard you're going to socket it into.

For a while, there was a rumor that Intel wanted to streamline the manufacturing process and produce CPU's that are soldered directly onto the motherboard (here-by referred to as 'mobo'). The rumor grew so critically, that a spokesman from Intel made a rare appearance and gave the statement:

"Intel remains committed to the growing desktop enthusiast and channel markets, and will continue to offer socketed parts in the LGA package for the foreseeable future for our customers and the Enthusiast DIY market; however, Intel cannot comment on specific long-term product roadmap plans at this time, but will disclose more details later per our normal communication process."

Rumors of the death of the socketable CPU came when inside reports showed Ball Grid Array (BGA) CPU's that have to be soldered in place in order to be used. Intel is still continuing on this project, but assured the DIY community that they will continue to make products for the enthusiasts.

This isn't the first scare for the DIY hobbyists. MacBooks have already taken a step in this direction by soldering the memory directly onto the motherboard, preventing any kind of personal repair of the laptop and forcing a full replacement of both the mobo and the RAM should either become faulty. The battery is glued directly to the case of the laptop, making it nigh impossible for third-party techs to repair it should everything goes wrong. Instead, the whole laptop will have to be mailed in to Apple's battery replacement program for the low price of $199.

Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 8, doesn't hurt the DIY market. Rather, it attacks desktops as a whole. I had the opportunity to play with it when it was a "Developer Preview". At that time, here was a registry tweak that could be performed to disable "Metro", the touchscreen over world of your computing device, and get the start menu back. Once I had the desktop mode that I was familiar with, the system commands actually ran particularly efficiently. With the actual software however, the Metro was been built directly into Explorer.exe itself. What that means is that Metro will always be the first thing you see on your desktop-- always. Rumor has it that there might be a way to use a Windows Explorer shell replacement to bypass it, but the typical user won't be able to figure it out. Businesses don't even have the option to disable it via group policies, leaving a clunky initial interface to deal with. Even with a mastery of Metro, it would seem that the whole user interface is built heavily around the ability to touch the screen, insinuating that the operating system was developed largely for mobile devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets. Large, brightly coloured buttons to attract the attention of consumers that want the "latest and greatest" litter the screen to show all of 10-15 restricted applications. I say restricted because most of the apps you'll find on a Metro screen come right from with Windows App Store. If you want something else, you have to jump through a set of restriction called API partitioning. I won't get into the details of that now, but suffice it to say, it's extremely limiting.

There is some hope on the horizon. Over the years, more people have turned to Linux-based OSs and modular designs for a variety of reasons, and a plethora of companies have created a more user-friendly world for desktop enthusiasts. Screwless cases that have you simply pop in a hard drive replace the cases of old that were machine cut to have razor-edged corners that could easily slice a cucumber in two. Modular power supplies make cable management easier than ever by allowing users to plug in only what is necessary instead of fumbling around with the extra cables throughout the case. Even if Intel were to jump ship and focus entirely on mobile platforms, we can rest assure that the demand is out there to allow some other business such as AMD to come in and save us from buying the un-optimized, ill-efficient, cookie cutter desktops for three times the price.

These thoughts are biased and open for discussion in the comments below!

^Sources:

^{MaximumPC - Intel Company Committed to Sockets}

^{Recyclers disagree on impact of glued-in Retina MacBook Pro batteries}

^{MacBook Pro battery replacement}

^{Metro app restrictions}

Previously, on Automate Your Life, we discussed the time-saving value of AutoHotKeys. If you benefited from those time saving tips and even started using some AHKs, good for you! (Tell us about it below.)

Why not take it a step further? Instead of using the keys on your keyboard, consider using a mouse that has macro functionality built into it. This way you don't have to take your hand off the mouse to do certain tasks. Again, if you can scratch out a repetitive movement from your daily work it may not seem like much, but that time adds up. Plus it saves your sanity - who likes doing mundane tasks over and over when you don't really have to? Macro-enabled mice are especially useful for when you have many different macros pre-loaded, ready to use at any time. How do you do that? I'm glad you asked.

To make your AHKs start when Windows starts, you simply need to save them in the Windows Startup folder. If you're running Windows 7, that folder would be C:\Users\~YOURNAME~\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. If you're running a different version of Windows, check this site out to see where you should save those AHKs. Once you have your AHKs saved in that folder they will start when Windows starts and respond to the respective keys you've mapped them to. You'll never have to open them again -- they're ready to go. Once you've reached this level of AHK prowess, it only makes sense to get a macro-ready mouse!

The mouse I chose for myself is the Logitech G600 (pictured above). It's advertised as a gaming mouse, focused on MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games. However, the level of efficiency, accuracy, and versatility it offers can certainly be taken advantage of in the workplace as well. The software is very easy to use too. One cool feature of the mouse is that it has on-board memory, allowing you to store your macros on the mouse. This way you do not need to transfer any profiles to a different computer. The macros you've programmed are ready to go with any computer you plug it into.

Setting up these profiles is very easily done too. As you can see in the picture to the right, I have all the buttons of the mouse set up for my purposes now. If any of my regular uses for macros change, I can easily make the revisions through this program. You've got all those buttons ready, and then if you hold the G-Shift button, they all change purpose into the G-Shift set of key mappings. So you essentially have about 30 actions all in one quick device. I'm not trying to plug for Logitech. You can get this kind of mouse from a number of different companies.

It can get pretty involved, so don't get too crazy. We just like to see efficiency and innovation in the workplace. For engineers macros can be useful for CAD, Excel, and in use with other software and development tools. Do you have any tools at work that automate certain processes? What macros or other tools have you used to make your work run smoother, quicker, or more efficient?

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