Steve’s Blog

I’m going to ruin one of my thumb drives. It’s just a matter of time. Although I’ve been lucky so far and I make regular backups, I’ve always known that one of these days I’m going to yank that little sucker out at the wrong time and completely hose whatever it is that I was working on. So why would someone who loves portable apps as much as I do risk destroying one of those precious applications? Because Microsoft in their infinite wisdom made it such a pain in the ass to get to their tool for safely ejecting a drive that I never bother to use it. Sound like you too? Well, luckily for us there’s an easier way. The How-To-Geek has created a nice little shortcut that you can add to your desktop that will bring up the Windows Safely Remove Hardware dialog quickly. You could even put it somewhere out of sight where Launchy can index it and get quick access without the desktop clutter.

Create a Shortcut or Hotkey for the Safely Remove Hardware Dialog :: the How-To Geek

Via: Lifehacker

I recently invested in a nice pair of noise canceling headphones to help counter the general clamor of my office environment. They’re great for your basic droning office noises, but conversations taking place around me can still break through my little white noise barrier, and don’t even get me started on ringing phones… I’ve tried several different types of ambient noise/music to compliment the headphones, but most just leave me feeling sleepy. Music from mp3s and sites like last.fm or Pandora can be just as distracting as conversations, if not worse. So what’s a developer in need of a little quiet and concentration to do? Among all the options I’ve tried, Soma FM station Groove Salad stands out above them all. Yes, the station plays mostly ambient music, but most of it is up-tempo enough to stave off the drowsies without being overbearing. If you’re looking for a solution to help combat noise in your office, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Groove Salad

If you ever have trouble putting the day behind you and starting fresh, this post over at lifehack.org might have some tips to help. After I implemented a similar habit of taking time to reflect on my day and put it behind me, I found that I was able to get to sleep much faster and generally had a better night’s sleep. I’ve found that keeping a written journal where I answer some of these same questions about my day helps give me a concrete way to close the day and start fresh the next morning. I’ll typically write down 2-3 things that I want to work on the next day on an index card and leave it somewhere that I know I’ll see it in the morning.  What works for you?
Getting Rid of Yesterday: How to Start Your Day Fresh - lifehack.org