I want one.
I just started using Google Tasks with my Motorola Droid and I’m finding it pretty helpful. It’s actually my favorite task list so far.
I’ve been playing around with two different methods of viewing the Google Tasks from the Droid:
1. Point the Android browser to google.com/tasks. If you have tasks installed in your GMAIL account, your task list will automatically appear here. I put a shortcut to my bookmark for Google Tasks on my phones desktop. Since this is pulling the list straight from GMAIL over the internet connection, there is no need to sync the tasks.
2. The other option is to use the app called GTASKS. It is a wrapper for the TASKS. At this point, you have to sync the task list on your phone. Even though you have to sync the list I think this is my favorite option.
Why is this my favorite task list so far?
1. It’s easily available from GMAIL – which is central to everything I do. It’s simple to quickly type a task while I’m reading an email.
2. I can access my task list from anywhere to add or remove tasks from my phone.
3. I can have multiple task lists! It’s easy to switch between lists and to move tasks from list to list.
4. You can schedule due dates and they appear on your Google Calendar. Nice.
It’s not a fully featured as most of the task lists I’ve used, but I’m not interested in a bunch of bells and whistles that makes using a task list more of a task in itself.
Simple is better.
I was thinking about compiling a list of Google’s services for reference, thinking there were maybe a couple dozen that I would have to hunt down.
I ran into someone who already compiled the list of Google’s products and services here.
269 Products and Services… dang.
Right now I am sitting up in bed with laptop in lap while leaning against the hard cold outer wall of my house. I’ve tried lying down with the laptop before but I usually end up shifting positions a dozen times, finally giving up and then I’m back to leaning against that hard cold wall. There’s just no easy way to do it. So, tonight I decided to find some options. Here they be:
1. The Laptop Laidback – The Laptop Laidback looks like what I’m after. They even have pictures of people lying down using it. The Laidback is lightweight at 3lbs, and is portable folding down to only 2″ thick bundle with a handle. I can easily fold it up and slide it under the bed. The price is $99.99 + $14.95 Shipping and Handling.
2. The Lapdawg – The LapDawg looks like it would let you lie down on the job too! The LapDawg weighs in at nearly 6lbs, and also folds into a small size which can be toted around. It comes with a carrying box with a handle. I pretty much know that if I get one, it will never find it’s way into the box. Might as well just throw it out. The nice thing about the Lapdawg is that it looks like it can be folded into other applications like a laptray, tv tray, bed and breakfast tray, or bookholder. My primary use is for lying down and working, but if I’m dropping some coin, some flexibility would be nice to I suppose. The price is $89.99 + Shipping and Handling.
3. The Wizard from LapWorks – The Wizard would work too! The Wizard is just under 5lbs, and looks like it is also very portable. The Wizard claims to be the largest platform available. The Wizard will also fold into other uses like a tv tray, bed and breakfast tray and more. The Wizard’s website pretty much screams “we’re better than the LapDawg.” They sell for $99.95 and offer a lifetime warranty.
4. The Lappyvator – This is the “Do It Yourself (DIY) approach to a lapdesk to work from a lying down position. It’s definitely not as portable or easy to put away as the other options and it’s not very pretty, but it looks like it would get the job done. The obvious advantage is the it’s cheap. All you have is the cost of some PVC pipes and some glue, and don’t forget a little time with a hacksaw.
5. The Acrobat from LapWorks – The Acrobat is another option. It is also lightweight at under 2lbs. It comes in different colors. I doesn’t look very easy to fold down or store., according to the site it folds down, but I didn’t see any pictures showing it. According to the site, a new model is coming that is wider and also has a mouse pad. This isn’t may favorite choice for a pay model. It costs $69.95 plus Shipping and Handling.
6. The Swing-Away Laptop Desk / Stand from AirDesk – The Airdesk Swing-Away is a little bit of a different solution to the problem. Instead of a lapdesk, it’s a stand with a shelf that swings back and forth. It’’s not a lightweight or portable solution, but seems like it would be very user friendly. Just sit or lie down and swing the shelf over you. When you’re done, swing it back. This would be more like buying a permanent piece of bedroom furniture. It also has the option of adding additional shelves for other uses (mouse, reference, etc.) It’s a little more expensive, ranging from $165 – $195 depending on the configuration plus shipping and handling.
7. Loungebook – The Loungebook is a nicer more polished swingaway. Again, it’s more like buying a piece of furniture. This is not a lightweight portable item. There are several different models, so if you are into something a little nicer and more permanent, take some time to do a little browsing. The price range is from $125 – $300 plus shipping and handling.
There are a few other models out there that didn’t really fit my purpose of being able to actually LIE down and use the laptop. I don’t need a fancy over the lap style tray. I’m looking for the ultimate lazy laptop holder! 
Now it’s time to make a choice and make the investment.
I submitted a link to a cake site (incredible-cakes.com) that I am developing. I got rejected. snif. Admittedly, the site still needs a lot of work and has been sitting dormant for most of this year.
According to their message – copied below, they don’t have any merchants that match my site’s content at this point.
I’ll probably submit another site to them in a couple of weeks.
Big Kudo’s to Skimlinks.com for watching their log files and tracing back to my blog post. I rec’d a comment from Alicia Navarro – Co-founder & CEO of Skimlinks.
I fully believe it’s always worth 60 seconds of a company’s time to throw out a quick howdy to a small blogger from Fort Wayne, IN. Plus, I really like that someone out there is “keen to hear my thoughts.”
Thanks for the comment Alicia, but my thoughts will have to wait until I have something that works with your application!
Here’s my rejection letter. (I don’t care what it is, rejection is always painful.)
Hi Keith,
Thank you for applying to use Skimlinks on your site. Our approvals team has run an analysis and, unfortunately, decided your site is not suitable for Skimlinks.
Regrettably, the range of merchants that we are currently working with does not match the content of your site. Consequently, Skimlinks would generate negligible revenues for you as it is unlikely that we would be able to monetise included links.
If you decide to make changes to your site, or you have another site you would like to use Skimlinks on, please apply again via
or contact us on support@skimlinks.com for more details.
Regards,
The Skimlinks Team
Best regards
I was never a huge fan of Conan O’Brien, but really loving some of his latest shenanigans.
I just got this link from Scott via email, appropriately titled: “cracks my sh*t up.”
fantastic.
Sometime in 2010 LEGO will be launching their MMOG called The LEGO Universe. It looks pretty slick.
Something tells me I’m not going to be able to keep my 8-year old away from it. Hopefully the subscription isn’t going to be to pricey!
The LEGO shtick:
“The LEGO Group is developing a new massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) called LEGO Universe. Players in this revolutionary gameworld will experience the fun, creativity and quality of a LEGO product in an awe-inspiring virtual environment.”
Well, I was trying to enter a super secure password on my Droid tonight using the Shapewriter keyboard. I had no problem entering the lowercase letters, numbers and punctuation marks in my password, but once I got to the first CAPITAL letter… BAM. I was stuck. I searched and searched the keyboard for a shift key, caps key, menu toggle, ANYTHING that would let me enter a capital letter. No luck.
Is it really possible that this keyboard does not have a SHIFT key? After searching the internet high and low, all I’ve found are several comments stating that the shift was removed from the keyboard at some point.
WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY DO THAT?
So, looks like I may be flipping back to the standard keyboard for now.
Just visited the Heliconsoft website, the makers of Helicon Focus.
I just flipped some of their examples, and I really want to take this out for a test drive.
I mostly take snap shots (family and friends kinda stuff) but after looking at this, I’m aching to go take pictures with extreme depth of field issues. I really love the picture of the shot gun! (does that say something about me?)
Here’s the sales shtick:
“Helicon Focus is a program that creates one completely focused image from several partially focused images by combining the focused areas.
The program is designed for macrophotography, microphotography and hyperfocal landscape photography to cope with the shallow depth-of-field problem.”
Here’s the link to Helicon Focus.