Don’t get we wrong, there are many aspects of real-time goodness I love.  But the web used to be something we do and now it’s part of who we are.  So isn’t it time to reassess how we interact with it ?

I read this article a few times this weekend and think it’s a complete piece of bliss.

It struck a chord with me, as I’ve been contemplating similar things like: is my blanket high personal availability killing my productivity and peace? I think it is.

It’s why I dropped using AIM as a communication platform, it’s why I don’t always answer my phone when it rings. It’s why my email isn’t open every time I’m in front of the computer.

Why? It helps my productivity, helps my brain focus and it helps me get a good flow going for my work so I can give more to my clients, myself and those I love.

Of course, that’s not to say ignore everything. The point is to prioritize everything.

Definitely recommended reading.

In the software world, the first, second, and third versions of any product are really pretty good, because everyone can use them. Then companies start adding more and more stuff to keep their existing customers happy. But you end up dying with your customer base, because the software is too complicated for a newcomer.

- Jason Fried in INC

An all-around good read, full of gems like that.

I’ve tried to do screen recordings, video walkthroughs and the like before. They’ve always required software, and that software requires multiple steps to use. Granted, some screencasting tools are pretty nice. Screen Jelly, however, has seemed do something different: they’ve eliminated cost and complexity and made it dead simple to do screen recording.

You’ve got 3 minutes to record whatever you need and share it in a video. You then then tweet, email or embed it on your site. Now it won’t be a hassle to record walkthroughs! Bonus: I can mark these as private and only share them with people who have the URL.

One of the things I like the most about the OS X Dashboard is how it can help with your productivity. I wanted to share a three really handy widgets that can really help you get your designey things done quicker.

1) Lorem Ipsum

While I think you would do well to use actual copy wherever possible, sometimes it just isn’t an option. This widget can easily create a word, phrase, sentence, paragraph or custom length lorem ipsum phrase with just a couple of clicks. Super handy! (Download Link)

2) Measuring Block

I’ve also found this really fun widget called Measuring Block. It’s a scaling transparent grid that has pixel measurements in the lower right corner. It’s been invaluable to me when I’m trying to quickly measure an element for a comp. (Download Link)

3) Kuler

In addition to the other widgets, I’ve got a speedy way to find an inspiring color scheme. Kuler (pronounced cooler) is Adobe product for color scheming. It also has a really neat widget that automatically pulls the highest rated color schemes from the Kuler website (which is also fabulously designed). (Download link)

Do you have any widgets you use in your design process? Which ones? Sadly, I don’t know any for you Yahoo! widget folks, suggestions welcome!