Translate directly from search bar

Google added new function to its search bar to allow translation from English in 9 languages and vise versa. The 9 languages are: French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinses, Hindi, Italian, Korean and Portugese. That came handy. Type translate followed by a word, or type translate WORD into LANGUAGE. [via Lifehacker]

Entry example: translate 优点

Entry Example: translate good into Chinese

You can perform quiet a few other tasks from the search bar as well:

• Dictionary: type define followed by the word you want to look up, Google will return the definition of the word from couple major sources.

Entry example: define good

• Unit Conversion: type ## INPUT UNIT in OUTPUT UNIT, Google will give the converted unit.

Entry example: 58kg in pounds

• Currency Conversion: type ## CURRENCY in OUTPUT CURRENCY, similar to Unit Conversion, currency conversion convert currency.

Entry example: 10 us dollars in yuan

• Calculation: function similar to excel spread sheets, Google will return the result of function typed in.

Entry example: 1024/2

Export contacts from Lotus to Outlook

A colleague asked to help her transfer all my contacts from Lotus to Outlook. I thought this would been a very simple thing at first, but there are actually quiet some hassle in this. Let's see some of the solutions that seemed to work, but don't first:

1. CSV & Tab-delimit: These formats is accepted by both software; however, Lotus Notes refuse to export full information for each contact for neither format.
2. VCard: Vcard is also accepted by both software, and Lotus does export all information of each contact into one Vcard file. However, Outlook refuse to read beyond the first entry of the VCard file.
3. Buy a product or twig some complicated configuration: I don't want to put her through neither process.

That was some frustrating process for somthing so simple. Then I though Gmail. =)

1. Export all contacts from Lotus Notes into VCard format.
2. Sign-in Gmail (or Sign-up for one, it's great! ;]) , click on Contact on the left side.
3. Create a temporary group to store the imported contacts. (this will help to identify the newly imported contacts, and help to clean up your Gmail contact after you are done)
   
4. On the right of contact page, select Import. Find the .vcf file, and in Also add these imported contacts to: select temporary (you just created).
5. In the temporary group, select all contacts, and click Export. Under What format would you like to export to? select Outlook's CSV format.
6. Now you have a CSV file, import this file into Outlook, wola! You are all good. =)
   

Walkability: find a suitable neighbourhood

WalkScore.com is a website that measures the walkability. So what's walkability?! A check in Wikipedia shows it's "the measure of the overall walking conditions in an area". So in my lay term that means how convenient is it to access services you need on a regular basis by walking. Without taking the car, can you do the grocery, din out, have a drink, go shopping with a friend, take kids to school, do some reading or research in a library etc, etc. WalkScore.com should be a really good tool to help check out the neighbourhood you might want to live in. However, there are some services that's not measured in WalkScore.com yet, which I think really should have, like post office, atm and family doctors. Hopefully that will be added soon. =)

via Lifehacker

DIY: reuse empty CD spindle

Recycle CD Box - video powered by Metacafe

From Lifehacker, a video to show how to reuse empty CD spindle in four ways: toilet paper bin, sandwich container, battery lamp, and thread roller. I'm not sure if I'd want to use it as my lunch box, but toilet paper bin, and thread roller seem to be quiet interesting and useful ideas. In the past, Lifehacker had also mentioned reuse paper towel tube to organize cable, which I find really quiet useful!

Hallelujah?! Google Calendar enables syncing with desktop calendars

Now Google finally announced support for CalDAV, and Lifehacker rolled a very nice tutorial of sycning GCal with different desktop calendars and back, including iCal.... on Leopard. -__-##

Hallelu....jah?! Talk about send me into heaven before shooting me back down on the ground again. I've been very eagerly waiting for Google Calendar, GCal, to have the ability to sync with my desktop calendar, iCal.

But good news for everyone else who use Leopard or other desktop clients, Outlook, Thunderbirds. Go, take advantage.

Paper fold CD case

Curbly teaches a very smart trick of paper folding CD cases. I can instantly think of couple scenarios when this is very useful:

1. giving your prof that CD you just burnt 5 min ago before deadline, you will look better with this paper fold CD case than a bare CD
2. lending your friends a CD out of your CD wallet, a paper fold case could protect it from scratch,
   
3. and if you take a little extra time to customize the paper, it will even look more personalized as gift. =)

via lifehacker

Rant: Would it be nice?

I'm subscribed to many social media bookmarking: Del.ico.us, Google notebook, Google readers, and plus my browser, firefox's bookmarking function. Each one of these services has it's advantages, and I have a humongous amount of bookmarks on each. Here comes the frustration then. My collection of bookmarking, clipboard of web content are segregated on each. Syncing them is tidies and a nuance to do, in addition that not all content can transfer.

Wouldn't it be nice if there's a service where I could access and search my collection as a whole? With standard categorization, tags... If I search for design inspirations, the things I bookmarked on Google Readers, the bookmarks I added in Del.ico.us & Firefox, and clips of the web pasted in Google Notebook would all show up. Would that be nice, ah?

Skitch: share pictures easy

A great photo annotate and sharing tool. Why start up the Photoshop for something simple as resizing a picture, make a simple annotation, or sharing a screenshot? Skitch allows easy, basic image editing such as cropping & resizing, as well as instant uploading for sharing.

Skitch via Lifehacker

My Goal: Keep Room Clean Habbits

From ZenHabits

• hang your clothes up or put them in hamper immediately
• put all papers (including school papers, post-in notes, bills, etc) in one in basket, and process at the end of each day (use the steps in Clearing Your Desk)
• keep you sink clean and shiny (wash dishes immediately, clean sink after)
• pick up before you go to bed and before you leave the house
• empty your trash daily
• 15 minutes decluttering sessions each day (see How to Declutter)
• clean your shower, toilet and bathroom sink after each use (only takes a couple minutes!)
• have a place for everything, and put everything in its place immediately
• make your bed each morning
• keep flat surfaces (counters, tables, desks) clear of clutter
• put away your stuff as soon as you get home

Mindmiester: Online Mind Mapping Tool

Very neat free online mind mapping tool: Mindmeister.

• online + offline editing
• variable font size, color & symbols
• link URL & other maps, add notes
• unfortunately, it's very hierarchical

I found it's a very good for task/project management tool.

Mindmeister via Lifehacker

Neat picnic trick: get ride yellow jackets

I remember every time we go outdoor, camping or picnic, I hated the insects the most! After everything is in place, and just about when we were about to enjoy the delicious foods, guess who knocks on the ... uh, I guess the table? Wasps, or yellow jackets. Yuck!

So I was very delighted to find this really great trick from granny: get ride of those pests that try to take a share of my food, with simple, non-toxic, home-made solution. All I need are:

• Plastic dish pan or wash basin.
• A tablespoon of liquid dish soap, preferably non-scented.
• 3 sticks about 13 inches long.
• 2 or 3 tie wires.
• A 3 or 4 inch piece of wire.
• 12 inches of string.
• A piece of raw fish.

Get the detailed instruction at AOJ Field notebook, via [Lifehacker].

Free Wordpress themes

Brilliant & Free Wordpress theme, again, from Smashing Magazine. Below are my favorites.

Sakeena [ Demo ]


Simpress [ Demo ]


Livegreen [ Demo ]


Fluid Yellow Black [Demo]


Resurrection


Illacrimo [ Demo ]


Aspire [Demo]


Sharpfolio [Demo]


See more free wordpress themes at Smash Magazine.

Creative Calendar Design

Here's a list of creative calender designs from Smashing Magzine. Below are few design I find interesting:

Post-it Calendar - Designed by Andrei Slobtsov.

Such convenient and smart idea! Anyone could easily make it from post-it notes and a wall, even putting their own spin and twist on.

Magnetic Calendar - Designed by Serhiy and Igor Chebotaryov.

Slow printings -Designed by Oscar Diaz.

Can they time it? So that a day go by to complete inking a day? Now THAT would be cool!

Coffee Cup Calendar - Designed by Takeshi Nishioka.

Perpetual Calendar - Designed by Gideon Dagan.

Dupont - Corian Calendar

Beautiful & creative calendar design by Smashing Magzine


Bubble Calender? Wow, I'll be looking forward to every tomorrow.


via [How to Change the World]

LibraryThing: Categorize my personal library

I found a wonderful free web2.0 service for categorizing personal, or small organization library last week. Roughly sum it up, it allows:

• ISBN import, or manual CVS import
• customizable view of 'bookshelf'
• allows tagging, tagging cloud
• searchable library collection
  

I have yet to explore it's social functions, but seems quiet useful to keep track of books I own so far. Unfortunately, it's multilingual function seems yet a little lacking. Trying to add a book with Chinese causes server error, and the library source in Chinese are sparse. Multilingual pages have varying degree of translations, some languages are more translated, some less. Hopefully, this area will get more development in the future.

[LibraryThing]

Interesting Book: New Asian Hemisphere

The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East
by Kishore Mahbubani

Seems very interesting to read, about international politics. Reading right now. [Google Book Link]

First Posting: Hello World!

Yes, the first posting on this blog. 'Hello World!'

I will use this blog to note down all kinds of things I find interesting, useful. Most probably will be web, tech related. Among few of my favorite blog readings are LIfehacker, Smashing Magzine, & FoolsMountain.