Too many apps these days try to get overly complicated and do 50,000 different things.
Not Aware.
This menubar app is so beautifully simple.
All it does is one thing:
Aware tells you how long you’ve been using your computer in hours and minutes. It knows this because it detects the movements of your mouse and the keystrokes on your keyboard.
It has absolutely made me more aware of how long I’ve been sitting at my computer. I would have paid $4.99 for this … easy. Instead, it’s free.
Source: Aware
I knew there was something fishy going on with the Mac App Store this week.
See this from Daring Fireball:
Lost amid the FBI/iPhone encryption hubbub was another bad week for the Mac App Store — apps just stopped launching, with the only solution being to delete the app(s) and re-install from the store. Michael Tsai (as usual) compiled a thorough roundup of information and commentary.
I can honestly say that I’m done buying apps through the Mac App Store. It is maddening to launch an app and have to type my Apple password in over and over again or have to delete/reinstall the app altogether just to get it to work again.
Oh, and #FirstWorldProblems.
Source: Daring Fireball
I struggle with figuring out how to sit properly during meditation. The tightness of my hips and legs keeps me from getting in any type of deep meditative state because of the discomfort I feel in trying to maintain the traditional cross-legged pose.
This blog post from The Chopra Center was helpful, however I’d prefer not to have to sit in a chair … I’d like to sit on the ground in some way.
When you meditate, the goal is to get your body to a state of restful awareness, where you can witness the fluctuations of the mind. You don’t have to sit cross-legged, but it is important to make sure you’re comfortable, as this is the number one rule in meditation.
Do you have a position you use to meditate that seems to work well that doesn’t involve sitting in a cross-legged position? I’d love to hear from you.
Source: What’s the Right Way to Sit for Meditation? | The Chopra Center
I played (and finished) Firewatch over the weekend and it was without a doubt the best 5 hours of gaming I’ve had in a long time.
In case you haven’t heard about it, Firewatch is a mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.
Below are some shots I snapped in game and many are just breathtaking.
This article from Precision Nutrition’s Camille DePutter made me think long and hard about the tradeoffs involved with my nightly glass of vino:
Drinking or not drinking isn’t about ‘healthy vs. not’. It’s about tradeoffs.
Alcohol is just one factor among many that affect physical performance, health, and fitness. Whether to keep drinking or cut back depends on how much you drink, what your goals are, and how you want to prioritize those things.
How to sort it all out? I touched base with Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D., curriculum designer for Precision Nutrition’s Coaching programs for men and women. She said to think of it this way: In order to say “yes” to something, you have to say “no” to something else. And only you know what you are, or aren’t, willing to trade.
- Saying “yes” to six-pack abs might mean saying “no” to two drinks at the bar.
- Saying “yes” to Friday happy hour might mean saying “no” to your Saturday morning workout.
- Saying “yes” to marathon training might mean saying “no” to boozy Sunday brunches.
- Saying “yes” to better sleep (and focus, and mood) might mean saying “no” to your daily wine with dinner.
- Saying “yes” to avoiding the nacho platter might mean saying “no” to the second margarita.
- Saying “yes” to moderate alcohol consumption might mean finding a way to say “no” to stress triggers (or human triggers) that make you want to drink more.
In life, there’s always a tradeoff. What am I trading off to enjoy my nightly buzz?
Probably more than I realize.