Web Worker Daily

Web apps, computers and smartphones are all key tools in my web working arsenal, but using only those things alone, I doubt I’d ever get anything done at all. Instead, to help boost my productivity, I supplement the obvious utilities and devices with some perhaps unexpected ones, upon which my sanity largely depends. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you, but one of the hardest things for me about navigating these tough economic times is keeping my gadget spending in check. I have a problem, or more accurately, many problems, and they are all shiny, new and electronic. It’d be nice to say that I have enough willpower to forgo these things when the budget isn’t there, but that’s not at all true. I still have to scratch that itch, so I’ve come up with some ways to do so on the cheap.

Closet Excavation

It may not be quite as satisfying as unboxing something brand-new, or buying a big ticket item at retail, but digging around in your closet for old, nearly forgotten hardware and gadgets can actually be pretty satisfying. Especially if you haven’t looked at them in many years, since you’ll often be surprised with what recent software updates or new peripherals can help you do with older devices. Read the rest of this entry »

As web workers we often like to think of ourselves as being on the cutting edge of technology. Our clients often depend on us to be just that.

But it’s easy to get so caught up in keeping current that we forget to keep the focus on productivity, where it should rightly remain. We can have all the tools and gadgets under the sun, but that won’t necessarily make us effective resources for our clients.

The problem really came home to me recently when I realized I was eagerly awaiting my new Eee PC so that I could get out and explore some co-working with friends. It struck me as painfully similar to the time when I was eagerly awaiting my new Wacom Cintiq 12WX so that I could begin doing freelance illustration in earnest. And that was similar to the time that I was eagerly awaiting the release of Adobe CS4, so that I could finally purchase the Classroom in a Book series and begin supplementing my self-taught proficiency.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I was clearly waiting and anticipating much more than I was doing and producing. A quest for the best tools had become an excuse to indulge that most dangerous of professional vices: procrastination. Drastic measures were in order. Hence the following rules: Read the rest of this entry »

Like many other web workers, I get seduced on a regular basis by the latest gadgets. Whether it’s a spiffy new laptop or the latest phone or some miscellaneous bit of electronics that is supposed to make our lives easier, it’s simple to plunk down money and wait for UPS or FedEx to deliver the new toy.

Over the years I’ve learned to wait at least a few days before ordering, to let the initial flush of enthusiasm dissipate. But, judging by the debris of unused gadgets on the shelves in my office, I haven’t learned enough. My biggest regret may be the color laser printer that we almost ever used – but really, it seemed like a good idea at the time!

How about you? What have you spent money on that you wish you hadn’t? Which gadgets are collecting dust in the closet, when the purchase price could be collecting money in your bank account instead? What provoked you to the purchase, and what didn’t work out in reality?