AquaNotes
Where is the one place I go with no distractions? The shower. I love showering. I do most my thinking in the shower. What happens when I think of all this good stuff in the shower? I forget it as soon as I step out and get distracted again.
Cue AquaNotes, the waterproof notepad. I know it’s dorky, I know it’s weird but this waterproof notepad has saved me many times and keeps me sane. You could say that you should just zone out in the shower and not think of things, relax, but it’s inevetible that I will think of something. A to-do, a good idea, anything, stuff I gotta remember not to forget.
Grab some AquaNotes $8 (Amazon link)
Prismatic - Web/iOS app
The weight and the burden I feel when I see my RSS newsreader (recommended reader: Reeder) with a number like “675” these days is getting overwhelming. 20 tech blogs saying the same thing (which I read every version of) and after reading all of those skipping the other 70 blogs I’m subscribed to. Now you’d say “just subscribe to the ones you want or one of each.” (how dare you) But it’s not always that easy. So here’s where Prismatic steps in.
Download Prismatic on your phone or signup online, connect to a social network of your choice and pick interests. You now have a curated news feed of everything you (and your social connections) will (or should) like. Add some friends on Prismatic (or get more to join) and you’ve got even more new stories of things that people you like like and so on. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and it’s become a really nice “at a glance” morning routine. Once you get started I suggest you try it a few days/weeks, add more interests, remove interests and sites to make it even better. It learns as you go and as you interact and like more stories.
I’ve recommended this app enough, it’s time to put it here. I even believed in this thing before it existed via their Kickstarter campaign.
Dark Sky is my favorite iPhone app for weather (especially living in NYC). Accurate within an hours time forecasts perfect for “Should I run to the train?” “Can I let the dog out?” and just impressing friends with the fact you can predict weather. It’s so impressive/amazing/incredible. Sometimes it’s so accurate it’s scary.
Dark Sky (App Store) $3.99 (worth it.)
Find out more on their website: http://darkskyapp.com
Instagram is something that has really become a part of my everyday life. Since it was intended first for the phone only, a small piece of me doesn’t want to use it on my computer at all. But with that being said there are times when you might want to grab a photo via the web to save it and other tasks that are just easier (and only possible) if you have a web browser.
Below are some sites/programs I use for getting those things done.
Gramfeed: View photos, search tags, view by location and more. A nice big clean interface. (thanks Jessica)
Statigram: View photos, save photos, follow new people, see statistics on your phones, and other in depth info, more than you could ever image.
Followgram.me: Easy link to share on social services to easily allow people to follow you.
Carousel: (Mac App) : View Instagram photos in this very iOS view like it’s on your phone on your Mac.
Instaport: Download all of your Instagram photos or specify only certain ones so you can keep a backup on your computer or upload them all to an album on Facebook, etc.
Virb: Build your own photo website by connecting Instagram to Virb. Learn more over at the Virb blog and signup here using promo code “rubinrecpromo” for 50% off your first 2 months and a 10 day free trial. (disclaimer: I work at Virb and it’s the best ever.)
Also read these Instagram basics. A lot of people don’t realize they can delete the image title/first comment on their photo to fix a typo and re-do it, block unwanted users, etc.
This is also my morning ritual for the last year and a half. Get your own here.
