Monthly Archives: April 2014
Why Should You Lead a TV Free Lifestyle?
While many people spend significant amounts of time today watching television, it’s been about 4 or 5 years since I stopped watching TV. I first decided to stop watching the news because it seemed as though there was always something bad going on and it was simply depressing. Later on, I noticed that many productive people all shared the same habit of not watching TV. Eventually, I did decide to buy a TV after I moved to my new flat 14 months ago, a really big one, but opted not to have the cable service hooked up to it, so I could only mirror the screen of my Mac or iPhone through apple TV to watch online courses, movies or some entertainment shows just to relax for an hour or two per day. I suppose that it could be argued that I still watch TV, but the difference is actually that now I am choosing to watch only what I want.
The question is really one of addiction over entertainment. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking a break during the day to get away from work and simply relax. Everyone needs to take a break. Not having cable service has allowed me to choose whatever I want to watch, from YouTube or from my own computer to mirror whatever it is that I want to watch. Now, I can just watch directly whatever interests me, with no commercials and less cost.
In addition, I never have to wait for something to come on that I want to watch. I never waste time flipping through channels while trying to find something that I want. Once you reach that point, it really has become an addiction. That is what most people end up doing and it can be extremely addicting.
Furthermore, it eventually kills your productivity and creativity. You think less for yourself and grow less and less happy. Some people will often say, “Well, I only watch something educational like Discovery Channel.” That’s not really the point. Television is designed to get you in the habit of watching many things that you have not intended to watch or benefit from or even enjoy and over time, it becomes addictive.
For me, it has been tremendously advantageous to simply stop watching. I am more productive and happier. I have also found that watching less TV also makes you more social because it gives you more time to communicate with family and friends. One of the other benefits of living a TV free lifestyle is that you have more time to exercise. You even eat less when you watch less TV. When you spend significant amounts of time watching TV, it encourages you to continue putting something in your mouth. After all, that is precisely what commercials are designed to do, make you want things.
In the end, I have found that a TV free lifestyle makes you far more efficient and actually helps you to lead a higher quality life.
How to Instantly Improve your Upload and Download Rate of Speed on Dropbox
Dropbox has made it significantly easier to conduct business and exchange all types of files. It is a service that I highly recommend and use frequently for all types of projects, check this blog post for more about Dropbox. One problem that I discovered that I was having a very slow service while trying to upload large files, particularly videos. This proved to be especially problematic while I was uploading and downloading at the same time. I noticed that when I downloaded movies to my computer, it was very faster than the videos that I was trying to upload. The problem was that the videos that I uploaded for my video editor were taking 2-3 days to upload. I would go back and check and it would show that there was still a couple of days left remaining. This was not efficient.
I discovered that by default, Dropbox actually places a limit on the bandwidth for your uploaded files. The reason they do this is so that there is no interference regarding the bandwidth for your Internet service while you are uploading or downloading files. If you want to change that setting so that you can upload large files faster; however, it is possible to do so.
In order to change that setting, you need to go to the preferences for Dropbox and then go to Network. From there, you can change the setting for the bandwidth. Once you are there, you will see that there is an upload rate as well as a download rate. Usually Dropbox automatically throttles itself to 75% of your maximum upload speed to prevent any noticeable slowdown in browsing. Downloads are performed at the fastest download speed available. This is why it was taking so long to upload large video files for my video editor. To resolve this problem, I simply changed the setting for the upload limit to Don’t Limit. Immediately, I noticed a significant difference in the speed at which I was able to upload files, even large video files, and remember that by removing the limits from the upload speed it will effect the speed of browsing and other activities that you are performing at your computer so you can use this option if you want urgently to upload certain files.
Another solution is to test your internet download and upload speed by using one of the online tools that you can find through Google, then contact your internet service provider and check their other packages and prices for increasing your internet download and upload speed.
One thing that is important to understand is that if you are going to be doing something that requires a significant amount of bandwidth, such as a video interview or a video call via Skype while you are uploading files, then you will need to pause Dropbox while you are doing that so that you are able to enjoy the service without any interruption. Whenever you are finished, you can then unpause Dropbox so that it will resume your upload.
Rescue Dawn (2006)
By Ahmed Al Kiremli
Ahmed Al Kiremli Opinion in Few Words
As usual my man Denzel Washington is achieving another great movie, what an acting performance, an amazing real acting performance is delivered in this movie from this great actor, unbelievable when he said (I’m not gonna Burry my son, my son is gonna Burry me), the face impression was amazing during that moment.
This movie is a must watch and the story is very touchy and has a powerful messages. So far the only movie Denzel Washington did with the director Nick Cassavetes but they both made it right.
Ahmed Al Kiremli Rating
8/10
Is It In Ahmed Al Kiremli’s Must Watch List?
Yes
Is It In Ahmed Al Kiremli’s Great Movies List?
Yes
Buy It From Amazon.com Now
Trailer
How to Stop your Team from Ignoring your Emails and Assigned Tasks
I work with both online and offline teams and 99% of the time, I manage both teams wirelessly from the comfort of my sofa at home. Today, the primary method of communication is email, along with some other tools, but one of the biggest problems I was experiencing in managing my teams was sending emails and not getting any reply. The problem is that with so many emails you send, it can be difficult to track emails and tasks and keep track of who has responded and what is taking place with each one. This continued to be a big problem for me until I discovered a tool called Asana. This is a task management tool for teams. Of course, there are similar task management software available, but after conducting some research and viewing some videos, I concluded that Asana was the best option available so far.
One of the great things about Asana is that you can use it on your computer or as an app on your smartphone. Basically, Asana allows you to create a project and an unlimited number of tasks. Additionally, it is free up to 15 users. After you exceed 15 users, then it is priced on a monthly basis.
With Asana, you are able to create multiple projects and can even name the projects. Inside each project, you can share with certain members who are able to see the tasks you have created inside that project. In addition, you can create a description for each task and even assign deadlines. You also have the ability to assign that task to someone who will be responsible for completing and delivering that task.
Asana also allows you to assign followers who are able to see and contribute to each task. For instance, you can assign a task manager, but other people can contribute to the task, as well. Whenever someone comments on the task, you will be notified by email. When you add a follower to the project, you do so based on their email address and they receive an invitation to use Asana. In this regard, everyone can complete, comment, or mark tasks as incomplete. This makes it incredibly easy for teams to achieve project while also boosting productivity, regardless of the team size.
My Asana Dashboard Showing Projects, Tasks and one Task with its full description
You have the option of assigning tasks to an assistant, but even if you do not have an assistant, with this tool, it is really worth it to use just for yourself. You can also create the app using your smartphone and it is very easy and fast to use with no loading time. Simply create a task and share with the people you want and then you can track what is going on with that task. You can even come back a few days or a week later to evaluate progress, establish deadlines, comments, reminders, etc. Nothing is ever deleted, everything is documented, and you can ensure that no one ignores your emails. Asana can also be integrated quite easily with other tools, such as Chrome Extension, DropBox, Google Drive, WordPress, Evernote, Mailchimp, wufoo, Calender Sync, Weekdone etc. to make things easier.
As mentioned, if you have more than 15 users, you will need to pay to use it, but if you have a large company, they offer annual pricing that is quite cost effective.
So, with this tool, you can accomplish more, be more productive, and ensure that you never have to worry about your team ignoring your emails again.
