Drop zone

11 of the Best Innovation Essays We Published in 2010 | Co.Design. Psychology of Persuasion. Do you want to be an agent of change? Psychological research reveals how to tip the balance in your favour. All human societies are alive with the battle for influence. Every single day each of us is subject to innumerable persuasion attempts from corporations, interest groups, political parties and other organisations. Each trying to persuade us that their product, idea or innovation is what we should buy, believe in or vote for. In our personal lives the same struggle is played out for the supremacy of viewpoints, ideals and actions. Psychologists have been studying how we try to influence each other for many years.

. • 3 Universal Goals to Influence People – Effective influence and persuasion isn’t just about patter, body language or other techniques, it’s also about understanding people’s motivations. • The Persuasive Power of Swearing – Show your passion and people have one more emotional reason to come around to your point of view. • Are Fast Talkers More Persuasive? 24 Bloggers Who Will Entertain, Inform and Inspire The World in 2011. 24 Bloggers Who Will Entertain, Inform and Inspire The World in 2011 1. Ashley Ambirge Web Site: The Middle Finger Project Twitter: @tmfproject To this day I still think Ashley Ambirge has one of the most unique voices in the blogosphere. I read 100’s of blogs everyday, but if I see a post from Ash pop up on twitter, I usually stop what I’m doing and read it right away because it’s always that good. 2. Pete Michaud Web Site: Pete Michaud Twitter: @petemichaud I discovered Pete Michaud just the other day because he popped into a BlogcastFM U-stream chat. 3.

Web Site: Sensophy Twitter: @jacobsokol Jacob was somebody I came across because he wrote this incredible post full of amazing ideas from close to 50 different bloggers. 4. Web Site: Thirty Two Thousand Days Twitter: @32000days Jack is a great reminder for us all that all we have on this planet is about 32,000 days. 4. Web Site: Life After College Twitter: @jenny_blake I wish Jenny Blake’s blog had existed when I graduated from college. 5. Clean and Beautiful Minimalist Wordpress Themes. Vibrant and complex design is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Some of us may prefer it clean, simple and straight forward. In another word – minimalist. You are probably wondering, clean and simple, how hard can it be? But the truth is – cleans and simple does not make them any easier to design. Given that "less is more", the simplest design tends to deliver greater user experience. Minimalism has become one of a popular trend in today’s web design.

It’s no longer about how much you make, but the fact that you simply do make money that counts. A study from the UK’s Office for National Statistics is the truest testament that money can’t buy happiness. In these uncertain times, workers are simply thankful to have jobs. (More from Healthland: 5 Ways to Stop Stressing.) The bureau asked people about their primary concerns in life. The project is a sort of psychological census aiming to gauge the wellbeing of the British people. Job securityPersonal healthFamily relationships While these results are quite predictable, they show people put a greater value on the intangibles of life. Social policy analyst Anastasia de Waal said, “People’s lives fall apart if they don’t have a job. … There is a strong relationship between unemployment and family breakdown and health difficulties.”

(More on TIME.com: Scientists put a number on happiness.) The Five Most Annoying Types of Email Signatures. Email signatures are the bumper stickers of the internet. From the overused quotations to the sanctimonious "consider the environment before you print this email" messages, email signatures are the bane of modern communication. Some obnoxious sign-offs are more common (and more annoying) than others.

I've picked the worst five types, and I'm sure you'll be able to sympathize. The Corporate Disclaimer Notice of Confidentiality: The information that is included or attached in this electronic transmission (E-Mail) may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is intended for only the person or entity to which it is addressed. Legal disclaimers at the end of messages are not only annoying, they're entirely pointless. This type of signature deserves a special place in hell just for being so long. *DISCLAIMER: The cookie offered in the previous paragraph is metaphorical.

The Preachy "Do Not Print" Message Do we inherit the Earth from our ancestors, or borrow it from our children? Always Think This Way. 5 New Year’s Resolutions for People Who Hate Resolutions. Getty Images A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that one reason people have trouble saving money for the future is because they haven't spent enough time thinking about their future selves. If the future you feels like a stranger, you're less likely to put money away for his or her benefit. For the study, researchers asked people to evaluate how connected or similar they currently felt to their future selves. Study participants who said they felt more connected and more similar to their future selves made better financial decisions than people who weren't quite sure who they might become later on.

The trouble with New Year’s resolutions is keeping them. 5 Tips for Kicking Bad Habits. To end any bad habit, it's important to inform others that you plan to change. Publicizing your quit date — especially to a large audience like on Twitter or Facebook — makes it embarrassing to back down. Going public also tells your drinking buddies or other compatriots in vice that you are serious, and that they shouldn't pressure you into unhealthy behavior.

"You want to have at least one person whom you know, if you call that that person, will tell you, 'Don't smoke,'" says Christopher Kahler, professor of community health at Brown University. "Particularly if you are going out to parties and family events, if you have somebody who knows what your intention is, that's a very important thing. " Next: As Your Doctor About Quit Drugs SPECIAL REPORT: See Healthland's Full Guide to Life in 2011 So you’ve made the decision to quit. Congratulations! Dr. Oz’s 5 New Year’s Resolutions. 新人入手Android手機，我的好友們推薦給我哪些應用程式？新人是誰？是的，就是我^^ 話說在身邊許多好友不斷催眠我：「身為一個專門寫資訊部落格的站長，怎麼可以沒有一台iPhone或Android呢？」於是禁不住大家熱情推薦（其實是自己想買很久了），終於，我也買了第一台真正具備行動上網功能的智慧型手機，而我選擇的是Android系統。至於我選哪一台硬體，這個我覺得倒不是重點（也避免廣告嫌疑），軟體內容才是關鍵，而看得出來我用哪一台的朋友就自然知道囉^^ 話說新機昨天才入手，幾乎沒有什麼時間試用，不過因為在Facebook上炫耀了一下自己的新手機，於是擁有Android手機的好友們紛紛跟我道賀敗家成功之餘（？？）

所以呢，這篇電腦玩物史上第一則Android手機文章，就來借花獻佛，列舉一下到底我的朋友都跟我推薦了哪些必裝軟體？另外，這裡也邀請各位電腦玩物讀者，如果已經是Android用戶，那麼歡迎留言推薦你喜歡的應用程式給我，教教我這個新手囉！附註：以下軟體皆可直接在Android Market中搜尋軟體名稱，就能下載安裝，也全部都是免費的。 01.軟體名稱：「JuiceDefender」軟體功能：自動節電。話說第一天帶著Android手機上班，什麼都還沒嘗試，結果剛好有事去找Mr.Jamie，他看到我的手機劈頭就問我說：「裝了JuiceDefender了沒？」於是Jamie一把將我的手機搶去，幾個輕鬆點擊後就跟我說：「幫你裝好了！！」這個果汁防衛者是用來幹嘛的呢？另外它也很好設定，基本上就是不用設定，依照預設值開啟就會有效果了。 02.軟體名稱：「Plurka」軟體功能：玩噗浪。接著我又跑到噗浪上昭告天下說自己買了新的Android手機，於是噗友們除了又繼續恭喜敗家外（><），也推薦我兩款比內建更好的噗浪應用程式。一款是「PlurQ」，一款是「Plurka」。後來我自己選擇繼續用Plurka，它操作比較流暢，切換不同類別資訊時比較順手，發噗、回噗、上傳照片、增加表情符號的操作也都很快很好用。 03.軟體名稱：「App Manager」軟體功能：批次移除、備份已安裝應用程式後來可能因為我太招搖過市，連咱們資訊部落格界的前輩阿榮兄也得知我買了Android新手機，於是除了落下一句：「終於敗下去啦！也大力推薦我說；「愛玩軟體的，第一個就要安裝AppManager！！」喔喔！哇勒，我這不是睜眼說瞎話嗎？嗯，應該不用說這是幹嘛了吧？小結： The Words of the Year. Top 100 Motivational Blog Posts of All Time.

Top 100 Motivational Blog Posts of All Time Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 2:41am by Site Administrator The new year ushers in loads of resolutions and good intentions, many of which don’t make it past the first few weeks of January. Staying motivated enough to find a better job, lose ten pounds, or create a solid personal budget are tough when we’re already battling hectic lives. To help you find the inspiration you need to stay focused all year long, check out this list of 100 motivational blog posts. Our Favorites This first list includes some of our favorite posts about staying motivated, from discovering strength and inspiration where you least expected it to learning how to organize your entire life. 1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward: Learn how to stay positive with this simple mantra, even when you’re experiencing setbacks.Stay Motivated When You Don’t Like It: The problem with motivation is that sometimes you’d just rather give up. GTD Posts Fitness Health Spiritual Career-Oriented.

Top 10 Ways to Upgrade Your Morning Routine. What It Takes to Form a Good Habit. I think "accountability buddy" really misses the point. There is satisfaction and joy in accomplishing the task, but that's where accountability buddy is a misnomer. All habits of any sort will trip, falter, fail, etc. It's all about getting back in the game.

People who falter in quitting smoking, depression, learning a new skill, taking up exercise or learning a new habit need a buddy who they enjoy doing it with and will help them get back in the game. We are humans and we love to connect and share experiences with - even introverts have a means by which they connect and share. The "buddy" aspect can and should be extended to group or community. By far, the most important aspect of developing any habit is the actual doing of the habit. [From years of experience as fitness center owner/operator] Resolved: Make Better Decisions in 2011. Use the One-A-Month Technique to Adopt Habits that Stick. A month can be helpful because it gives you a week to troubleshoot the concept and implementation. If it turns out an idea doesn't make sense, or fit you, you can adapt to something that works better.

Assuming you plan to think over the results once every couple of days, you have time to try three versions of the resolution before you settle into one that fits you. For instance, a couple of days into your water habit, you think back on the results and aren't thrilled. You know it's just not appealing to you, you're not thirsty, and you're starting to lose interest in this resolution. Rather than having to throw out the habit, you stop, wonder if you're smaller than the person that the 8 cup recommendation was designed for and should adjust accordingly. So, maybe you look it up, realize that there's much better scientific backing for a cup of water before every meal/snack.

Maybe you just nominate a new idea on the fly, like keeping a bottle of cold water always handy. Five Things You Should Make Time For This Year. Reading... Honestly this one is easy by getting an audible account and use the downtime in your commute to read with your ears. I find I can get far more books in by using adible than trying to shoehorn in an hour here and there for eyeball reading time. Your passion project: Fancy word for "hobby" Problem is most people have 5-8 hobbies instead of focusing on 1-3 of them. I used to rebuild classic rare motorcycles, build Hotrods, Dabble in Engineering electronics, game programming ,etc.... I sat down and looked at what I enjoyed the most. Now I only buy motorcycles, no spending $12,000 on rare parts to rebuild that Vincent Black Night basket case I have had for 4 years.

Sold it and bought a new bike that needs no heavy maintenance, I am keeping the HotRod building but scaled it back by eliminating exotic or really old cars. My passion is cars and bikes, not a specific car or bike. The Best Health and Fitness Apps for Android. How to Break Bad Habits. You trivialize habits like nail biting.

At 41years old, I've bitten my nails all my life. Is it still just a simple bad habit, or is it pretty key to who I've become as a person? What does it mean to remove something from your life that's been there, good or bad, for as long as you can remember? Most times at this point when I try to stop, I find myself saying that I can't possibly stop, it's simply who I am. Having said that, I once stopped (recently, even) for 2 weeks. What was the trick that got me my best success? Your Best Advice for the New Year. @jupigare: To add a little fat (which does provides vital storage for fat soluable nutrients), eat a large meal late in the day.

To add muscle, have a moderate amount of carb and protein before working out, and a good amount promptly afterwards. Make sure you're weight training well, if you're using too little resistance, you won't gain any muscle. To avoid undoing your work: Keep your cardio to a healthy minimum for the moment, such as 20 minutes twice a week. Beware of weight burning aerobics classes. If you have one you love, you can certainly still take it, but ask the instructor how many calories you're likely to burn, so you can add a meal that size once you're done.

Last, keep in mind that you're getting some exercise accidentally during the day, and it's probably not muscle burning. (Try a trainer or a workout buddy if you're not getting the results you want. Email Etiquette for the Super-Busy. In a recent blog post, venture capitalist Fred Wilson talked about his ongoing struggle with email management and the various solutions he’s tried, concluding: “Every time I make a productivity gain, the volume eventually overwhelms me.” It’s a familiar problem. We’re all extremely busy, and we all get too much email. So what to do? It’s time for a more mindful approach, one that fully embraces a “less is more” strategy. To help you get started, we’ve assembled a cheat sheet of our email best practices. And, trust us, it’s not just about being more polite, it’s about being more efficient and getting the responses you need. 1. Do you like getting long emails? 2. It’s standard practice to begin an email by summarizing what happened at a meeting or during a phone conversation, then following on with any “action steps” that emerged. 3.

This is Email 101. A good rule of thumb is to strive to keep emails to one line or less. 4. Emails that offer nothing but a “What do you think about X…?” 5. 10 Simple Truths Smart People Forget. 101 Short Stories that Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking. 30 Days to Success. 30-Day Supertrials. 31 Innovation Questions (and Answers) To Kick Off the New Year - Scott Anthony. 40 Bloggers to Watch in 2011. Learn the Basics of Design This Weekend. Be Amazed With These Unbelievable Optical Illusional Photos. 25 Beautiful Freelancer Portfolio Sites. Inspiration: A Dozen Awesome Etsy Artists. 10 Financial Websites That Help You Stay On Top Of The Market. The Worlds Best WordPress Themes You Can Actually Afford to Buy. 8 Websites That Give You Tips On Job Interview Questions and Answers. 5 Offbeat Useful Websites For Booklovers & The Social Joy Of Reading. 30 Inspiring Niche Photography Websites to Explore | Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Infographics to Enrich Your Knowledge - Noupe Design Blog. 35 Specialty Galleries for Your Design Inspiration. 40 Awesome Photography Shots From Daily Life To Change Your Mood. The Best, Most Affordable Alternatives to Mozy for Unlimited Backups. Introducing Google Chrome: All In One Super Charged Guide. The Oscar Curse: Best Actress Nominees, Beware. Google Chrome Cheat Sheet: 10 Tips and Tricks. 7 Zen Habits of Highly Efficient Minds. 12 Free Appointment Scheduling Software Packages for Freelancers. 60 Handpicked Beautiful Tumblr Themes. Demetri Martin: “Who Am I?” 21 Beautiful Art Gallery Websites for Inspiration. See Fabio Rex's Graphic Mixed Drink Recipes - Food. WordPress Themes - New WordPress Themes March 2011. Five Creative Writing Projects You Can Do Today.

15 Entertaining and Useful Facebook Applications. How To De-clutter And Simplify Your Facebook Wall. 不靠谱的“生命三角”_发现者地震特刊_网易探索. Think Quarterly. What Are Infographics and Why Are They Important? How To Steal Like An Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me) - Austin Kleon. 50 Beautifully Designed Free Themes and Widgets to Enhance your Tumblr Experience - Noupe Design Blog. Twit Cleaner - Clean Your Tweetstream!