Mike Vardy's Blog, page 116

Review: RHA MA450i Headphones

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I’m spending more and more time with headphones in my ears these days, whether it’s because I’m editing Mikes on Mics (or the members-only Mike Techniques podcast) or because I’m spending time outdoors getting my run on. A good set of headphones can actually really help your productivity – especially if you like to listen to music while you work or you do a lot audio work as part of your daily workflow.

My headphones have generally been the earbuds that came along with my iPhone 4S. Now they’re not bad, but they’re not great, either. Back when I was working in campus radio, I was using some pretty serious AKG headphones. Now I haven’t gone out and invested in cans like that in years, so when the folks at RHA asked if I’d be willing to give a set of their MA450i headphones a try I decided to take them up on their offer.1

I’m glad I did.

These headphones are of the in-ear variety, and they come with 7 interchangeable tips so that you can figure out what ones will work best for you. This is crucial if you’re going to be running while wearing them, as the wrong fit will surely result in the buds falling out more often than not. The controls on the headphones function in a similar way as the Apple earbuds, but are easier to use and even feel more responsive to me.

The cable is one of the things that made me take notice almost right away. It is braided with a fabric, and RHA has said that there is a reduction in tangling because of that. When compared to other earbuds I have (my Apple ones and a pair of older Sennheisers that I still have kicking around), that claim is proven to be accurate. I also just love the feel of the cable because of the design, and the gold-lated connection adds a preimum touch as well.

The sound quality of the RHA MA450i headphones is top-notch for its price point — which is around $50. The tips for the earbuds (when fitted properly) allow for noise isolation – which is great when I’m trying to edit a podcast or conduct an interview. The headphones effectively block out background noise and allow for superior sound to flow into my ears without bleed from elsewhere. These headphones are definitely going to be my travelling pair – and for good reason.2 Beyond the noise isolation, the sound quality is very rich. Deep bass pours in and the sounds are balanced and detailed. The craftsmanship that has gone into the RHA MA450i headphones is commendable – and my other earbuds are put to shame by them.

If you’re looking for a solid pair of in-ear headphones that won’t break your bank and sound great, I highly recommend the RHA MA450i headphones. They’ve become my headphones of choice – both at work and at play.

1 Full disclosure: The headphones were offered in exchange for a review.

2 They even come with a handy carry case.

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How My Mother Helped Shape My Work

My family and I just finished an incredible long weekend, one that was both fun and productive. So as this new week (essentially) begins today, I thought I’d so something a little different today.

You see, today is my Mom’s birthday.

She’s been a big supporter of me and my work, and I wrote a dedication to her in my book. So I’m going to publish that dedication today. That way even if you don’t have a copy of The Front Nine1 you can all read what I wrote about her…and why the book is dedicated to her.

Happy birthday, Mom. You’re the best.

Patricia’s Story

Patricia hasn’t had a rough life. She’s had a good life, full of the ups and downs many of us face ourselves. But she’s also had a lot of unexpected “restarts” over her life.

Sure, many have had those as well – I know of several people who have – but it’s how she has faced those restarts that has helped her shape and craft her life in a way hat works for her that is admirable. Perhaps not rare, but definitely admirable.

Married for 27 years, she decided to make a change and move on. All she’d known for those 27 years was marriage and life with two boys, but it was time for a restart. So she did just that. This was the least of her unexpected restarts, because it was something that had been in the back of her mind for some time…but she hadn’t “hit the ball” despite planning the approach for a while.

Some time later, she met a man whose did want to share the rest of her life with. This wasn’t unusual; others before and after her have felt the same way and acted upon it. But it was definitely unexpected, and it definitely was a restart. She moved with her new husband to a part of the country she lived in where she was going to be further away from her family (including her two boys, now also on their own) than ever before. Yet she did it because this was a time in her life where she could make progress towards her goal of living a life for her – and her new husband as well.

Then…another unexpected restart happened.

After far too short a time together, her husband suddenly passed away. It was unexpected – especially considering the circumstances – and suddenly she was in a very unfamiliar place. This time something (in this case, someone) was taken from her that forced a restart. After catching her breath, she did what she had to do and restarted again. She moved back to be closer to most of her family (except for her oldest son, who was living on the west coast) and began shaping her newly-rebooted life once again.

All of these restarts have led to a life rich with experience. Some great, some not so much. She has faced her numerous restarts with tenacity and as much grace as humanly possible. She’s not perfect, but that’s okay. None of us are. But she’s faced adversity and seen many things through – not all mentioned here (because this book is about you and not about her). And I’m proud of her for all of that and so much more.

While this book may not be for Patricia, it is dedicated to her.

I love you, Mom. Thanks for everything, especially instilling in me the ability to handle my own restarts.

1 If you don’t have a copy yet, You can pick up a copy of The Front Nine in print here or the e-book version here.

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The Flow Easter Sale

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As much as I’m heavily invested in OmniFocus as my “solo silo” for task management, I still use a collaborative productivity solution a lot. And Flow has usurped Asana as my team-based task manager of choice.

I’ve discussed my reasoning why here on the site, and if price has been a barrier for some of you then the folks at Metalab have put together a deal that might just encourage you to pony up the dough.

From now until April 5th, if you buy an annual membership you’ll get $30 off the regular price. That makes the cost just $69 – meaning you’ll have top notch task management that you can use both collaboratively and individually for what amounts to $5.75 a month. I’m a big believer in paying for services when available, and this deal makes stepping up to the plate and adopting Flow a whole lot easier.1

I’m a big fan of Flow, and I’m sure you will be too. Pick it up for a great price while you can by clicking here.

1 Although the product itself more than justifies paying for it, I realize some folks just don’t see the need to spend money on a task manager. I’d like to help change that mindset, and so would the team behind Flow.

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Two Desks in One: My New Minimal Workspace

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I’ve discussed standing desks before, and while I continue to praise the idea of them I have definitely changed how I incorporate one into my workspace. In fact, at the end of last year I went on the lookout for a new workstation that would meet the following criteria:

Allow me to stand or sit at it with as little friction as possibleTake up as little space as possible (as my workspace is in the master bedroom).Reduce the amount of overall furniture we have in our house.Transform my workspace back into living space quickly and easily.

I knew this was going to be a tall order, but I’ve managed to do it. I’ve been using it for the past couple of months – and I love it.

Here’s how I created my new minimal workspace…

The first part of the equation was finding a way to create this workspace without adding more furniture to our house. I’ve parted with both the Ikea Ludvig, as I found that there was nowhere for me to place the display so that my neck wasn’t strained while using it. I also moved my writing chair into the living room (along with the Levenger Lap Desk) for those times where I want to mix things up a bit. I’ll often work out in the living room once my wife has gone to bed – after all, I’m the night owl in the house – and crank out a bunch of words while using my old main work area. The chair was far too nice and comfy to not be used in our living room (along with another retro chair I’d picked up off of UsedVictoria.com) so I was able to get rid of two of the unsightly chairs in our living room. So already I’d eliminated two pieces of furniture from the house.

Then I looked at my wife’s writing desk.

She barely used it and I saw loads of potential in it, so we moved it into the master bedroom and I made it my primary workspace. It was passed down to her from her grandmother, and it has both a classic and minimal look to it. I can only keep so much in it, and only have so much real estate to work with as well. But it’s enough.

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One of the other interesting things about this desk is that it has a mirror that provides me a good look at myself. I’m not saying that I use it to check myself out or anything, but when I get stuck on anything I can give myself a bit of a gut check in the mirror without leaving my seat and that often gets me back on track.

I also recognized that the top of the desk was deep enough to hold my Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mighty Mouse, so I checked the height out to see if it was ideal for me to use them while placed on it. As luck (or my height) would have it – the setup was perfectly suitable. Now all I need was a way to get my MacBook Air to eye level.

That’s where The Insider came to the rescue.

The Insider is a floating shelf – but it is also so much more. Sure, it looks like a typical Ikea Lack shelf at first glance, but it also contains a secret compartment within itself. I came across this shelf while looking for floating shelves locally online, and learned more about it over at Hide It Away. I realized the potential of The Insider as a means of making my ideal minimal workspace a reality, and reached out to the compay’s owners. They were intrigued by my suggestions, and agreed to come by my home to install one for me. n1

The best part about the shelf is that it accomplishes two things that I wanted:

It gives me the platform I need to place my display at the correct height.It stores my keyboard and mouse when I’m not using them.

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One of the other things I liked about the shelf is the people behind it.

I’m big on supporting local businesses when and where I can, and I could tell as I saw Paul and Ramona work that they cared deeply about the product and their craft. It was funny…they seemed like a mirror image of my wife and me. Doing all they can with what they love to do to make a go of their business so they could make a better future for themselves and their family. The precision and care that went into all they did while helping me finish my workspace was admirable. And what they’ve built in The Insider (as well as what I’ve seen of their other products) is just as admirable.

Now this shelf isn’t cheap…but it is increidbly versatile and durable. (You can check out all of the product specifications — and order one for yourself — at the company’s website.) It really is easy to install – and considering that you could use it to build a similar setup for $125 makes it all the more valuable.

With this new workspace I’ve managed to achieve my objectives. The master bedroom looks less like an office, I am able to easily move from sitting to standing with very little friction, and I’ve created an effective space for me to get my work done. That’s ultimately what you want in a workspace – and it’s what I now have thanks to some thought into the project, some innovation into what I’m using, and the addition of an inventive shelf called The Insider.

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Photo courtesy of HideItAway.com

1Full disclosure: I agreed to write my story about The Insider in exchange for the shelf.

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Productive Meal Planning with Basil and OmniFocus

As a stay-at-home parent who is tasked with cooking meals regularly, I had been looking for a way to add that aspect of my home life to my regular workflow. I’ve been using Basil for a while to gather recipes, and recently I came up with a way to use Basil in tandem with OmniFocus to ensure that I don’t drop the ball when it comes to preparing nutritious meals for my family.

My meal planning process is fairly simple. After conducting my weekly review on Friday, I’ll take a look at what we have grocery-wise and use Basil to search for recipes that contain what I’ve got on hand. For example, if we have chicken and broccoli, I’ll search those terms. This week I came up with a Curried Chicken and Broccoli Casserole that did the trick.1

I’ll save the various recipes for the week in Basil, and then I use the key to this whole workflow: Mail Drop.

Basil allows you to email recipes, so I use this feature to email the recipe for each day to my Mail Drop address. I change the subject line slightly, adding the day that the meal is to be cooked at the beginning (i.e. Wednesday: Curried Chicken and Broccoli Casserole). Then the recipe arrives as a task in my OmniFocus inbox. I’ll add a context to it (Home) and then give it a start date of the day it is to be cooked. If you have stuff to thaw, you may want to make the start date a day earlier – and I do that every once in a while.

Basil has reinvigorated my love for cooking and this workflow has created the perfect productivityist meal planning solution. If you don’t have Basil (iPad only), I strongly suggest you give it a go. And if you’re an OmniFocus user who happens to use Basil, then I recommend you give it a try (especially if you’re using the iPad version of OmniFocus)…and if you’ve got improvements or enhancements to it then please let me know in the comments below.

1 Keep in mind that my wife and I discuss meal planning together. I just do the “technology” side of things when it comes to the execution of the plan.

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How I Use Evernote for Beer Cellaring

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Ever since writing became my career, I’ve made efforts to keep it from being my primary hobby. Sure, I still write for fun – making it the second best thing I do with my time (after spending time with my family, of course) – but the idea of expanding my horizons beyond writing for work and fun was something I wanted to explore — and do it in a way that would be both efficient and effective. I am, after all, a productivityist.

When I was finished exploring, I came up with two hobbies that interested me: cellaring beer and genealogy. But when those two went head-to-head, cellaring beer won out.

I started to do some serious research right away (here’s a great starting point courtesy of Imbibe Magazine), and prepared my old office in the basement (which was never ideal for an office anyway) for the transition to my beer cellar. I bought a humidity meter, mapped out where shelving would go, and was on my way. But I needed something to chronicle the growth of my cellar’s inventory.1

That’s where Evernote came to mind.

I’d listened to Gabe Weatherhead’s Generational podcast – the one where he conversed with Ken Weingold – and began to look at some of the options out there. In the end, I figured I could make something I was already proficient in work for the purposes of my new hobby…and I was (mostly) right.

The photo option in the iOS version of Evernote made it easy for me to take pictures of the beers as I added them to my collection. I name the note with the name of the beer and I’m also sure to date them on the date of purchase so I could see how long they were in the cellar. Since I was buying two of each type at once (which is the minimum you should do – drink one early on and then keep the other for a lengthy period of time), when I modified it, I’d see when I drank the first bottle. I’d only modify it when I’d add tasting notes, so by the time I decided to drink the final bottle, I’d already have all the notes I needed in place.

But tagging is the key to using Evernote for tracking a berr (or wine) cellar.

I would tag the beers using a similar tagging system I use on other notes and notebooks, chronicling things like alcohol content, type of beer, and more. For example, here’s some of what I use for various types of beer:

Stout = stoutvPorter = portervBarley Wine = barleywinevStrong = strongv

As I add more to my collection, I’ll add more tags that can easily filter out what I want to drink versus what I don’t want to drink at that time. One of the things I’ll add is country of origin, but for now I don’t have a large enough collection to warrant that. Right now I’m using “yyj” for anything from Victoria and “yvr” for anything from Vancouver (or the Lower Mainland). These are the only tags I use that don’t have the “v” at the end of them because airport codes are already a code of sorts; there won’t be any confusion about them in Evernote as I add more items to the mix because the codes themselves aren’t words.

I’m also using a rating system for ranking the beers in terms of taste. I’m essentially using the same system I use on Untappd in order to remove any friction between using Evernote and the social networking app in terms of data entry. The difference is that I use the numbers spelled out (onev, twov, threev, fourv, fivev) so that the tags don’t get lost in searches. You may not want to go this far, but because Evernote allows for multiple tags I can add as many as needed for each beer as the inventory grows.

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I’ve even added audio to notes as I drink each one so that I can better chronicle tasting notes. You can easily add audio notes to an existing note on the Mac version, as well as on the iPhone version. This feature allows for quick capture of my thoughts on a beer without having to remove myself from the overall experience by taking time to type out my notes. Since Evernote allows you to add multiple audio notes within a single note, I can also see how well each beer ages.

I can also add multiple photos, meaning that I can show how the beer looks after pouring. I haven’t done that yet as my glassware collection leaves a lot to be desired. There’s also the option to add links to the brewery website, as well as to whatever other websites I want (like RateBeer, for example).

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface as to what Evernote can do for me in this use case — and I’ll likely modify how I use it as my hobby develops even further. But I’m going to stick with it because with this versatile app I’m already in very familiar territory, and I know there’s going to be a lot more I can do with it as time goes on – and as my beer cellar hobby (and inventory) grows.2

(By the way, if you’re looking at building your Evernote skills then I suggest you pick up Brett Kelly’s stellar e-book, Evernote Essentials. It’ll help you get more out of Evernote than ever before — and in a big way.)

If you’ve got any suggestions on how I could improve my Evernote use for beer cellaring, I’d love to hear them. Just leave me your suggestions in the comments.

1 As of this writing I have 14 different varieties of beer in my cellar. I started the cellar in early February, so I’m building it slowly and steadily.

2 Evernote Food, anyone?.

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A Better Journey to Markdown with David Sparks and Eddie Smith

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Those of you who have been following me for a while will remember my Journey to Markdown series, where I decided to finally take the plunge and learn Markdown. While it wasn’t as harrowing a journey as I thought it might be, I definitely would have benefited from the latest MacSparky Field Guide™ simply titled Markdown.

Co-written by my friend David Sparks and fellow productivityist Eddie Smith, Markdown is a must-have guide for those wanting to get a handle on the most productive way to blog online. Sporting 130 pages and 27 screencasts (which total over 90 minutes of video), this guide is suitable for the person just starting to dip their toe in the waters to those who are swimming pretty well but want to start getting even more out of each and every stroke (read: yours truly). There’s also an additional hour of audio interviews with the likes of Merlin Mann, Brett Terpstra, Fletcher Penney, Gabe Weatherhead, Federico Viticci and more.

For just $9.99, you really can’t go wrong picking this guide up. You’ll save a ton of time for very little money. I’ve only started to make my way through the book (which was authored in iBooks Author, as all of the MacSparky Field Guides are) and I’m already expanding my Markdown knowledge significantly.

You can get more details on Markdown at the Markdown web page, purchase the iBooks version directly from here, or pick up the PDF here.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

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Or in this case…about 17000 of them.

Yesterday I received 60 copies of my book The Front Nine in print on my doorstep. And while the book has been out since late last year as an e-book, once I picked up the paperback version of the book it felt more…real.

If you’ve already ordered a copy of the book in its digital format, thank you.1 And if you’ve been holding off to buy it until it came out in print, it’s now shipping.

Head over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and get yours — and thanks again.

1 I’d also appreciate it if you left a review over at Amazon, the iBooks Store, or wherever you purchased it. Goodreads is also a great place for readers to discover the work of authors like myself, so if you could take the time to help me out with that, I’d be really grateful.

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Low Energy Productivity

I’ve been sick for about a week. Not fun.

Still, there’s work to be done. Just because I’m sick doesn’t mean I can’t not keep up with what I have to do – especially since I’m self-employed. So I’d spent much of last week conserving my energy for the bigger aspects of my work (facilitating two sessions at ProTECHtivity, taking part in a couple of podcast interviews, my mandated writing for clients) so that I didn’t overdo it and stay sick for very long.

Even during my rest periods, I did a few tasks that would fall under the category of “low energy” productivity. These are things anyone could do to that would have a high impact on their productivity while not draining them, and also provide a sense of accomplishment that can be sorely missed when ill.

Here are just a few of the things I did:

I cleaned up and organized my hard drives. Using Hazel to add additional rules and manually culling some files that were no longer needed freed up a ton of drive space and prepared me for the inevitable move away from my first-generation Drobo to a more stable backup system.Doing a major review in OmniFocus. I killed some contexts and took a long look at my projects and made some changes. I spent some time reviewing Kourosh Dini’s Creating Flow with OmniFocus once again (along with Asian Efficiency’s OmniFocus Premium Posts) and spent some time in my task manager of choice connecting better with what was on my plate.Playing with apps I hadn’t played much yet (like Alfred 2, for example)1 and apps I hadn’t played with in a while. I took some notes, but spent more time just “being” in the apps. It was a hell of a lot of fun.

For the better part of last week, I simply shifted into a mode of productivity that allowed me to focus on the major tasks at hand: getting well and doing what was needed to be done well. And even though I didn’t feel well over that time, I definitely did well with that time.

1 I’ll have more thoughts on Alfred 2 later this week, but Sven Fechner over at SimplicityBliss has some for OmniFocus users already.

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Big Week: 70Decibels Acquired by 5by5

This is old news, but it’s still good news…

The podcast network that Mikes on Mics is part of, 70Decibels, has been acquired by 5by5.

5by5 is one of the most popular podcasting networks on the planet, and I’m stoked that Michael Schechter and I will be hosting our show on a network that already boasts talents like Merlin Mann, David Sparks, Katie Floyd, Gina Trapani, Andy Ihnatko, and many more. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Dan Benjamin back when I produced and hosted the WorkAwesome podcast, and I’m thrilled that we’re joining a network that he pours so much into each and every day.

I’m also incredibly happy for the rest of the 70Decibels family (yep, we’re a family), but especially for our fearless leader, Myke Hurley. He deserves a ton of accolades for what he’s done to build the network — and then some. Here’s hoping this acquisition means he can fulfill his dream of being a full-time podcaster — he deserves that as well.

For now it’s business as usual for all concerned, but when things really start to shift I’ll let you know. As far as I can tell the move will be seamless, and when all is said and done I believe the founders, hosts, and (most importantly) the audience will reap the benefits of this acquisition.

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