Tech Productivity Issue #146 (Working Multiple Jobs)

Issue #146 (Working Multiple Jobs) 11/29/21

If you buy into the current hype surrounding discounted products that takes place around this time of year and you're currently in the market for a new laptop, a reader on Hacker News asked: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

I like these kinds of threads because there are often lots of little tidbits that I wouldn't have necessarily thought of on my own. In this one readers mention:

S3 standby/suspend support (which means the laptop has multiple practical sleep states)
The Apple Silicon M1 processor, which readers claim is 'unmatched in its power use-to-performance ratio'.
Trackpoint technology (also called a pointing stick), agreed to be superior to using a trackball, touchpad, etc.

Those are a few examples of some of the points that caught my eye. Definitely one to bookmark if you feel the thread will be relevant for you in the near future.

Now on to this week's hand-picked productivity links!

Tools & Apps

Grist - Combine the flexibility of a spreadsheet with the robustness of a database to collaborate on and organize your data.

Workast - Slack plugin for teams to delegate tasks, manage projects, run meetings, streamline processes, and gain visibility of what the team is working on.

Harold - An AI-powered SMS bot that helps you keep track of your habits with fun and convenient check-ins via text message.

Bangle.io - A powerful and simple note-taking web app that works on top of your locally saved Markdown files.

Reach - iOS or Android app, a searchable and easy-to-access knowledge base for tracking and bookmarking just about anything.

Testim.io - Testim is an AI-powered UI test automation tool that gives developers an easy way to author and maintain cross-browser tests. Spend less time creating, editing, and updating UI tests and more time innovating in your app. sponsored

Articles & Resources

Working Multiple Jobs - A look at a trend that's recently developed and the author's conclusions on the matter sound like parody (i.e. I don't agree but it's worth a read).

When a Tricky Task Makes Your Brain Hurt, Here’s What To Do - The solution is pretty common advice and the article also discusses an interesting study on what people choose when faced with mental vs. physical discomfort.

My Team is Going in Circles. Help! - Lara Hogan answers a reader's question on this very challenge that you may too be facing at work.

5 Diagrams That Show How Context Switching Saps Your Productivity - Just in case you needed even more evidence that multitasking is bad for productivity.

The Science of Habits - If you’re trying to break a bad habit or start a good one, psychologists have some tips.

GIMTEC - A weekly newsletter to grow as a software engineer. A new article every week that links the tools and technology we use every day with fundamental topics of Computer Science. sponsored

Suggestions?

Have a suggestion for a productivity-related tool, article, or other resource? Send me a direct message via X (@LouisLazaris) and I’ll consider including it in a future issue.

Stay productive!

Louis
techproductivity.co
@LouisLazaris

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