Comment author: torekp 23 August 2015 03:19:47PM 1 point [-]

A lot of people like Evernote, but I need to write notes by voice. (My texting skills are lacking.) OneNote integrates easily with "OK Google", and I haven't been able to get anything else to do so. I just say "OK Google," then "note to self," then wait a second, then speak. But I don't like OneNote, because I can't seem to log in to the relevant Microsoft account to download my notes to my computer.

Any advice? My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S5.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 23 August 2015 03:36:52PM *  1 point [-]

I think Evernote should integrate with Google Now perfectly well. If Wunderlist does that, Evernote must do that as well. Here's an article that implies that this is possible: http://lifehacker.com/5992572/save-a-quick-note-to-evernote-gmail-and-other-apps-with-androids-voice-actions (and here's another one: http://www.getproductivefast.com/2013/03/google-now-voice-notes-to-evernote.html).

As for the text skills, try to use gesture typing or Fleksy. I prefer gesture typing on the stock Android keyboard on Nexus 5. If I remember correctly, Swype (the original gesture typing keyboard) is included with Samsung version of Android.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 23 August 2015 08:32:15AM *  1 point [-]

Here's the homescreen of my main Android phone (with some obvious apps omitted, e.g. Phone, Flashlight etc):

  • Google Voice Search - I use it all the time for setting alarms and adding tasks to Wunderlist inbox.
  • Google Fit - mostly for making sure I walk my 12000 steps every day.
  • Opera - I use it instead of Chrome because it's the only browser that reflows text when zooming in.
  • Wunderlist - an essential GTD app which I hate. I'm working on my own todo app to replace it.
  • Barcode Scanner - to grab articles from the desktop PC to the phone via the QRCode Chrome addon.
  • Google Docs - for work, use it all the time.
  • Kindle - I read all my books via the Android Kindle app. I stopped byuing paper books years ago.
  • Dropbox - I like to have all my files accessible to me at any moment.
  • Trello - I use it a lot, for work projects, hobby projects, self-improvement and Internet bookmarks.
  • Workflowy - Was on hiatus, but I came back to it recently. It's an excellent thought capture tool.
  • Evernote - for note-taking (all non-actionable reference stuff goes here). I use premium, PIN-protected.
  • Slack - an excellent chat for work.

Some of the apps I use (Trello, Workflowy, Google Docs) are in your "not used" or "second-tier" bins, but I find them absolutely indispensable.

Another point is that I use mostly cloud-based apps, so if my phone gets lost or stolen, I still have access to my data. The phone is essentially disposable.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 18 June 2015 01:28:58PM *  2 points [-]

I fully agree with this. Here's a good quote I found on the web:

If you really deeply care about something, you will do it. You will do it without needing a list or a system or a reminder.

(Source)

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 17 April 2015 07:08:18PM 1 point [-]

I prefer stronger alcohol in very small doses (20-30g or so), just for the taste and for unwinding after a hard day. I don't like feeling 'buzzed', let alone drunk, so I don't usually drink more than that: a normal-sized bottle of good scotch can last for several months.

Taste-wise, I like higher-end scotch whisky (mostly various single malts, peated or otherwise, including cask strength ones) and plain simple bourbon, but I can't stomach any dose of vodka - I find its taste disgusting. I also enjoy good wine, no matter white or red. I don't drink beer, though I can definitely enjoy it.

Comment author: Lumifer 28 October 2014 03:08:47PM 2 points [-]

Don't forget that "war" is wider than an armed conflict between governments. We can speak of a gang war, for example, which is also PvP with permadeath.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 29 October 2014 06:01:33PM *  0 points [-]

Yes. Another example that comes to mind is conflict between rival groups of hardcore football / soccer ultras.

Comment author: Lumifer 23 October 2014 03:04:17PM 5 points [-]

There must be unregulated PVP games with permadeath

They are usually called "war".

Otherwise I vaguely remember something about Russians selling tickets for a "cruise" during the peak of Somalian piracy. The cruise was on a ship full of small arms (up to bazookas and HMGs, I think) with some special-ops instructors and it cruised off the Horn of Africa with the hope of generating a run-in with the pirates.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 28 October 2014 10:21:00AM *  1 point [-]

They are usually called "war".

Doh. Yes. How could I miss that? War is team PVP with permadeath, but I think we can call it a 'game' only when participation is voluntary, where players join as mercenaries, professional soldiers or militia, not as unwilling conscripts.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 23 October 2014 09:12:47AM *  4 points [-]

Some assorted thoughts:

  • Virtual PVP games with permadeath (or even progress permaloss) are relatively rare.

  • There's currently no virtual PVP game that allows destruction of the game world, e.g. restarting and wiping a server triggered by an in-game event.

  • Some real-world PVP games (e.g. racing or MMA fighting) have their risks, but injury or death are relatively rare because these games are regulated. The percentage of the population willing to compete in such games is tiny. There must be unregulated PVP games with permadeath, but I'm struggling to imagine them taking place anywhere outside a Colombian prison - and I don't think the participation there is fully voluntary.

  • A CEV implementer can set limits to human conflict. For example, status games, Red vs Blue, bickering and insults are OK, but hurting / killing each other or degrading / destroying the environment are not allowed or impossible. Or, players could simply set the limits of acceptable loss in real-world PVP - or even limit themselves to PVE-only. No doubt there would be 'hardcore PVP characters' of various extent, but I think they would be in a minority.

Comment author: Metus 15 September 2014 11:05:59PM 3 points [-]

How do I build the habit of writing down a fleeting thought that seems interesting? Way too often I notice that I just wanted to do something or write something down. Or should I just accept the thought as gone?

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 20 September 2014 05:59:32AM *  2 points [-]

Here's my system for that:

I always carry an LTE-connected smartphone capable of gesture typing, so I'm able to quickly write down anything whenever and wherever it occurs to me, be it in a park, in a forest, at work, on a toilet etc. (My personal preference is a high-end big-screen phone with a stock Android (currently Nexus 5), but as of September 17 2014, you can use iOS 8 with a custom keyboard).

I use several mobile apps intended for capturing different kinds of thoughts: Wunderlist, Trello, Google Docs. I prefer these apps because they all sync to the cloud, which means that 1) I can access the content on any platform, and 2) that the phone is essentially disposable and I won't lose my notes when it gets lost or stolen.

Here's how I capture thoughts:

  1. If the thought is actionable, it goes to Wunderlist (a classic todo list app which I hate but alas, I can't seem to find a better alternative).

  2. If the thought is related to an ongoing project, it goes into an appropriate Google Doc or the Trello board of that project. If the thought is large enough, it may warrant the creation of its own Google Doc.

  3. If the thought is related to self-improvement / self-discovery, it goes to a Trello board dedicated specifically to that.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 16 September 2014 07:31:17AM 3 points [-]

A mobile-friendly version of the website.

Comment author: casebash 14 September 2014 01:19:57PM 1 point [-]

I believe that these would fit well on the open thread

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 16 September 2014 07:29:33AM 0 points [-]

Downvoted because I disagree: I'd prefer a dedicated section. Filtering out open threads is too much work.

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