April 30, 2005
Memory Upgrades
My memory stinks, so I have to rely on help.
For a while, i tried using a PDA (Palm Pilot) and that solution is great for a large number of things. But lately, the help comes from a variety of sources.
First among them is the Hipster PDA. I saw this idea first on the 43 Folders website. A hipster PDA is just a bunch of 3×5 cards held together with a mini clip. The input device is a pen. You can read all about it on the original 43 Folders post “Introducing the Hipster PDA.” But, really, what you see is what you get.
This works for me, where a pocket notepad never did. You can’t rearrange the pages of a notepad, you can’t replenish the pages and it’s often a pain to rip out the pages neatly. For me, these are big advantages for the hipster PDA.
I use it any time I need to take quick notes. Pages can be subject-oriented (a list of items, for example). Or, you can use part of your PDA for developing ideas. One idea per page, and as time goes by you can fill the card in with more detail for a given idea. Colored cards can be used to partition the PDA. Or the cards can have different meanings.
But I can’t always write down notes. Note taking is a less than safe activity when you’re driving. For those times, I use a little voice recorder. In my case, It’s an Olympus digital voice recorder, because i wanted the ability to upload my notes to the computer. It turns out, I don’t do that as often as I thought I would — it’s actually better to transcribe the notes onto my hipster PDA when I get the chance. Then everything is in one place.
The final part of my memory upgrade system is my digital camera. Sometimes it’s my little Fuji FinePix A303. Sometimes I just use the lousy camera in my phone or in my voice recorder. But even the lousy resolution is great for shopping. Example: you see something that might be a perfect gift for someone else, but it’s not convenient to buy it (or their birthday is 8 months away) and you’d like to remember it for later. Take a picture. It’s not art, but it’s practical.
How do you keep track of stuff? Or am I the only one who needs this sort of help?
Bonus - My Hipster PDA currently consists of:
- Various 3×5 cards from the campus store and OfficeMax
- A gold colored mini clip (I’ve got a whole bunch of ‘em)
- A uni POWER TANK pen. Made by Uniball. However, I’d consider using one of these for versatility: the classic Bic 4-color.
Oh, I need the help, too. I just haven't yet found a system that works for me. Perhaps the hipster is the way to go. Lynnea bought me a planner, but it is a bit bulky and inconvenient. You've given me yet another reason to reconsider the whole phone cam thing. Our phone contracts are due for renewal in August and we will definitely be getting new phones. This warrants further thought on my part.
Posted by: briwei at May 2, 2005 2:08 PMI'm thinking about going back to the magic marker on the arm method. That way I know my notes will always be with me. And it impresses chicks in motorcycle bars for some reason.
Posted by: Mike at May 2, 2005 2:17 PMIt probably impresses them more than smelling like mesquite smoke.
Unless they're hungry.
Posted by: James at May 2, 2005 2:27 PMYou think biker chicks prefer magic marker to mesquite? I'll have to take your word for it. I have not yet had an opportunity to impress a biker chick.
Posted by: briwei at May 2, 2005 6:33 PMI'm sure opportunity is just around the corner, if you'd only take the time.
No one takes the time these days anymore.
What the heck were we talking aobut again?
Posted by: James at May 2, 2005 8:27 PMTattoos, silly. Mike wants to draw skulls on his arm with magic marker to impress the motorcycling enthusiast ladies.
Posted by: Julie at May 3, 2005 9:09 AM