40 free resources every designer should know

[design]
[Jennifer Cirpici]
JENNIFER CIRPICI<http://thenextweb.com/author/jennifercirpici/>
21 December '14, 01:00pm
Follow<https://twitter.com/JenniferCirpici>

Jennifer Cirpici is a Dutch graphic designer and blogger. This post originally appeared onOtherFocus<http://www.otherfocus.com/40-resources-every-designer-should-know>.

________________________________

Ever wondered where designers get their resources to help them succeed with a project? Here is a list of great resources including sites, PSD. files, actions, UI elements, mock ups, et cetera. Best of all, they are totally free and available for you to download.

Bookmark this post so that you can always look back at this great list that can help you succeed.

1. Fribbble<http://fribbble.com/>

Icons for your website, an iPhone mock up or PSD's for your landing page, Fribbble is the place to be.

[fribbble 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/fribbble.jpg>
2. Behance project template<https://www.behance.net/gallery/15523305/Behance-Tips-for-a-successful-portfolio>

Many of us struggle when posting a project at Behance<https://www.behance.net/>. How do we get it to make it look right? First of all, read this<http://www.ferencpetho.com/blog/behance-full-bleed-portfolio-image/> article - then download this nifty background template.

[behance 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/behance.jpg>

3. psddd.co<http://psddd.co/>

Another great site to get free PSD files, blurred background or UI elements.

[psd 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/psd.jpg>

4. COLOURlovers<http://www.colourlovers.com/palettes>

Struggling to get the perfect color combination? This is a site that I go to. It's perfect for some visual inspiration!

[colourlovers 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/colourlovers.jpg>

5. CG textures<http://cgtextures.com/>

A great site where you can download free stock images<http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/05/15/53-free-high-quality-image-resources/>. From rocks, sky to trees. Very handy when it comes down to matte painting!

[cgtextures 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/cgtextures.jpg>

6. Subtle Patterns<http://subtlepatterns.com/>

In need of some high quality patterns? No need to look further, Subtle Patterns have a diverse gallery from around 400 patterns for you to download.

[subtlepattern 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/subtlepattern.jpg>

7. Webydo<http://www.webydo.com/>

Webydo lets you design a website for free - without code. Hallelujah!

[webydo 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/webydo.jpg>8. GuideGuide<http://guideguide.me/>

Guides can be a pain in the ass when it comes down to Web design, so here is a simple solution.

[guide 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/guide.jpg>

9. No more banding<http://nomorebanding.com/>

Often we experience banding when working with gradients within Photoshop. With this action, you can say farewell to them and make gradients look more smooth.

[banding 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/banding.jpg>

10. Gridzzly<http://gridzzly.com/>

Allows you to make your own grid paper that you can print! Handy for sketches or when you want to make some typographic images and need to be exact.

[grid 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/grid.jpg>

Next: Tools for icons, sizing and more

11. Makeappicon<http://makeappicon.com/>

This tool resizes and optimizes your icon designs into all formats needed for iOS and Android mobile app!

[makeappicon 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/makeappicon.jpg>

12. Perfect Effects 3 <http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/effects9free/>

Designed specifically for photographers. With Perfect Effects 3, you'll find intuitive and powerful tools that make it easy to add effects that can be difficult or time-consuming to create in Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements or Aperture.
[effects 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/effects.jpg>

13. Cut & Slice<http://www.cutandslice.me/>

Use Cut & Slice to export your assets to different devices in seconds. Improve your workflow by just naming your layers.[cutandslice 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/cutandslice.jpg>

14. Layrs Control 2<http://madebyvadim.com/layrs/>

A free Photoshop extension of a collection of seven scripts that make tedious job easier.

[layrs 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/layrs.jpg>

15. Hexy<http://missingpixels.io/plugins/hexy/>

It's a pain to have to select layers, highlight pieces of text and open the Color Picker to simply grab the hex value of a particular color. Hexy allows you to use the Eyedropper tool to simply click on the color of the object you're after and copies it directly to your clipboard.

[hex 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/hex.jpg>

16. WhatTheFont!<https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/>

Seen a font in use and want to know what it is? Submit a screenshot to WhatTheFont to find the closest matches in its database.

[whatthefont 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/whatthefont.png>17. Typewolf<http://www.typewolf.com/>

Typewolf shows fonts in use on actual websites, as well as background info about the font and personal recommendations for similar fonts.

[typefont 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/typefont.jpg>

18. Size Marks<https://github.com/romashamin/Size-Marks-PS#install>

Size Marks is a helpful Photoshop script for Web designers and front-end engineers. This script converts rectangular marquee to labeled measurement mark.

[size marks show 40 free resources every designer should know]<https://github.com/romashamin/Size-Marks-PS#install>

19. Velositey Version 2<http://dandkagency.com/extensions/velositey-v2/>

Velositey lets you design a website within seconds in Photoshop, letting you pick from several templates and modules.

[velositey 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/velositey.jpg>

20. FontAwesomePS<http://creativedo.co/FontAwesomePS>

Search for an icon and click to create a new layer shape which you can easily edit.

[fontawesome 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/fontawesome.jpg>

Next: More Photoshop freebies

21. Liveshare PS<http://www.invisionapp.com/new-features/24/liveshare-ps-real-time-design-meetings-inside-photoshop>

With LiveShare PS you can now broadcast any Photoshop document to as many people as you want through an instant LiveShare meeting. If you make a change to your Photoshop document, the tool will instantly see your changes in the LiveShare meeting-you don't even have to hit the save button!

[liveshare 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/liveshare.jpg>

22. Photoshop Share plugin<http://www.layerhero.com/photoshop-share-plugin/>

Share your design instantly within Photoshop using Layer Hero's Photoshop Share plugin.

[share 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/share.jpg>

23. Prisma<http://www.codeadventure.com/prisma>

Ever missed the global color swatches from Illustrator in Photoshop? Prisma brings them consistently to all supported applications.

[prisma 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/prisma.jpg>
24. Free Lorem Ipsum Generator<http://www.layerhero.com/lorem-ipsum-generator/>

The best Lorem Ipsum generator plugin for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver.

[Free Lorem Ipsum Generator 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/Free-Lorem-Ipsum-Generator.jpg>

25. Free Behance Presentation Builder<https://www.behance.net/gallery/16522285/Free-Behance-Presentation-Builder>

Helps you build your Behance portfolio presentations in a click with a free PSD File and PS Action.

[behancebuilder 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/behancebuilder.jpg>

26. Kaku<http://kaku.ps/>

A simple Photoshop plugin to translate your text layers to a different language.

[kaku 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/kaku.jpg>

27. Instagram Filters<http://friabrisa.deviantart.com/art/Instagram-13-Filters-PS-Actions-359911622>

A nice 13-filter pack that replicates the app Instagram for Photoshop.

[instagram filer pack 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/instagram-filer-pack.jpg>

28. VSCO Cam Effect in Photoshop Tutorial<http://gomedia.us/zine/tutorials/easy-to-accomplish-vsco-cam-effect-in-photoshop/>

Our friends at Go Media posted this stunning tutorial by Simon Hartmann, in which you can recreate a VSCO kind of effect within Photoshop. Have fun!

[vsco 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/vsco.jpg>

29. Social Kit<http://socialkit.madebysource.com/>

Social Kit by Made by Source covers images, profile pictures and ad banners for social media in a free up-to-date Photoshop plugin.

[social 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/social.jpg>

30. Mobile UI Blueprint psd files<https://dribbble.com/shots/1679085-Mobile-UI-Blueprint-freebie>

Free Mobile UI elements PSD files by designer Chrometaphore.

[mobileuiblueprint 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/mobileuiblueprint.jpg>

Next: The last 10 tools!

31. Free Images<http://www.freeimages.com/>

Previously known as sxc.hu, Free Images provides over 395,000 stock photos to download.

[freeimages 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/freeimages.jpg>

32. UI Cloud<http://ui-cloud.com/>

The largest user interface design database in the world, with over 46,608 UI elements to download.

[uicloud 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/uicloud.jpg>

33. Mock Up Zones<https://www.facebook.com/mockupzone/notes>

Mock Up Zones have great collection of free Mock Ups for you to download - from iPads, iPhones, business cards to shirts.

[mockupzones 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/mockupzones.jpg>

34. Macbook Air and Thunderbolt Display<https://dribbble.com/shots/1121719-PSD-Macbook-Air-Thunderbolt-Display-Freebie>

A stunning Macbook Air and Thunderbolt Display PSD's free for you to download by designer Jozef Mak.

[mac 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/mac.jpg>

35. Greyscalegorilla 3D Tutorials<http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/tutorials/>

Met this guy while we both were a speaker at OFFF<http://www.offf.ws/#/> 2010 - he's a friendly and talented artist. His site is an inspiration for many 3D artists and full of wonderful tutorials.

[greyscalegorilla 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/greyscalegorilla.jpg>

36. Vray Materials<http://www.vray-materials.de/all_materials.php>

If you need free quality Vray materials for for example Cinema 4D, this is the site to go to.

[vray materials 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/vray-materials.jpg>

37. Blendme<http://blendme.in/>

This extension for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator searches thousands of assets, including popular icon packs, without having you to leave Photoshop or Illustrator.

[blendme 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/blendme.jpg>

38. AdobeKnowHow<https://www.adobeknowhow.com/>

Recently launched by Adobe, this site provides you free beginner courses for several Adobe programs.

[adobe 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/adobe.jpg>

39. Tuts+<http://design.tutsplus.com/>

A great site offering you free tutorials for several programs for you to learn. For beginners, but also for the professionals. You can never know enough.

[tut 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/tut-.jpg>

40. Pixeden<http://www.pixeden.com/free-design-web-resources>

Pixeden is a site not to be missed in this list and provides you a great collection of 'freebies' from mock ups, templates to text effects.

[pixeden 730x438 40 free resources every designer should know]<http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/12/pixeden.jpg>

If I missed your favorites, please share them in the comments below!

25 Must-Have Free Fonts for Entrepreneurs and Designers

OCTOBER 09, 2014

As an entrepreneur, I hear a lot of things said about good design<http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/design>: Good design is simple. Or it's all about white space. Others say good design is understated or that it's hard to describe.

As a designer, though, I can tell you that while all these things are important, the main difference between well-designed pieces and poorly designed ones is something else entirely: having really good fonts.

Don't believe me? Take a look at what Squarespace's website would look like using Impact instead of its fancy, premium font.

Before:

[http://assets.entrepreneur.com/article/1412726334_1.jpg]

After:

[http://assets.entrepreneur.com/article/1412726352_2.jpg]

See the difference? Even with all the right spacing, simplicity and craft of the page design, the wrong font can leave the entire site looking amateurish.

Choosing the right fonts for a project is crucial. But when a premium font costs $60 to $200, it can be hard to justify the purchase. So what can you do?

Great fonts (like most excellent things on the Internet) are generally handcrafted by independent designers. Making a font takes an incredible amount of effort, which is usually reflected in the price tag. On rare occasions, though, kind and generous designers will give out a few fonts for free, as a way of advertising the rest of their collection. If you like any of the fonts below, please consider supporting their creators.

I've compiled the following list of 25 must-have free fonts for entrepreneurs, designers and anyone else looking to impress. Enjoy!

Related: Where to Find Free Photos and Never Again Pay for a Website Image<http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237060>

Langdon

[https://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/59376319/disp/fd8c49404528320837e0287b1f2922df.jpg]<http://www.xlntelecom.co.uk/business-resources/download-the-free-langdon-font/?callwinid=78888&affl=awin&awc=5413_1412696695_d11b88c33f2b75c976cf7e84d9c09909>

Langdon<http://www.xlntelecom.co.uk/business-resources/download-the-free-langdon-font/?callwinid=78888&affl=awin&awc=5413_1412696695_d11b88c33f2b75c976cf7e84d9c09909> is a friendly, easy-to-read font that works well in headlines and combines nicely with cursive typefaces.

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Vincent

[Vincent]<http://dribbble.com/shots/868554-Free-Typeface-VINCENT>

With strong characters and some creative shaping, fonts like Vincent<http://dribbble.com/shots/868554-Free-Typeface-VINCENT>are perfect for businesses seeking that serious yet approachable feeling.

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Rex

[http://www.awwwards.com/awards/images/2012/05/rex_font_2.jpg]<http://fontfabric.com/rex-free-font/>

Sharp angles and a selection of three weights make Rex<http://fontfabric.com/rex-free-font/> a font that works brilliantly in logos and paragraph headings.

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Infinity

[https://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/7633779/disp/8dc87584a16830f041641cb6a18fb9a2.png]<http://www.behance.net/gallery/Infinity/1126535>

Infinity<http://www.behance.net/gallery/Infinity/1126535> is a thin font with a friendly yet sophisticated feel. Understated fonts like these work brilliantly for startups in industries that involve consumer interaction, such as health and wellness companies.

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Adam

[http://i0.wp.com/theultralinx.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/c1efddffeac8786b634f6713feb5f435.jpg?resize=600%2C293]<http://www.behance.net/gallery/ADAM-Free-Typeface/13756975>

Modern, bold fonts like Adam<http://www.behance.net/gallery/ADAM-Free-Typeface/13756975> are easy to read and work well for website headings and navigation bars.

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Nougatine

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQLCa1t0CDfb5bPLA3EI29cCuXQCRWdGNySlwXgfK3UIGfGt-JbFELEDbgtzYYGIfqMWtt0_R-Wp06k4tT9R6BCPZUnBc2a9VHe3UAuUIHxTO1uUaCVYabyh2J2mRxOK07Xql/s1600/free_font_nougatine.jpg]<http://www.behance.net/gallery/nougatine-free-font/3481787>

Nougatine<http://www.behance.net/gallery/nougatine-free-font/3481787> is a unique, retro-inspired font that combines strong capital letters with some creative cut-out shapes.

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Silverfake

[http://fontfabric.com/wp-content/themes/unstandard/images/silver3.jpg]<http://fontfabric.com/silverfake-free-font/>

If you've ever looked for retro fonts, you know that good ones are few and far between. Silverfake<http://fontfabric.com/silverfake-free-font/> is the exception. Legibile but with an authentic retro feel, it combines nicely with modern, bolder fonts, such as Adam, above.

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Code Pro

[http://fontfabric.com/wp-content/themes/unstandard/images/codepro_07.jpg]<http://fontfabric.com/code-pro/>

Code Pro<http://fontfabric.com/code-pro/> is a designer's dream. It comes in lots of of weights (thin or heavy) and a variety of styles. The versatile font fits into just about any design, whether for the website of a tech startup or a restaurant menu.

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Raleway

[https://d22lct1myh0s5f.cloudfront.net/images/raleway-1.jpeg]<http://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/raleway>

Want to know a designer's secret? When aiming to create something that feels sophisticated, look for the thinnest font possible. Few are thinner than Raleway<http://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/raleway>.

Raleway is a popular font that comes in a myriad of sizes, ranging from hairline thin to bold black, making it a mighty useful font for a variety of company branding functions.

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Montserrat

[https://s3.amazonaws.com/FreebiesXpress/Blog/4-Top-Google-Fonts-Vol-2/Montserrat.jpg]<http://fontpro.com/montserrat-font-16367>

Montserrat is the ultimate modern font: It pairs brilliantly with stick-thin fonts like Raleway and looks beautiful when laid over a high-resolution background image.

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Droid Serif

[Droid+Serif]<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Droid+Serif>

Droid is the ideal font for long blocks of text: It's easy to read and has just the right mixture of soft and hard serifs to give it a unique personality all of its own.

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Domine

[http://fontpro.com/font-display/domine_35565.png]<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Domine>

Looking for a classic font that's like Georgia or Garamond? Domine<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Domine> is the perfect alternative. It's bolder than the typical paragraph font, making it suitable for big, eye-catching headlines.

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Franchise

[http://www.dafont.com/img/illustration/f/r/franchise.gif]<http://www.dafont.com/franchise.font>

Illustration (c) Weathersbee Type<http://derekweathersbee.com/>

Franchise<http://www.dafont.com/franchise.font> is a friendly, bold display font that looks great on the web, particularly in infographics.

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Dosis

[http://il.static.1001fonts.net/d/o/dosis-font-3-big.png]<http://www.1001fonts.com/dosis-font.html>

If you're running a tech startup, you may have a hard time finding solid fonts to suit your purposes. Most tech fonts have a way of feeling too harsh for today's projects. Dosis<http://www.1001fonts.com/dosis-font.html> breaks the mold. With softer, rounded corners, it is a great alternative to traditional tech fonts. And it works well in nontech projects, too.

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Abel

[http://turbo.designwoop.com/uploads/2012/05/5-Google-Web-Fonts-Abel_1334647288001.png]<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Abel>

Abel<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Abel> is a nice mix between a tech font and a modern display face. Although only one weight of font is available, Abel can be a good choice for headlines and paragraph text.

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Odin Rounded

[http://absolutfoundry.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Odin-image-2.jpg]<http://absolutfoundry.com/fonts/odin-rounded/>

Odin Rounded<http://absolutfoundry.com/fonts/odin-rounded/> is a Norse design-inspired retro font that works surprisingly well in tech-oriented projects.

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Lintel

[Lintel Free Font]<http://www.dafont.com/lintel.font>

Lintel<http://www.dafont.com/lintel.font>'s thin, strong features make it well-suited for high-end tech and fashion startups.

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Hagin

[http://fontfabric.com/wp-content/themes/unstandard/images/hagin04.jpg]<http://fontfabric.com/hagin-free-font/>

Try Hagin<http://fontfabric.com/hagin-free-font/> in your next retro-themed project. It can create bold headlines and its unique serifs set it apart from most classic fonts.

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Weston
[Frameless]<http://fontfabric.com/weston-free-font/>

Weston<http://fontfabric.com/weston-free-font/> simultaneously evokes a 1930s movie poster and a Wild West "most wanted" alert. Mix it with a cursive font or a thin, modern typeface.

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Roboto Slab

[https://s3.amazonaws.com/FreebiesXpress/Blog/4-Top-Google-Fonts-Vol-2/Roboto-Slab.jpg]<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Roboto+Slab>

Roboto Slab<http://www.google.com/fonts#UsePlace:use/Collection:Roboto+Slab> is the font with a million uses, for both headlines and paragraphs. Heck, it even looks good in off-line publications.

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Aleo

[http://webneel.com/sites/default/files/images/manual/fonts/27/aleo-free-font.jpg]<http://fontfabric.com/aleo-free-font/>

Aleo<http://fontfabric.com/aleo-free-font/> is one of the most versatile free fonts I've ever encountered. It comes in six styles, all available in italics, so designers will have an easy time finding the right match for just about any project.

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Lora

[http://cyreal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/lora-promo.png]<http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/lora>

If you want your startup to be taken seriously, try Lora<http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/lora>. It has a classic vibe and is incredibly legible even in very small sizes.

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Lato

[http://dawgeared.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/lato.gif]<http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/LATO>

Lato<http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/LATO> works hard for startups in pursuit of that friendly yet sophisticated aura. It pairs nicely with just about any serif font, such as Aleo and Lora.

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Calendas Plus

[http://www.calendasplus.com/images/muestra%20calendas%20plus-01.png]<http://www.calendasplus.com/index.html>

Calendas<http://www.calendasplus.com/index.html> is reminiscent of classic fonts like Garamond and Georgia but possesses a bit of a unique personality of its own.



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Farrerons Serif Light

[https://cdn.myfonts.net/s/aw/720x360/135/0/69199.jpg] <http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/tipo-pepel/farrerons-serif/light/>

Farrerons Serif Light<http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/tipo-pepel/farrerons-serif/light/> is an interesting typeface. For blocks of texts, it works as a reliable, legible font. In headings, it gives off a more creative vibe. Consider giving it a try in your next off-line print project.

Looking for more free, premium fonts? Check out Google's well-curated list of free fonts available via its Google Fonts<http://google.com/fonts> project.

16 Startup Trends That Will Be Huge in 2015

PREDICTIONS<http://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/predictions>
9 min read
16 Startup Trends That Will Be Huge in 2015





Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has invested in some of today' most talked-about startups, including Slack, Buzzfeed, and Instacart.

Andreessen Horowitz has its finger on the pulse of what's happening in tech. Over on the firm' website<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/16-things/>, its investors have shared 16 trends and themes they're excited about this year. It' a sort of State of the Union for what' happening in tech.

We've compiled Andreessen Horowitz' predictions for the 16 startup themes that will be big this year.

1. Virtual reality
"Computer enthusiasts and science fiction writers have dreamed about VR for decades. But earlier attempts to develop it, especially in the 1990s, were disappointing. It turns out the technology wasn't ready yet. What's happening now - because of Moore's Law, and also the rapid improvement of processors, screens, and accelerometers, driven by the smartphone boom - is that VR is finally ready to go mainstream," Chris Dixon, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, says<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/virtual-reality/>.

We've already started to see the emergence of virtual reality: people are still excited and curious about<http://www.businessinsider.com/oculus-ces-2015-booth-shows-how-popular-virtual-reality-has-become-2015-1> Oculus, which Facebook announced it was acquiring last March<https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10101319050523971>. Microsoft<http://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-one-virtual-reality-headset-will-compete-with-oculus-rift-2014-12> and Apple<http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-virtual-reality-job-listing-2014-11> are also reportedly exploring virtual reality too.

2. Improving enterprise software design

Andreessen Horowitz partner Scott Weiss says this is the year for enterprise to play catch-up<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/sensorification-of-the-enterprise/>. Enterprise companies need to get up to speed with consumer-facing startups, which have already created beautiful, functional interfaces, especially on mobile.

"Enterprise UI is woefully behind," he says. "All those well-understood motions that have taken hold from our everyday smartphone behaviors - pinch, zoom, swipe, tap, speak, even just moving stuff around with our fingers - have yet to take hold in the enterprise. The user interface has always been an afterthought, the last thing one did after building a database. That is changing now."

3. Machine learning and big data

Andreessen Horowitz' Peter Levine says we're going to continue to see big data as a trend this year<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/machine-learning-big-data/>.

"Where business intelligence before was about past aggregates ('How many red shoes have we sold in Kentucky?'), it will now demand predictive insights ('How many red shoes will we sell in Kentucky?')," he says. "An important implication of this is that machine learning will not be an activity in and of itself ... it will be a property of every application. There won't be a standalone function, 'Hey, let's use that tool to predict.'"

4. The full-stack startup

Chris Dixon thinks you should put your money behind "full-stack startups<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/the-full-stack-startup/>" - companies that "build a complete, end-to-end product or service that bypasses incumbents and other competitors," he says. He uses Apple as an example of a full-stack company - it makes its own chips, apps, and retail stores.

Dixon thinks Lyft and Uber are full-stack startups. "Companies like Lyft and Uber said: 'You know what? Instead of trying to sell software as an add-on, we're going just going build the whole service using our modern software.' They asked: What would this industry look like if it were rebuilt from scratch using technology we have today?"

5. Containers

Computing has become more efficient since it first started, but Peter Levine says containers will be huge in 2015<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/containers/>.

"Containers aren't actually a new thing. They've been around for a long time, but are taking off for a few reasons," he says. "One reason is because Windows has become less prevalent in the datacenter; one of the downsides of containers compared to VMs is that they can't run multiple operating systems, like Windows on top of Linux. Another reason is 'microservices' app architecture driving enthusiasm for containers; these app architectures are especially suited to containers because they have discrete pieces of functionality that can scale independently, like LEGO building blocks."

6. Digital health

A lot of medicine that' being practiced today - a lot of the devices doctors use - is being designed by people without medical degrees. Andreessen Horowitz' <http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/digital-health/> Balaji Srinivasan says <http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/digital-health/> the trend of mobile and digital health will continue to increase this year.

"One center of action is likely going to be the mobile programmable medical record - the container for all diagnostics and test results - something like what Apple's HealthKit may evolve into," he says. "All this diagnostic history isn't necessarily 'big data'; it's just never been tracked and cross-correlated before in one place. Once technologies like HealthKit get a little more traction, millions of software engineers without MDs can build new applications on top of that data store (perhaps collected by other applications) without injuring the phone owner."

7. Online marketplaces

Online marketplaces like eBay and Craigslist have been super successful. But Jeff Jordan, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, says the next trends to watch with e-commerce and marketplace spaces include businesses that are built by fleshing out niche services you'd find on Craigslist, like ridesharing or sublets; "mobile-first" marketplaces; "people marketplaces," where you can find niche services like Instacart or Glamsquad; and marketplaces for new segments, like B2B.

8. Security

2014 was not a great year for password security. Between the Sony leaks<http://www.businessinsider.com/sony-movie-scripts-leak-2014-12>, the large-scale iCloud photo hack<http://www.businessinsider.com/4chan-nude-photo-leak-2014-8> that resulted in private, naked pictures of celebrities leaking online, and security breaches at companies like Target<http://www.businessinsider.com/target-data-breach-cost-update-2014-8> and Home Depot<http://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-potential-data-breach-2014-9>, it seemed everyone was vulnerable to having their privacy breached.

So it comes as no surprise that one trend Scott Weiss is predicting will be big in 2015 is security<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/security/>. Companies that can identify when and where data breaches occur and then lock everything down and do damage control will be invaluable.

9. Bitcoin (and blockchain)

Even though the price of bitcoin has been dropping<http://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-drop-2015-1>, Balaji Srinivasan says there are three things to consider in regards to the cryptocurrency this year<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/bitcoin-and-blockchain/>. First, he says, bitcoin is still really new - so we should except adoption to increase significantly in 2015. Srinivasan also says we can expect new payment applications to develop for bitcoin, and that we should consider bitcoin as infrastructure.

10. Cloud-client computing

Peter Levine says there' a lot of potential with computing today to make your devices work more efficiently.

"We have more processing power in our hands today through smartphones than we did in large computers decades ago. So why shouldn't some of this processing move out of the cloud and back into the endpoint, into the phone?," he says<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/cloud-client-computing/>. "Doing processing locally has its advantages. For instance, the cost of an endpoint CPU and memory is a 1000x cheaper than the cost of CPU and memory in the server. And in many places around the world, connectivity and transmission costs are sometimes far more expensive than the device."

11. Crowdfunding

When we think of crowdfunding now, we think about sitting at our computers and occasionally donating to someone' potato salad project<http://www.businessinsider.com/potato-salad-kickstarter-2014-7> or a movie campaign<http://www.businessinsider.com/first-veronica-mars-movie-trailer-after-kickstarter-campaign-2014-1> on Kickstarter. Jeff Jordan says this will change<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/crowdfunding/>. "With smartphones in our pockets, we not only have access to crowdfunding platforms whenever we want, but to the crowd that comprises the various social circles of our lives - from family to school, work, and the region we live in," he says.

12. Internet of Things

Scott Weiss says the solution to our society's culture of planned obsolescence - where you constantly have to replace old or broken devices because they're not built to last forever - is the Internet of Things.<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/internet-of-things/> "We tend to focus on the glorified outcomes [of IoT] but the mundane ones are equally if not more powerful," he says.

"The IoT could change things here, and create a new culture of repair. If you're a small family-owned restaurant that can't afford to constantly upgrade equipment or fix things, you can answer a whole new set of questions with the IoT: Is that freezer working extra hard because someone left the door open, or because its compressor is about to fail and you're about to lose $6,000 in food?"

13. Online video

YouTube has been around for a decade, but Jeff Jordan says online video is still just ramping up now<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/online-video/>. He predicts YouTube will be carved out by entrepreneurs and companies for their own purposes. Besides new ways of monetizing video, Jordan says new forms of video advertising will emerge, and YouTube will start taking better care of its stars. Jordan also says other players could get in on the online video game too - it doesn't have to be all about YouTube.

14. Insurance

Software and data have improved, Andreessen Horowitz's Frank Chen says, so shouldn't the way we purchase our insurance also change? "Software will rewrite the entire way we buy and experience our insurance products - medical, home, auto, and life," he says, in three major ways<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/insurance/>: "By changing the way insurance companies price risk; by empowering an ongoing relationship between an insurer and insured; and by changing the way insurance companies pool capital."

15. DevOps

DevOps - a portmanteau of the words "developer" and "operations - is a skill-set that any modern programmer should have, Scott Weiss says<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/devops/>. He says there' a lot of opportunity for DevOps to grow this year.

"The rise of the hyperscale cloud datacenter has now made this job much harder as developers have had to hack together tools and complex scripts for pushing code to thousands of pancake servers," he says. "This complex cloud infrastructure<http://a16z.com/tag/cloud-infrastructure/> - coupled with the growth of the DevOps movement today - has opened up many opportunities, starting with helping developers and companies to manage the entire process ... to much more."

16. 'Failure'

"'The goal is not to fail fast. The goal is to succeed over the long run. They are not the same thing.'...Enough said," the VC firm says<http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/failure/> on its website, paraphrasing a tweet by known tweetstormer and Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen<https://twitter.com/pmarca/status/510486200776290305>: "My goal is not to fail fast. My goal is to succeed over the long run. They are not the same thing."

Disclosure: Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, is an investor in Business Insider.

Como imprimir um pdf em frente e verso (numero PAR de páginas)

Como imprimir um pdf em frente e verso
INFORMÁTICA<http://www.sabercomofazer.com/temas/informatica/> post_visualizacoes: 1021

Uma das maneiras de imprimir que poupa bastante papel, é imprimir frente e verso.

Nem todas as impressoras tem a possibilidade de usar essa função e nem o utilizador normal tem necessidade de adquirir impressora com acessórios para o efeito.

Uma opção possível é mandar imprimir e ir voltando a página à medida que se vai avançando, tarefa morosa e passível de erros e encravamento.

Esta maneira que vou sugerir é bem mais simples e está acessível a todos, pois não requer nada de especial.

1º - Ao mandar imprimir o pdf (CTRL+P), escolha nas propriedades da impressão, imprimir primeiro as páginas impar (Odd Pages) e inicie a impressão.

[http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-I--300x297.jpg]<http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-I-.jpg>

2º - Ao finalizar retire as folhas impressas e recoloque na impressora de modo a imprimir o lado vazio.

3º - Faça novamente imprimir (CTRL+P), e nas propriedades, escolha páginas pares (Even Pages)

[http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-II--300x290.jpg]<http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-II-.jpg>

4º - Marque "Reverter páginas" (Reverse pages) e inicie a impressão

[http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-III--300x287.jpg]<http://sabercomofazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/imprimir-frente-verso-III-.jpg>

Com este sistema imprime qualquer manual em pdf, poupando no papel e ficando com uma impressão de frente e verso perfeita.

What to expect next: A cloud platform for the Internet of things

Image Credit: Arduino Labs/Flickr

January 8, 2015 8:03 PM
Jesus Rodriguez, KidoZen

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The Internet of things (IoT) is becoming one of the most relevant trends in the history of the software industry. As connectivity, storage, and compute become more pervasive, we’re seeing an explosion of IoT solutions, from sports to public safety. The trend is clear: The IoT is here to stay. As with any other trend in the history of computer software, it’s starting to produce a new generation of platforms.

While the initial generation of IoT solutions have focused on frameworks like Arduino or Raspberry Pi that enable communication with smart sensors, I believe a new generation of platforms that enable backend capabilities for IoT solutions is about to emerge. To use industry terms, let’s call this type of platform an IoT platform as a service (PaaS).

The need for IoT backend services

The rapid evolution of the IoT market has caused an explosion in the number and variety of IoT solutions. Additionally, large amounts of funding are being deployed at IoT startups. Consequently, the focus of the industry has been on manufacturing and producing the right types of hardware to enable those solutions. In that model, most IoT solution providers have been building all components of the stack, from the hardware devices to the relevant cloud services or the solutions. As a result, there is a lack of consistency and standards across the cloud services used by the different IoT solutions.

As the industry evolves, the need for standard models to perform common IoT backend tasks, such as event processing, storage, and firmware updates, is becoming more relevant. In that new model, we are likely to see different IoT solutions work with common backend services, which will guarantee levels of interoperability, portability and manageability that are almost impossible to achieve with the current generation of IoT solutions.

The need for standards and consistency is becoming more relevant in IoT deployments. As a result, we are seeing the first generation of standards, such as MQTT or XMPP, being widely adopted as the transport layer for IoT solutions. However, transport protocols are not sufficient to establish a complete IoT backend layer. More sophisticated services that abstract common IoT backend capabilities, such as storage, event aggregation, and firmware management, are needed.

The emergence of the IoT PaaS

Meanwhile, backend services and infrastructures are becoming essential elements of IoT solutions, which can be seen as an extension of general PaaS. But they’ll have to feature IoT-optimized infrastructure services in order to be relevant for IoT solutions in the real world.

Mobile device management

In the enterprise mobile world, mobile device management (MDM) created a multi-billion-dollar industry that produced quite a bit of M&A activity, as well as at least one public standalone company, MobileIron. If we think about IoT deployments, we can find some of the same challenges that MDM tools addressed, but with much greater complexity. In that sense, I believe the IoT industry will produce platforms that mainly enable the management and operation of smart devices in an IoT topology.

Real-time analytics

In industrial IoT deployments, processing high volumes of data in real time and to provide meaningful analytics are essential for providing true business value. In that sense, I think IoT PaaS should include real-time analytics that can be used immediately. It could work with well established complex event processing platforms to perform real-time aggregations of the data smart devices produce.

IoT solutions testing

The emergence of mobile solutions has lead to new types of testing platforms that validated mobile solutions functionally across different types of devices, networks, and carriers. Following this pattern, I believe the arrival of more industrial IoT solutions will produce platforms that enable functional and integration testing capabilities across a variety of devices and topologies. From that perspective, this new generation of IoT testing platform should enable capabilities like dynamic message simulation, throughput generation, and the ability to record and replay message traffic under specific conditions.

Integration with enterprise systems

Integration with enterprise backend systems is incredibly important for industrial IoT. Consider, for example, a manufacturing plant equipped with sensors that monitor parts of the production line. Information the sensors produce gets aggregated and processed in real time by the IoT platform, which, upon detecting a condition, will update records in a production control system. Clearly, in this scenario, the information produced by IoT devices must be integrated with existing systems. To achieve that integration, IoT PaaS ought to provide the right level of connectors and backend integration capabilities that are optimized for high-traffic scenarios. Well established computing paradigms such as complex event processing will be incredibly useful to enable this sort of IoT integration.

Standing on the shoulders on existing platforms

While the concept of the IoT PaaS might seem novel, it’s fairly simple to deliver from a technological standpoint, due to the advances in cloud computing and mobile platforms. Today, most cloud infrastructure and platform technologies are equipped with high-throughput event processing services that can adapt to the needs of IoT. Additionally, these platforms address elastic scalability models.

Similar to cloud computing, the IoT PaaS concept can be built on the technology produced by the rapid evolution of the enterprise mobile industry over the past five years. If you think about mobile as a subset of IoT, then it’s safe to assume that well established enterprise platform concepts, such as MDM, mobile analytics, and mobile backend as a service, already offer a foundation for IoT PaaS solutions.

When is the right time to start? Follow the money

As with any emergent enterprise software trend, the IoT PaaS will take time to enter the mainstream. For enterprises, it might be hard to determine the right time to invest in this type of solution. For starters, one could follow the investments in the space. While there have been a few flavors of IoT PaaS solutions getting early funding, there haven’t been any major investments in the space. This is a clear sign that the industry is still maturing and framing out the capabilities of what will become the first generation of IoT PaaS solutions.

Jesus Rodriguez is a cofounder and chief executive of enterprise mobile application platform KidoZen.

 

Five Rules for Strategic Partnerships in a Digital World

Five Rules for Strategic Partnerships in a Digital World

Partnerships have always been a critical strategy for businesses looking to grow in unfamiliar markets, tap new customer segments, or sell additional products or services. They have also always been notoriously tricky to make work. Too bad, because in today's hypercompetitive, hyper-connected marketplace, partnerships have taken on even greater strategic importance and complexity. Both business-to-consumer and business-to-business companies are in an arms race to develop innovative user experiences, expand distribution, and capture new sources of monetization. Digital leaders are discovering that their future depends not just on what their own companies can do, but on the capabilities, functions, channels, and insights they can tap by partnering with others.

Through our work with leading companies, and in thoughtful discussions with more than 300 senior leaders who gather regularly in forums conducted by Digital Services at Strategy&<http://www.strategyand.pwc.com/digital/>, we've developed five key rules for successful partnerships in today's digital world.

Rule 1. Never innovate alone.

Companies can rarely reimagine their business for a digital world within their own four walls. Whether via joint ventures, acquisitions, strategic investments, or ad hoc collaborations, partnerships are now essential to scaling the talent, investments, and other innovation-focused resources required to support transformational new businesses, products, and user experiences. More open source development is a related imperative. This stands in stark contrast to traditional siloed approaches to innovation.

Example: Citigroup is actively using its Citi Ventures unit and its relationship with the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to source disruptive startup opportunities that have the potential to create significant value for the company. Citi is focused on six key areas: data monetization, big data, security, mobility, emerging IT, and next gen banking/financial services.

Rule 2. Understand that no single company has a lock on user preferences.

Consumers are moving targets. Companies need to realize they don't have all the killer insights or data by themselves, and must engage with others that have complementary information assets. Partners are now essential to building market advantage through superior knowledge capital, and robust information exchange is fast becoming the new normal for high-performing partnerships.

Example: General Electric and Intel created a joint venture,CareInnovations<http://www.careinnovations.com/>, to aggregate more than 6.8 billion patient data points and provide insights to players in healthcare that can improve care delivery, reduce costs, and drive behavioral changes.

Rule 3. Focus first on a great user experience, not the value exchange.

Today's most valuable partnerships are built around creating great user experiences, not just exchanging value between companies. Embracing this approach requires a human-centered design<http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00258?pg=all> emphasis that pushes the partnership to solve a real user problem, versus concentrating entirely on transactional benefits.

Today's most valuable partnerships are built around creating great user experiences, not just exchanging value between companies.

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Example: Roku, a leading provider of devices and channels for streaming video and other media, has partnered with the home electronics manufacturer TCL to produce a simplified "smart TV" built around the Roku operating system. The result is an integrated video user experience that combines Roku UX/UI capabilities in personalization, curation, and video discovery with TCL expertise in hardware design and manufacturing.

Rule 4. Strike the right balance between scale and customization.

Creating a broad network of partnerships can be expensive, because major partners will typically demand differentiated solutions that are unique to their needs. Developing a partnering approach that combines scalability (maximum reach) with low-cost customization (something special for each partner) is critical. Here, designing technology and tools such as apps and software development kits around specific partnership objectives can give your company a broader and longer-term advantage.

Example: As Netflix has expanded its member base and the number of devices it supports, the company has evolved its API (application programming interface) strategy to meet its business objectives. During the early stages of its successful transition from a distributor of mail-order DVDs to an Internet streaming service, Netflix had an aggressive public API program designed to encourage third-party developers to create new offerings based on its data. Now, with close to 50 million global subscribers. Netflix has reassessed its API program and is focusing more on working with a smaller group of private partners, reducing the cost and complexity associated with a more public approach.

Rule 5. Treat your partnership like your business.

Too many strategic partnerships never come close to achieving their intended outcomes. Why? The partners never dedicate the resources, ongoing commitment, and ownership needed to drive meaningful impact. Achieving success with joint go-to-market or product development collaboration is hard work. It takes time. It costs money. And it doesn't happen overnight. To get it right, you have to run the partnership more like a true business and less like a deal.

Example: Acxiom has prioritized expanding its partner ecosystem to support growth of its Audience Operating System (AOS), which is key to its overall strategy as a provider of marketing and enterprise data services. Acxiom has invested in partnering with Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) as a channel partner in order to reach more customers. And as of September 2014, Acxiom had trained about 400 SMG employees to use AOS, which accelerated the adoption of the AOS platform with SMG clients.

The strategic importance of reinventing approaches to partnerships cannot be understated. If it's not already on every leadership team's agenda, it should be. As customers or users jump from experience to experience with increasing speed, and traditional sources of scale and differentiation decline in value, the need to build capabilities for managing and delivering against these new partnership rules has never been greater.

What are the biggest challenges you have in building fruitful strategic partnerships? How are you making these investments work? Share your thoughts in the comments.

My 12-Step Digital Detox for a Healthier and More Productive 2015 | Martin O’Leary

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-oaleary/my-12-step-plan-to-a-heal_b_6322356.html

My 12-Step Digital Detox for a Healthier and More Productive 2015

If you're like me, you probably sleep with your smartphone and tablet at arms reach. Then start checking email, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and several news sites before you fully wake up each morning. Do your friends and family constantly nag you to stop looking at your phone?

In my previous posts, I talked about how we've been digitally seduced and how technology is distracting ourselves from the reality of the present moment.

Time to Unplug and Recharge

We spend so much of our time these days charging our phones, tablets and ebook readers that we sometimes forget that us humans too need to recharge. Without taking the time to properly recharge it is very easy for someone to experience burnout in this digitally wired world.

Thanks to cloud computing we all now walk around with supercomputers in our pocket.

I've decided it's time to fight back and take action against my digital overlords. However, the reality is I actually love these digital distractions, so rather than going cold turkey, I've come up with a realistic 12-step plan to a healthier and more productive life in this digital world.

My 12-Step Digital Detox:

1. I signed up for an eight-week mindfulness course (for any friends reading this I was not abducted by aliens and reprogrammed). I also recommend downloading an app called Head Space, which offers really great 10-minute guided mediations.
2. I'm going to take Arianna Huffington's advice in Thrive (essential reading) and remove all technology from my bedroom except for one old beaten up alarm clock and reading light. I'm still debating if I should remove my Kindle or not.
3. Okay, this one is going to be tough, as I plan on not checking my phone when I wake and instead wait until after breakfast! To achieve this I'll probably need to hide my phone outside the bedroom. What's even tougher is the fact I actually plan on having breakfast!
4. Reduce and eventually stop drinking coffee. Instead I'm going to start drinking more green tea, so I don't have to miss out on those all important coffee break catch-ups.
5. I plan to exercise at least three times a week. I'll try to mix it up by playing five-aside soccer, gym work and maybe go for a run or play some tennis.
6. I will turn off all phone alerts and notifications, as these are probably my biggest distraction and productivity killer.
7. Eat healthier during the day and remind myself that small changes can produce long-lasting effects. Include some vitamin supplements for those days I fall off the wagon.
8. When at work actually focus on what needs to be done and avoid needless distraction. Some people see staying late at work as a badge of honor but in reality chronic lateness is just poor time management. It also dilutes ones earnings and reduces one's overall quality of life -- tilting the scales of work-life balance!
9. I decided I will no longer constantly check my phone when I go to a bar for a few drinks with friends. Instead I will turn it off just before I meet them. The upside is this will stop some of the nagging.
10. I'm going to reduce the number of people and sites I follow and read online. I'm going to focus on creating a curated list of interesting people and sites which actually add some real value in my life.
11. As much as I love my Kindle I've decided to only have real books in my bedroom and for a start I'm going to read The Power of Now followed by rereading the less spiritual Getting Things Done.
12. Get serious about time management. The problem is not really about technology; it's about time management. Make a schedule that includes time for everything -- work and personal activities -- and then stick to it.

Bon Voyage and Wish Me Luck

In a couple of months, I'll write a follow-up post to let you all know how these hyper-dis-connectivity (if that's a real word) changes are working out over the long term.

To quote Paulo Coelho: One day you we will wake up and there won't be any more time, to do the things we've always wanted. Do it now.

If all else fails you remember you are not alone and maybe it's time to attend a professional Digital Detox Camp.

Follow Martin O'Leary on Twitter: www.twitter.com/martinoleary

Sent from my iPad