New TODO application that blocks distractions while you work

TL;DR: flow is a sticky TODO manager with support for the pomodoro technique and blocks distractions (cat pictures too) while you’re focusing on a task: git, AUR, Windows, OSX

A good task manager application is one that can beat a .txt file.

Even though I was (am?) KOrganizer’s maintainer I could never get used to its TODO view. It simply didn’t fit my workflow. The only time I used it was when I was programming it. For my important stuff, I used a text file instead, and was happy.

Meanwhile I’ve been experimenting with the Pomodoro Technique to help me focus at work and thought it would be fun to create an hybrid between todo manager and pomodoro app in QML.

So, what do we need to make a better organizer than notepad ?

Here’s the 5 ingredients I chose to put in flow:

  • Sticky
  • Pomodoro
  • Block distractions
  • When, not what
  • Light

1. STICKY
Goal: It must be easier to add a task than it would to write it down on a piece of paper.
Flow’s window is sticky (always above, always visible):

Contracted:

Expanded:

Korg needs so many steps to add a TODO that people lose motivation.

2. POMODORO
Goal: Support the pomodoro technique. https://pomodorotechnique.com

Each task has a play button, click it, you’re now in a 25 minute focus block.
Work for 25 straight minutes *only* on that task. Then take a 5 minute break before you start another pomodoro.

“What kills productivity are the context switches, not farmvilling.”
It’s OK to slack, space out or read junk e-mail, as long as you do it in batches.

The key is to group related tasks, do all your non-productive tasks at once, preferably in pomodoro breaks.
Don’t go on reading e-mail every 5 minutes while you’re working on something important.

When a co-worker asks you a favor, open flow and queue it. When the 25 minute focus block ends handle the tasks that you piled up meanwhile.

3. BLOCK DISTRACTIONS
Goal: While in a pomodoro, automatically block facebook and turn of KMail and IM distractions. When the 25m focus ends, re-enable distractions.

Flow supports blocking distractions when a pomodoro starts (via a plugin system).
Currently there are only plugins to block notifications for the apps I use (KMail and Pidgin), but there’s also a “shell script plugin” where you can write shell scripts to do whatever you like.

4. WHEN more important than WHAT
How do you organize your TODOs in KOrganizer ? There are so many options: By Category, by resource, by todo/sub-todo hierarchies ?

I found out that for me the first level of grouping should be about the “when”. In flow there are two areas,
the tasks for today, and the tasks for later and I don’t need more granularity than later.

5. SIMPLE and LIGHT
Very low memory foot print, I’m also using it on my smartphone. Easy to install on windows and OSX due to minimal dependencies.

Conclusion
I think Korg is very good for long term planing, and I still use it for complex stuff (like due date and recurrences stuff) . But it really sucks for micro-managing your day.

So there it is, please give flow-pomodoro a try. I would also like to hear about your current KOrganizer workflow and if you feel it makes you productive or not.

P.S: While writing this blogpost 3 KMail and 2 gchat notifications were blocked and one facebook attempt was killed.

Sumber: https://blogs.kde.org/2015/05/13/simple-qt-container-optimization-you-should-do-your-code

Fresh Memory Lite 1.4.0

Fresh Memory Lite 1.4.0

Fresh Memory is an education application for studying languages with Spaced Repetition method and flashcards. Its primary purpose is to study and repeat vocabulary of foreign languages. But other disciplines can be studied as well: history, geography, medicine, mathematics. The study material is stored as collections of flashcards. The flashcards may have several fields, and the user controls what combination of fields to learn. The flash cards can have formatted text and images. The look of flashcards and studying parameters are can be flexibly configured.

changelog:

* New look of the grade buttons (Spaced repetition window)
* Removed grade 2 Not completely correct.
* New cards are shown with New label
* Introduced learning steps for new cards: must be repeated 2 times at the first day
* Available grade buttons depend on the status of the shown card:
– New cards have just OK and Easy grades
– Learning cards do not have Difficult grade
* For incorrect cards, replaced card-based intervals with short time intervals: 20 sec and 1 min
* New look of the study progress bar (Spaced repetition window)
* Current session is saved on exit, and reloaded at startup
* Example dictionaries are available online. Not included in the installation.
* Online documentation describes used Spaced repetition algorithm in detail
* Images:
– Display image thumbnails in dictionary view (instead of plain HTML tags)
– Add images with GUI
* New study setting: Day starts at 3 oclock (adjustable).
– Affects day limits for all and new cards
* Updated icons for Word drill, Spaced repetition and Search

Windows:

* Installer removes Start menu entries of previous versions

Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter Issue 438

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter. This is issue #438 for the week October 5 – 11, 2015, and the full version is available here.

In this issue we cover:

The issue of The Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter is brought to you by:

  • Paul White
  • Elizabeth K. Joseph
  • Chris Guiver
  • And many others

If you have a story idea for the Weekly Newsletter, join the Ubuntu News Team mailing list and submit it. Ideas can also be added to the wiki!

Sumber: https://ubuntu-news.org/2015/10/13/ubuntu-weekly-newsletter-issue-438/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ubuntu-fridge+%28The+Fridge+-+News+for+Human+Beings%29

KDE Ships Plasma 5.4.2, bugfix Release for October

Plasma 5.4
Plasma 5.4

Tuesday, 06 October 2015. Today KDE releases a bugfix update to Plasma 5, versioned 5.4.2. Plasma 5.4 was released in August with many feature refinements and new modules to complete the desktop experience.

This release adds a month’s worth of new translations and fixes from KDE’s contributors. The bugfixes are typically small but important and include:

Full Plasma 5.4.2 changelog

Live Images

The easiest way to try it out is with a live image booted off a USB disk. You can find a list of Live Images with Plasma 5 on the KDE Community Wiki.

Package Downloads

Distributions have created, or are in the process of creating, packages listed on our wiki page.

Source Downloads

You can install Plasma 5 directly from source. KDE’s community wiki has instructions to compile it. Note that Plasma 5 does not co-install with Plasma 4, you will need to uninstall older versions or install into a separate prefix.

Sumber: https://www.kde.org/announcements/plasma-5.4.2.php

Plasma 5.3.2 and Frameworks 5.12.0 Backported to Kubuntu 15.04

Packages for the release of KDE’s desktop suite Plasma 5.3.2 and KDE’s Frameworks 5.12.0 are available for Kubuntu 15.04. You can get them from the Kubuntu Backports PPA.

Bugs in the packaging should be reported to kubuntu-ppa on Launchpad. Bugs in the software to KDE.

To update, use the Software Repository Guide to add the following repository to your software sources list:

ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Special thanks to sgclark for packaging this update and to testers who hang out on #kubuntu-devel IRC channel.

Sumber: https://www.kubuntu.org/news/plasma-532-and-frameworks-5120-backported-kubuntu-1504/

Beginner Ubuntu Unity Desktop Usage Guide

Unity is default desktop environment for Ubuntu. It has different appearance and user experience compared to another desktop environment. It has few unique features such as HUD and Launcher. It has also a full screen menu. It makes Ubuntu distinguishable among another Linux distro. This guide will help you understand the basics of Unity for daily usage. This guide uses Unity 7.3.2 on Ubuntu 15.04 as a basic and it’s applicable to another version too.

Anatomy

  1. Menu button.
  2. Global menu area.
  3. Launcher panel.
  4. Desktop area.
  5. System tray.

 

Concepts

  1. Unity is basically a GNOME 3 desktop. Unity is a shell for GNOME 3, replacing GNOME Shell itself. As a result, Unity brings its own components, but brings also many GNOME components (e.g. Nautilus). Unity and GNOME share few similarities.
  2. Unity is unique by its visual appearance and its user experience. Unity is like a mix of Mac OS X interface (by top panel and global menu) and Android Launcher (by wide screen menu). The most noticeable part of Unity is left vertical panel called Launcher. Launcher position is permanent.
  3. Unity has Dash. It is the application menu. In Android, you call it Android Launcher. Yes, Unity was designed for touch screen platform.
  4. Unity has HUD. A feature that never existed in every Linux desktop environment before. HUD allows you to use every menu in any GUI application by typing a few letters. HUD makes Unity different with all other Linux desktop environments.
  5. Unity has global menu. We will find it on Mac OS X, when any GUI application menu will appear not in its own window but on Unity top panel.
  6. Unity has Lens. A Lens is a category in Unity Dash.
  7. Unity doesn’t support desktop shortcut (like Windows) by default. Unity has its own shortcut system, that is the vertical Launcher panel.
  8. Unity places min-max-close buttons on the left, in contrary with usual desktop (Windows, KDE, XFCE) on the right.
  9. Unity opens the menu by a single win key (super key, windows key on your keyboard) just like Windows. It was also default behavior in GNOME.
  10. Unity Dash will show you many information event if you don’t need it. For example, when you browse for apps, you will see the installed and the ready to install list of applications. Don’t panic, it is just a marketing strategy of Unity.

Launch Application

To launch application, open Dash (Unity Menu) by pressing win key > type the name > click on the icon. To browse between all installed apps, open Dash > click on ‘A’ Lens (number two from left) > click Filter Results (top-right) > click Local Apps from Sources entry (bottom-right).

Create Shortcut

To create a desktop shortcut, first open an app > right-click on its icon on Launcher > Lock to Launcher. This icon will permanently be here. I use Disk Usage Analyzer app in this example. Continue reading Beginner Ubuntu Unity Desktop Usage Guide