Posts Tagged ‘automation’

The Benefits of Automation

Automation is the use of control systems to control processes, reducing the need for human intervention. Putting this into context, automation is having technology do things for you so that you don't have to.Automation is all around us. When you're at a set of traffic lights, there isn't a traffic light operator that decides when to change the light from red to green. It is done automatically… Continue reading

July 2 2009 | By Paul | Tagged: automation, email, Productivity, time, twitter | 13 comments»

Home Automation: Evaluating the Options

In Monday's article, we discussed the various ways home automation can make life easier. Today we'll look at the primary commercial methods of automating the home—a true and grand lifehack, in that it hacks the primary habitat in your life!At the end of the day, there are two main methods of home automation. The most popular is probably most popular because it is most affordable, and that's plug-in automation provided… Continue reading

November 19 2008 | By Joel | Tagged: automation, Communication, entertainment, home, lighting, security | 8 comments»

Home Automation: What It Can Do for You

Over my next couple of articles, we're going to take a look at home automation. This is a fascinating area that is, for some, a reality, but for many, something that borders on science fiction. The truth is, there are all sorts of products out there to help you automate elements of your home, ranging from those that the average Joe can afford and implement to those that cost as… Continue reading

November 17 2008 | By Joel | Tagged: automation, Communication, entertainment, home, lighting, security | 8 comments»

5 MORE Ways to Make Your Computer Work For You (And Not The Other Way Around)

In my last post, I focused on ways to automate tasks on your computer, from backing up to document writing. Automation is something that computers are especially good at -- it is, after all, what they do.

An important part of mastering your computer, though, lies not in the software you use but the attitude you bring to the computer, the worldview that shapes how you interact with it… Continue reading

March 26 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: automation, centralization, computer, internet, Productivity, tip, web-app, workflow | 8 comments»

5 Ways to Make Your Computer Work For You (And Not The Other Way Around)

Computers have the potential to vastly increase our personal productivity. They are also, of course, capable of becoming vast time-sinks, sucking our productive moments away in a haze of frustration and imposed patience. Alas, the line between one and the other can be exceedingly thin. Here, then, are five ways to keep on the "productive" side of that line and avoid the "time-sink" factor. I've focused here on practices… Continue reading

March 24 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: automation, computer, file_management, internet, Productivity, tip, web-app, workflow | 14 comments»