Our lives tend to accumulate clutter in every corner: on our desks, in our drawers, on our shelves at home, in our closets, on our computer — you name it, and clutter finds a way to fill every available space.

But having a simple, uncluttered life is possible, with some very simple methods.

Devote a little of your time to tossing clutter from your life, and keeping things relatively clutter-free, and you’ll be rewarded with much more pleasing living spaces, with a less stressful life, and with better organization and productivity. Clutter weighs us down, distracts us, brings chaos into our lives.
Let’s look at some ways to kick it out … for good.

1. Your desk
   If your desk is covered in paper and other clutter, clear it off to create a pleasing work environment. the steps here are the basic decluttering steps we’ll follow for many of the other steps below: 
   • Clear everything off: Take everything off your desk and put it in a pile on the floor. Clear out the drawers too, if you have time. The only things that should be on your desk now are the computer, phone and other similar equipment.
   • clean: Wipe down your desk, and clean your drawers if you’re decluttering them too. It’s good to start with clean surfaces.
   • Sort: OK, here’s the meat of the process: sort through your stuff, one pile at a time. Toss out or route as much as possible, so that what you’re left with is a relatively small amount of stuff. If you won’t be using it again in the near future, or if you can access it on the computer, toss it out.
   • Designate homes: Now you get to place everything back in your desk. Set up a simple alphabetical filing system, with one folder for each project or client. Have drawers for your office supplies and other stuff. With less stuff to organize, it shouldn’t be too hard. Be sure to have a place designated for everything, and keep things in those places. Sometimes it helps to label, so you don’t forget.
   • Leave flat surfaces clear: Don’t put stuff on top of your desk. Have an inbox for all incoming papers, and then sort them each day and either toss, delegate, do them immediately, or file all documents, so nothing remains on top of your desk. The only thing that should be on your desk is your computer, phone, inbox, perhaps a family photo, and the documents you’re working on right now.
2. Files
   If you decluttered your files in the above step, you can skip this, although you should declutter not only your work files but your home files as well. Keep a simple alphabetical system, and try to fit everything in one drawer. It’s good to take out all your files, and purge what you don’t need. Many times that can be half of your files or more. Get rid of as much as possible — most times, we keep copies of stuff we’ll never need again. When you’re done purging, you should have a minimum of files, and it shouldn’t be hard to keep organized.
3. information
   In today’s digital world, there are tons of ways that information comes into our lives — and it can be overwhelming. It’s information clutter — we get too much of it. Instead, set certain times of the day when you check email, your RSS feeds, Facebook, or various forums or other things you read daily. Reduce the number of things you read each day — purge anything that doesn’t give you value, reduce your consumption of news and television, get rid of magazine subscriptions. Keep information to a bare minimum, and only check it at certain times of the day instead of letting it rule your life.
4. Computer
   Purge your computer files, getting rid of stuff you don’t need. Clear your desktop of icons — they slow your computer down, create visual clutter, and are an inefficient way to access files, programs or folders. Set up hotkeys with AutoHotKey or similar programs. With online search tools (such as that in Gmail) and programs such as Google Desktop, you don’t need to keep your files in a complex array of directories and subdirectories — just archive, and search later. Purge old, unneeded files at least every month or two.
5. Closets
   Use the same method for your closets as you did with your desk: clear everything out, clean it out, sort (and toss or donate as much as possible), and designate homes for what you decided to keep. Keep only what you love and use often. I recommend keeping your closet floor clear — it makes everything look nicer. If tackling the entire closet is too intimidating, it can be helpful to just tackle one area of your closet a day, until it’s done. It’s also useful to go through your wardrobe, and donate everything you haven’t worn in 6 months — it greatly simplifies your closet.
6. Rooms
   Are the rooms in your house too cluttered? A few rules about simplifying a room: first, start with anything that’s stacked on the floors; then work to the flat surfaces (tables, shelves, countertops, the tops of dressers, etc.) and clear them completely if possible; then do the larger stuff like furniture and other things that clutter the room; and finally tackle drawers and cabinets and closets. As much as possible, keep floors clear and all flat surfaces. Sort through everything in piles as in the first step above, tossing and donating as much as possible. Organize everything else in drawers and closets and cabinets, out of sight but still neat and uncluttered. Tackle one room at a time, going for a clean, uncluttered, simple, minimalist look in all cases. It can be helpful to continually edit a room once you’re done decluttering — you can always find little ways to make a room simpler.
7. Drawers
   The way to declutter a drawer is the same as outlined above: empty everything out, clean the drawer, sort through the pile of stuff from the drawer (purging as much as possible) and organizing the few things left. Keep like things together — a drawer for office supplies should only be for office supplies. Avoid having a junk drawer — everything should have a designated place. Go through one drawer at a time — don’t jump from one drawer to another.
8. Commitments
   Aside from physical clutter, our lives are often way too cluttered by the things we need to do — at work, at home, in our civic or religious lives, with our hobbies, with friends and family, etc. Go through each area of your life, and write down every commitment you have — from things you’ve volunteered or agreed to do on a regular basis, to meetings and sports games and other things you do every month or week. It can be overwhelming. 

   Now examine each one, and decide if it truly gives you joy and value in your life, and whether it’s worth the time you commit to it. It can be useful to just choose a few of the commitments that your really love doing. Get rid of all the rest. Just call people and tell them your schedule is too busy, and you have to decline. Learn to say no! One by one, eliminate the commitments in your life that don’t give you value, and you’ll have more time to do the stuff that’s really important to you — stuff for yourself, or your loved ones.

9. Routines
   It is extremely useful to examine your daily and weekly routines. Often, we don’t have any set routines, and we tackle our chores, regular tasks, and obligations haphazardly. This leads to chaotic days and weeks, and often a drop in productivity. It’s better to batch like tasks together — do all your errands at once, for example, or all your laundry at once instead of throughout the week. Write down all of your weekly and daily obligations, chores, tasks, etc. and plan out a weekly and daily routine. Post it up where you can see it and try to follow it, at least for a week. It could bring some calmness and simplicity to your life that hadn’t been there before. Be sure to schedule time for decluttering in your weekly routine!
10. Systems
    Once you’ve purged clutter from your life, it will inevitably start to creep back in. To keep from having a cluttered life again, you need to set up systems that will keep the clutter to a minimum. Examine how you do things, how things come into your life, and see if you can create a simple system for everything: chores, laundry, paperwork, email, RSS feeds, yardwork, errands, work projects, filing. And then write down your systems, step by step, and try to follow them. If your systems are set up right, you will continually purge clutter you don’t need. For example, a system for paperwork might look like this: 
    • All incoming papers go in inbox.
    • At the end of each day, inbox is processed.
    • Rules for processing: toss, route, file, do, or write on to-do list to do later and put it in “action file”.
    • Process to empty, leaving no papers in inbox or on desk. Clear desk of any working paper

Source: DumbLittleMan

Don’t try to hide your addiction to singing in the shower — embrace it with the Kohler Moxie speaker Showerhead ($200). This clever piece of bathroom hardware embeds a speaker in the middle of a full-spray showerhead. and not just any speaker — a Bluetooth-compatible speaker that lets you recharge it on the counter, snap it back into the showerhead using the embedded magnets, and play music wirelessly from your phone or tablet. Just don’t forget to clean yourself up while you’re at it. Source:Kohler Moxie Speaker Showerhead

Not sure what to do with all those cassette tapes you found while cleaning out your garage/old room? Well look no further than to your own iPhone to convert music from the outdated tapes! Yeah you heard right, you can easily convert audio tape cassettes into MP3 files using your iPhone or iPod touch with this nifty device from Hammacher Schlemmer that stores the MP3 files on your device. You can convert all your favorite old tapes, old mixtapes from the days you used to record directly from the radio and more! The device allows you to scan forward or reverse so that you can select individual tracks for digital conversion. There’s also a free app that makes conversion to an MP3 file easy! Cassettes can also be converted to a PC running Windows 7, XP, or Vista or a Mac using the included software. Its small footprint allows easy portability for conversion anywhere at anytime. It requires two AA batteries and measures 4 1/2″ L x 3 1/4″ W x 1 1/4″ d, while weighing only 8 oz. You can get it for only $79.95!

Can a $249 digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier deliver state-of-the-art sound? The Audiophiliac listens to the AudioQuest DragonFly to find out.

by Steve Guttenberg

The AudioQuest DragonFly is a USB-powered (it doesn’t use batteries or an external power supply) digital-to-analog converter. I usually need some time to get a handle on the sound of a component, but within minutes of plugging in the tiny $249 DAC I knew exactly what made it so special. It sounds clear and clean, so there’s less standing between the music and my ears.

The AudioQuest DragonFly

(Credit: AudioQuest)

The DragonFly is a bona fide Audio component, designed by Gordon Rankin, a man known in audiophile circles as a great tube electronics engineer, but Rankin is also a computer audio guy. He’s one of the few DAC designers with equal depth of knowledge in analog and digital audio technology.

The DragonFly uses an ESS Sabre DAC, a high-performance chip more typically found in higher-end CD and Blu-ray players. The DragonFly works with MP3s and CD-standard 16-bit/44KHz to 24-bit/96KHz file formats. Inside, there are 107 components mounted on a 0.6×1.7-inch four-layer board including regulators and custom capacitors.

The DragonFly was designed with the audiophile in mind, so instead of relying on a digital volume control that might reduce signal resolution and sound quality, the DragonFly’s volume control works in the analog domain for the best sound quality. The analog volume control tracks the movement of the volume slider on your computer. The DragonFly has a 3.5mm output jack.

It can be used with desktop speakers, like my Emotiva Airmotiv 4s, or a component hi-fi system, or it can directly drive headphones. I tried it all three ways, and the DragonFly’s stunning resolution was always a joy to listen to.

To put the DragonFly’s performance in context I compared it first with the Halide Design DS DAC ($295) that I raved about earlier this year. The DS DAC has a softer and richer sonic balance, which I still like, but the DragonFly’s sound is clearer and more precise. bass is tighter and better defined. Listening over the Airmotiv 4 speakers, the DragonFly’s more expansive stereo image floats freer of the speakers than it does with the DS DAC.

The DragonFly trounced the DS DAC, but how would it fare in a shootout with the $495 Halide Design DAC HD? The DragonFly didn’t win that one; the DAC HD had more bass and sounded more dynamically alive, and had better overall tonality. The stereo image was even bigger, and still had razor-sharp detail. When you hear a truly great DAC, like the DAC HD, on a desktop system, you’re a giant step closer to the sound of a first rate high-end hi-fi.

At first I was less happy with the DragonFly’s sound when I listened to it as a headphone amp. I plugged in the Audio Technica ATH M50 and Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones, and found the DragonFly’s sound lightweight. Bass oomph was lacking, which overemphasized midrange and treble frequencies. Then I popped on my Velodyne vPulse in-ears, and the DragonFly sounded positively awesome! My JH-13 custom-molded in-ears were also fantastic, so all I can say for now is the Dragonfly might not be a great match with some full-size headsets. We’ll see.

Granted, it’s a $249 desktop DAC, so you can’t really expect it to be a giant killer on every application, but the DragonFly still has a lot going for it.

[LINK]

Long has man yearned for the taste of a traditional grill without the need to go outdoors — and the element Indoor Smokeless BBQ ($225) promises to deliver. This unique cooking system uses a gas or electric stove element to heat a bed of lava rocks, creating the flavor of a traditional grill without the smoke or charcoal dust. Other features include a specific section for catching grease — making for easy cleanup — an adjustable grill height, and a removable handle.

[LINK]

Model: DMXP6
Color: Black

Attention all DJs! the competition is now over and the winner is Technical DMXP6 Double CD mixer with USB, scratch and BPM! Built with the same quality design and forward thinking technology that we can expect from this team this mixer goes above and beyond, providing the DJ with every tool needed to keep your crowd dancing and partying.

Connect this mixer to your set up from the back panel using the balanced XLR, RCA master out and RCA record out outputs. Utilize the rack mountable design and easily integrate this into your mobile rig or DJ coffin. Connect 2 USB flash drives to play music files or load 2 different CDs into the front loading CD decks. Use the folder browsing feature to search through your USB flash drives. Play MP3 Cds in addition to a standard audio CD! Connect a microphone and have the ability to talk to your crowd while mixing!

Built for the seasoned professional DJ and for the DJ that is just starting out, the DMXP6 has all the features you will ever need! Make a loop on the fly, use the rubberized jog wheel to precisely cue your tracks, EQ your songs using the bass, mid and treble tone controls per each channel, use the reverse playback for both CD and USB tracks and get that “vinyl” feel, pitch your music up or down and match your beats using the seamless pitch control or use the BPM counter to make it easier to match up your BPM’s! If you are Dj’ing for a dancefloor and the party people are moving and grooving, the biggest mistake a DJ can make is not blending the next song on time. If there is a pause or a change in the groove, you will lose your entire dancefloor. Use the BPM counter and insure you will never embarrass yourself by blending a mix that is off beat! Use the built-in scratch function for both the USB and CD inputs and add some flare to your mix while impressing the crowd with your DJ skills! These are the tools that separate the person that just “plays” music from the DJs come to rock the house!

Aligned with Technical pro’s rugged design and long lasting build for all their gear, the DMXP6 has a built-in anti shock system the helps prevent any skipping or playback issues. The sound output utilizes an analog to digital converter at 24 bits with 8 times oversampling which means this bad boy will sound thick and full, lighting up any room with that “Big Room” club sound DJs strive to achieve! If you are a DJ and need a reliable, quality built mixer that can do it all, this is for you!

As a professional DJ, the party’s entire mood is controlled by the touch of your fingers. One thing is certain when a DJ is working there is just one thing in your world and that is the music. You create a world of blend and balance between beats that magically send the floor into a rave.

Ask almost any DJ how he manages to create such fantastic sounds they will point to two factors their gear & skill. With the Technical Pro DMXP6 you get the power needed to create those moods.

Technical Pro’s mixers have a reputation for providing high quality audio and reliability, giving professional DJs the tools they need to expand their musical horizon, with capabilities for mixing, remixing, producing and performing. Incorporating features recommended by many professional DJs and club engineers, they raise the bar on flexibility and performance.

The DMXP6 is the “go-to” mixer for DJs the world over, novices and professionals alike. This dual CD mixer offers all the most sophisticated features that allow you to mix, remix, produce, and perform like a professional DJ, at a price anyone can afford and at only 15 light, portable pounds. Don’t confine your musical creativity to rigid presets and outdated features. The DMXP6 offers clean, intuitive controls, and simple, yet dynamic construction. If high quality audio, reliability, and a professional sound are important to you, choose the DMXP6 for the best in flexibility and performance.

• Dual USB Inputs
DMXP6’s USB inputs will accept USB flash drives up to 8GB provide quick and easy access to your .mp3 file play lists.

• Anti-Shock System
DMXP6’s buffered skip-protection technology keeps your music playing, even when vibrations might cause other players to skip.

• MP3 CD and USB compatibility
DMXP6′s allows you to play MP3 CDs and you can also take advantage of the DMXP6’s ability to browse through folders on your USB flash drive devices. Folder support allows you to browse through your music and select tracks from different folders.

• Cue/Play/Reverse/Scratch
Standard cue, search, and pitch controls, and tone controls (bass, mid, treble and gain) allow you to be the ultimate “mix master” of your music. The DMXP6’s rubberized jog wheels allow for easy control; you can reverse, playback, play backwards (reverse), and scratch on both USB and CD tracks.

• Beats Per Minute
When you match beats from the left to right, from one song to another, the DMXP6 sets everything up. When you start playing both songs, the DMXP6 will display will indicate the BPM for both songs, allowing to to match the beats from each song and cleanly transition from one song to the other.

• Inputs: RCA, (2 audio sources), MP3, USB memory stick (2)
• Outputs: XLR (balanced), RCA (master, record output)
• Microphone Inputs: 1/4”, XLR
• Plays MP3 CDs
• Folder browsing on USB input
• Seamless loop and reloop (in & out)
• Fader start / relay
• Digital / analog converter: 24 bits / 8x over sampling
• Iridescent blue LED level meter
• Single/continuous program (99 programmable play tracks)
• Rubberized jog wheels for easy control
• Tone controls (bass, mid, treble and gain)
• Cue, search and pitch controls
• Replaceable crossfader
• Illuminated control buttons
• Anti-shock system helps prevent skipping
• Reverse playback on both USB and CD
• Scratch on both USB and CD
• BPM Readout
• Rack Mountable, Anti-shock system helps prevent skipping
• Pitch control: ±18% / Auto voltage
• Sampling Frequency: 44.1 KHz / Lineal quantificaition: 24 Bits
• Signal to noise ratio: >90dB, Crosstalk (1KHz)>70dB, Dynamic Range (1KHz)>80dB
• dimensions: 19” w 10” h 4.75” d
• weight: 15 lbs
• MSRP: $599.00

[LINK]

[link]