LinkedIn: Start Building Your Online Resume

Let's face it, we're all paranoid when it comes to finding a job in a few months or a year or two down the road. Hell, you almost need to take a class to learn all the in's and out's of resume writing.

With all this Web 2.0 business going on, someone has invented a Resume 2.0. LinkedIn serves as a resume and networking hub for any user savvy enough to sign up.

When you first log in to LinkedIn, you create your own profile. Think of it as a professional version of MySpace or Facebook: you get to write about yourself for others to see. Once you've completed your profile, you can provide potential employers a link to your profile when you send them your resume.

A notable feature is also the ability to get recommendations from past employers, if your past employers happen to a) want to give you a recommendation and b) are on the LinkedIn.

For any senior who's worrying about securing a job shortly after graduation, LinkedIn will be necessary; it will set you apart from other people vying for the same job. But if you aren't going to graduate soon, it gives you an excuse to egotistically write about yourself for a good 30 minutes or so. Check out my LinkedIn profile that I whipped up while sipping a divine latte this morning.

Get yourself a job: LinkedIn

Traveling by Plane: Getting Back to School

This post may be a little ill-timed, considering that many classes resumed today while others won't start until two weeks from Monday. But I'm flying home on Saturday, so that's all that counts.

Here are a few tips if you are traveling on a plane:

• Remember the TSA's 3 oz. liquid rule. I was burned by this flying from Providence to Seattle over the break because I had a 4 oz. container. The whole practice is absolutely absurd, but there's nothing you can do about it. Already having your liquids in a plastic bag ready to whip out can also expedite the process.


• Try to get upgraded to first class. It's not going to work every time, but boy it's nice when it does. Since most of the the attendants working behind the counter, guys are going to (naturally) have more luck being upgraded. Wear something decent but not overly fancy. Be polite and not "I'm so important so I'm being rude to you, you blue collar worker." Ask about an hour before the flight takes off if first class has checked in full. Who knows, you might get lucky.


• Don't joke about blowing up the plane. This is usually a no-brainer, but the U.S. on terror alert ORANGE, so you'll probably get the death penalty for calling USC's Rose Bowl performance "the bomb," and you should anyway.


• If you didn't get upgraded to first class, get comfortable. Make sure you take control of your armrest for maximum relaxability. Order an exotic drink when the drink cart comes by, like orange juice.


• Strike up a conversation with the person next to you. Whether they are geriatric travelers or a super model, talking to someone is usually more interesting than reading for a few hours straight. If you're lucky, the delinquent will make you feel better about yourself. The easiest way to start a conversation with someone you don't know is to offer them something, like your pillow or pretzels.


• If at all possible, check-in online and only bring carry-ons. Any respectable (and some lousy ones, i.e. United) allow you to check-in online up to 24 or 48 hours in advance and print out your boarding pass(es). If you only have carry-ons, you can just head straight to security once you arrive at the airport.

Wrap Those Pesky Earbuds

While reading Lifehacker early this morning (10 am), I read their article on how to quickly and precisely wrap the ubiquitous iPod earbuds (the technique isn't anything earth-shattering). The video:

That's nice and all, but for keeping iPod earbuds nicely wrapped I use these little Belkin TuneTies. They are little pieces of rubber that are designed to hold your earbuds, and they do their job perfectly. I gave these to my younger sister last Christmas and then Indian gave (stole) one of them back. The Tunetie helps keeps your headphones nice and compact; my nerdly self carries my iPod headphones with me wherever I go, even if I don't have my iPod.

If you are so inclined to pick up a set (they only come in sets of three), please use our Amazon link below. You pay the same price, but HackCollege gets a little bit of a kickback (4%).

Task List: Plan Your Procrastination, Schedule Your Slacking

Not having a Mac for three weeks has been like starving myself very slowly. Maybe I'll give up using OS X for Lent or something. Seeing nifty little programs that could replace a few lists and whatnot that I already.

Task List is a program designed by Aaron Dodson, a god among students. Task List is a program designed to consolidate to-do lists, notes, goals, and research all into one place. It's slick integration with OS X gives you a nice little widget that reminds you what needs to be done when.

Task List offers the following features:

• Main task list, with substeps


• Notes window


• Goals window


• Reference window


• Graphing capabilities of completed objectives


• Task list widget

There are a few drawbacks that I can see so far, but they will only be fixed as the product matures. Right now, the biggest drawback is probably its exclusive Mac availability. I despise Windows XP, but any useful program definitely needs dual OS support or a similar product offered for the unlucky platform. Also, the program right now feels like someone just playing around with Cocoa for OS X. Again, as the program matures this feeling will go away. Hell, any one that complains should download the source code and fix it themselves.

Task List is a solid program that is useful for any student... with a Mac.

Click through and get some work done next term/quarter/semester: Task List

How To: Make a Better Latte

Caffeine is a necessity of a productive life. For some people, it may be the reason for a productive life. I start every morning with a latte, whether it be from the campus coffee shop or from dad's espresso machine while I'm at home. And I'm a stuck-up prick when it comes to coffee. But who wouldn't want a delectable coffee treat every morning?

Espresso is a very finicky liquid; it can spoil easily and needs to be served at the right temperature. My drink of choice, a latte, is made up of (usually) one to three shots of espresso dumped into steamed milk. They only get messed up every one in awhile.

So, I've got a little known tip for any hot, espresso-based drink. Because brewed espresso will spoil if left out in the air for more than about 10 seconds (Starbucks says 4, sites will say 30). To avoid this potential spoilage, warm up an ounce or two of milk in the microwave, and immediately after the espresso is done brewing pour the milk in. This mellows the coffee taste well; the bitter taste of espresso apparently means that the espresso has spoiled (news to me). I've been using this little trick for about a month now, and it definitely makes a difference. Sure it may be a placebo effect, but I swear it works.

Now you're coffee tomorrow morning will taste nice and smooth. Happy New Year.

A Brief Apology...

Sorry we haven't been posting. We hope you're enjoying your time not thinking about school.

An update:

• Rosario is still without Internet access back home.


• I'm actually (unexpectedly) in RI/MA/NH. One of my close friends suddenly passed away, so I have other obligations for the time being. We'll resume a regular posting routine soon enough.

In the mean time, be sure to check out the HackCollege Pack and the Best of HackCollege over in the sidebar, if you haven't already in your holiday boredom, that is.

Take care.

Merry Christmas

There are probably many topics to post on, but it's Christmas Eve. Rosario is at home with no Internet connection, and I'm in Eastern Washington on a 56k. And I'm sleepy.

So, in lieu of an interesting, lifehack-eriffic post: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.

Free Programs: Software for Starving Students

Christmas is in the air.

I didn't know at all about Software for Starving Students until it made the front page of digg yesterday. I'm not quite sure why.

It's an entire downloadable CD full of mostly free (as in beer) software. Party on, Wayne.

Enjoy the Christmas Spirit: Software for Starving Students

Click through for the entire list of programs included.

Q: What software is on the CD?
A: For the 2007.01 release, the titles are:

Windows
* 7-Zip
* Ant Renamer
* Audacity
* Blender
* BZFlag
* Celestia
* ClamWin
* DeepBurner Free
* Dia
* Enigma
* Eraser
* Exact Audio Copy
* FileZilla
* Firefox
* Freeciv
* Gaim
* GIMPShop
* GLtron
* GNU Chess
* Icebreaker
* Inkscape
* Juice Receiver
* KeePass
* MozBackup
* NVU
* OpenOffice.org
* Paint.NET
* PDFCreator
* Portable Apps
* POV-Ray
* PuTTY
* SolarWolf
* Spybot S&D
* Stellarium
* SuperTux
* The GIMP Toolkit
* Thunderbird
* Tortoise SVN
* Tux Paint
* Tux Racer
* Tux Typing 2
* VLC
* WinDirStat
* Wink
* winLAME
* WinSCP
* XAMPP
* µTorrent

OSX
* Acqlite
* Adium
* Audacity
* Bleezer
* Blender
* BZFlag
* Camino
* Carbon Copy Cloner
* Cashbox
* Celestia
* ClamXav
* Crack Attack!
* Enigma
* FreeDMG
* Freemind
* Fugu
* Genius
* GLtron
* HandBrake
* ImageBurner
* Monolingual
* MozoDojo
* NeoOffice
* NVU
* Pac the Man X
* Platypus
* POV-Ray
* Seashore
* Schoolhouse
* Smultron
* Thunderbird
* Transmission
* TypeTrainer4Mac
* VideoLAN Client

You'll just have to trust us when we say most of those are useful. Wink.