Whether you’re fresh out of college and looking for work or trying to get back in the workforce, unemployment can be quite a predicament. Chances are, you’ll need all the help you can get. Make use of these lifehacks to make your unemployed life just a bit easier.

General

Make use of these general unemployment lifehacks.

1. Appreciate being unemployed: Enjoy your unemployment while it lasts.
2. Stay social: Make sure you keep putting an effort into maintaining a good social life.
3. Get a business card: This tiny tool can help you connect with others, especially employers, in a really big way.
4. Improve your mindset: Use unemployment as an opportunity to tackle problems in your life.
5. Join a support group: Get help with unemployment by seeking out libraries, churches, and other organizations that offer unemployment support groups.
6. Give yourself an assessment: Look at your strengths and think about what you really want to do now that you’ve left your old job.
7. Stay positive: Look on the bright side and take advantage of your time unemployed.
8. Make friends with your librarian: Visit your library for free entertainment, job hunting help, and great community resources.

Money

Use these lifehacks, and you’ll be able to stretch your money, hopefully until you find your next job.

9. Apply for unemployment benefits: Use unemployment benefits to help make ends meet, and apply as early as possible, as they may take time to come in.
10. Stay at home: Use free entertainment at home instead of going out, so you’ll be able to save money.
11. Get a grip on your finances: Take stock of where you are in your finances and adjust where needed-you never know how long you’ll be out of work.
12. Do not cash out your retirement: Just about anything’s better than dipping into your future.
13. Use your emergency fund: If necessary, dip into the cash you’ve been saving for a time like this.
14. Don’t waste anything: Make sure you use all of everything you purchase, not wasting any scraps.
15. Use envelope budgeting: Split your cash into categories to avoid overspending.
16. Ask for a temporary suspension of payments: If you’re working on a loan, let them know you need help and ask to suspend your payments.
17. Look for any costs you can reduce immediately: Take a look at your budget and spending to determine what you can cut out.
18. Stop catalogs and email announcements: Don’t be tempted to buy-just turn them off.
19. Conserve energy: Keeping your energy consumption down can save you big bucks.
20. Put your budget into survival mode: Make sure you can stay on top of your basic needs before everything else.
21. Keep your receipts: Use receipts to list and track your expenditures to find out where you are spending too much money.
22. Exercise at home: Cancel your gym membership and take advantage of local roads.
23. Do your research: Carefully research all purchases before you make them.
24. Put impulse buys on a 30-day list: Write down your gotta have it items, and revisit them in 30 days to see if they’re still important.
25. Use cash: Make spending more painful and real by using cash instead of cards.
26. Use cheap, nutritious ingredients: Get more nutrition for your money.
27. Temporarily block numbers from creditors: While you’re trying to ride out unemployment, it’s understandable that you may not be able to make every bill. Use tools that will allow you to stop the calls, even temporarily.
28. Stick to your grocery list: Before grocery shopping, make a list and be sure to not stray from it.
29. Lend and borrow: Give books, toys, and clothes you’re not using anymore away, and ask for what you need.
30. Cook at home: Eat healthy and cheap by cooking at home.
31. Learn how to haggle: Improve your bargaining skills to get a better deal just about anywhere.
32. Learn frugal habits: If you’re unemployed, you’re going to have to learn how to live on less, so pick up frugal habits.
33. Talk yourself out of purchases: Do your best to convince yourself you don’t need to make purchases.
34. Make small transfers to savings: Even while unemployed it’s important to save, so make small, frequent transfers that are less painful than lump sums.
35. Enjoy thrift stores: Instead of buying new, discover the joys of purchasing used.

Motivation

It can be difficult to find motivation to get things done while unemployed-use these hacks to turn things around.

36. Get a jumpstart: Plan to get up early Monday morning and get started on your productive week early on.
37. Squash negative thoughts: Negativity will kill your motivation and productivity.
38. Avoid bad habits: Don’t fall into bad habits like sleeping in late, staying on the sofa, and eating junk food.
39. Get up when you used to: Wake up at the same time as you did while employed, and attack the day like it’s a job.
40. Chart your progress: Track your progress for each goal.
41. Avoid multitasking: Keep yourself from multitasking so you can be most effective.
42. Accept setbacks: Know that setbacks will happen, and vow to learn from them to avoid letting them happen in the future.
43. Assign dates and priorities: Organize your tasks with dates and priorities.
44. Do a weekly review: Figure out what you need to get done by the end of the week, and what you’ve gotten done at the end of the week.
45. Don’t let yourself skip two days in a row: It’s okay to miss a day now and then, but make sure you’re staying on top of yourself to use your full force the next day.
46. Use a "later" list: If you have tasks you can’t get to this week, don’t write them off, just keep them on a different list.
47. Deal with failure: Take a rest, exercise, and build up your momentum for something new.
48. Write down what you want to accomplish this week: Choose your actions for the upcoming week that you’ll be able to complete.
49. Remove distractions: Do your best to keep distractions away, including TV, children, and online playtime.
50. Use mini goals: Accomplish small goals that lead up to a larger ultimate goal.
51. Keep a journal: Whether on paper or online, write about what you did that day.

Health Care

Without employer-sponsored insurance, health care can be incredibly difficult, so use these lifehacks to make things work.

52. Get long term medications filled before losing insurance coverage: Ask to get a year or two of medication while you still can.
53. Call ahead: Before receiving treatment from your doctor, call ahead to negotiate your payment, whether you have insurance or not.
54. Read your individual health insurance policy carefully: If you’re getting an individual policy, be sure to check out all of the details.
55. Go to dental school: If you’re in need of dental care, save money by going to a dental school for free or reduced cost cleanings.
56. Look for free or discounted health fairs: Keep an eye out for immunization events and more that can save you money on health care.
57. Take care of medical issues before losing coverage: Make sure to take care of exams and treatments you’ll need done within the next few months before your insurance coverage runs out.
58. Cut out fruit juice: Fruit juice is high in sugar and low in nutrients-just eat a real piece of fruit instead.
59. Exercise: By exercising, you’ll be able to stay healthier.
60. Self-diagnose online: Before you head to a doctor, check your symptoms online to make sure they really warrant medical attention.
61. Drink tea: Enjoy the many health benefits of green, black, white, cold, hot, or iced tea.
62. Ask for free samples: If you need a prescription, ask your doctor if you can take advantage of free samples.
63. At least get catastrophic insurance: If you’re thinking about going without insurance, consider getting catastrophic coverage in case of an accident or major illness.
64. Take care of issues before they become a real problem: Although you may be hesitant to avoid spending health care dollars, stopping problems before they get bigger can save you money.
65. Don’t skip breakfast: Avoid energy dips by packing in dietary essentials in your breakfast.
66. Take vitamin supplements: Make sure you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need by taking supplements.
67. Get more sleep: Without a job keeping you busy 8+ hours a day, you’ll have more time to make sure you sleep all of the hours that your body really needs.
68. Drink lots of water: Improve your health by staying as hydrated as possible.

Activities

These are useful ideas for what you can do now.

69. Make good use of your extra time: Now that you probably have more time than you know what to do with, take on fun and effective activities.
70. Create a job for yourself: Take on a meaningful project or work for free so you’ll avoid having a gap on your resume.
71. Go to free events: Visit art openings, free festivals, performances in the park to get out and enjoy yourself without spending any money.
72. Go back to school: Use your extra time to improve your life, resume, and experience with a new degree.
73. Get inspired: Use books, forums, friends, photos, and other motivators to find inspiration.
74. Improve your skills: Finish your degree, improve your skills, and impress new employers by investing in yourself.
75. Clean your house: Having a tidy house can do wonders to make you feel better about being unemployed and spending more time at home.
76. Write a book: If you’ve been putting off the creation of a novel, now’s the time to pick it up and send it off to a publisher.
77. Travel: Roam the world while conducting your job search.
78. Start a business: While you’re waiting to get a job, give self-employment a try.
79. Be creative: Have some fun and feed your creativity with your extra time.
80. Volunteer: Feel good about yourself, network, and gain experience by offering your services as a volunteer.
81. Learn a new language: Add a useful skill to your resume and give yourself a purposeful activity by studying a language.
82. Celebrate a little every day: At the end of the day, do something that makes you happy.
83. Connect with your family: Take time to spend more afternoons with your children, visit your parents, and check in on your grandparents.
84. Get a workout: Visit the gym or train for a marathon with your newfound time.

Job Hunting

Make use of these hacks to land your new job.

85. Don’t be picky: Don’t be terribly fussy about what you apply for. Even if you don’t take the job, just going through the process is great for practice, and you never know what doors you’ll open.
86. Update your resume: Make sure your resume is up to date and reflects you effectively.
87. Apply in person: Whenever possible, send in a physical resume, handed in personally.
88. Change your career: If the industry you were laid off from is suffering, take this opportunity to explore a new career.
89. Tailor your resume and cover letter: For each job you apply for, make sure that your resume and cover letter are perfectly representing you.
90. Accept a platform job: Don’t be afraid to take on a job that helps you pay the bills.
91. Tell your social networks: Let people know you’re looking, and you may score some temporary work or even the real thing.
92. Teach: Many cities will hire professionals as teachers, or you can take up temporary work as a substitute teacher.
93. Use company terminology: Make use of terminology that is used in the company you’re applying for, and you’ll get noticed.
94. Use a log: Keep a nicely organized spreadsheet so you’ll know when to submit your resume, follow up, and re-check job listings.
95. Treat your job search like a job: You should spend most of your day job searching, applying, interviewing, and connecting with helpful people.
96. Stay in touch: Keep connected with your old manager and former colleagues-those who maintain contact are more likely to hear about re-hire opportunities.
97. Use the rule of thirds: Apply to three dream positions, three realistic ones, and three fun, totally out of your norm jobs.
98. Blog about your industry: While looking for a job, maintain a blog about the industry you’d like to get into, so you’ll keep up with what’s going on and be able to network.
99. Save a copy of the job description: By the time you go in for an interview, job postings are probably down, so save a copy for later.
100. Practice talking about yourself: Talk about your life as if you’re always on a job interview, so you’ll be ready to go when the time comes.

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When traveling for business, you don’t always have time to plan out your trip the way you’d like. Depending on weather-related delays, deadlines, networking events and changes in your own office’s schedule, you may have to book and rebook travel and reorganize your itinerary even after you’ve left home. But with an iPhone, managing last minute changes is easy. Check out these 99 awesome iPhone apps for busy business travelers, from scheduling help to city guides to everyday utilities you’ll need on the go.

Schedules and Itineraries

Book travel, manage your itinerary and organize your trip with these apps.

1. Kayak Flight and Hotel Search: Use this travel meta search engine when you need to book a flight or hotel on the go.
2. TripCase: Get customized travel messages, flight status updates, security wait times, baggage information, gate changes and more with TripCase.
3. FlightCaster: Map out your Plan B with this app, which predicts flight delays based on weather and other qualifications.
4. Travelocity TravelTools: Save trip information and get flight schedules, gate information, security wait times, delay information and booking support with this tool set.
5. Expedia Itinerary Viewer: Expedia fans will be able to see their whole itinerary and travel confirmation numbers and bookings here.
6. LiveATC Air Radio: Get a heads up about delays straight from the source when you eavesdrop on air traffic control conversations.
7. Airfare: With Airfare, you can look up international and domestic flights, including multi-destination flights, flights on specific airlines, and more.
8. Trips: This travel manager, powered by TripIt, organizes confirmation numbers and e-mails, flights, hotels, car rentals, baggage information, meetings, flight status, weather, dinner appointments, and more.
9. MyFlights: Manage your flights with this app, which automatically updates them if any changes are made due to delays, weather or rescheduling.
10. WorldMate Gold: Organize every step of your trip, from flights to breakfast meetings to rental cars to lodging.

Maps and GPS

Make sure you know exactly where you’re going and how to get there with the help of these maps and GPS apps.

11. Google Earth: Access the user-friendly mapping technology of Google Earth on your iPhone for fast and easy local search, directions, and more.
12. ReSpotter: Network with other traveling associates and contacts when you locate them on city maps, from Shanghai to Paris.
13. World Tour (travelogue and map): Add pins to the map to annotate trips and store photos.
14. WikiPlaces: Get Wikimaps on your iPhone here.
15. Weather Radar: This interactive weather map will clue you in to delays, local weather and more.
16. G-Map U.S. East: If you’re going to be traveling anywhere in the eastern U.S., use this GPS system on your iPhone to get around.
17. OffMaps: View city maps offline, in landscape or portrait mode, and even when you travel abroad.
18. Traveling Companion: This app includes a compass, your GPS location, heads-up display, nearest street address, directions and more.
19. CoPilot Live: This app is pricey, but if you’re constantly on the go in the U.S. or Canada, you’ll find that the 3D and 2D driving maps, voice directions, auto navigation support, detour and alternative route options and other features are worth it.

Transportation

Navigate around your new city like a pro when you download these apps for metro stations, AAA and highway support, taxi services, and more.

20. Metro Americas: Business travelers who frequent major cities in the Americas, including Montreal, New York, Mexico City and Washington, D.C., will be able to get subway guides for all destinations here.
21. AAA Roadside: If you often travel by car, send AAA roadside assistance requests with your iPhone.
22. MetrO: Map out the fastest route using rail, bus, metro or tram for 400 cities around the world.
23. Cheap Gas!: Locate the cheapest gas wherever you drive in the U.S. and Canada with this GasBuddy.com-powered app.
24. Rocket Taxi: Order taxis with this app that works in 10,000 cities.
25. Transit Maps FREE: Get transit maps for BART, NYC subway, Queens bus, Philadelphia rail system, and plenty more.
26. London Tube Subway: Get the London tube map on your iPhone, which can also sync the transit guide to Google Maps.
27. New York Nearest Subway: Locate the closet subway station when you’re in New York using this app.
28. Traffic: Get traffic updates for most metro areas in the U.S.
29. G-Park: Record information and a photo about your parking location so you never forget where you left the car.
30. Airport Codes: This app will help you find shortcuts when booking travel and more.

Language Help

When traveling to places like China, the Middle East, South America or Europe, you might need some help communicating with locals. Each of these iPhone apps uses a different system to help you master the language, or at least get by.

31. Global Talk: With Global Talk, you can type in your question or statement, choose a language to translate to, and then show a native speaker the translation on your iPhone screen. Supports 42 languages.
32. Oxford Translator: You don’t need a Wi-Fi connection to use this translator, which lets you choose voice translations, and a build-and-repeat phrase system.
33. Translate It!: This translator lets you type in messages, which are translated into text bubbles using Google Translate.
34. QTranslator: This translator comes with preset sentences and lets you type in a phrase and translate it to over 40 languages, like Finnish, German, Hebrew or Thai.
35. iTranslate - Ultimate: For just $1.99, you can get basic language support for French, Spanish, German, Italian and English.
36. myLanguage Pro: Use this language app to copy/paste text, listen to translations, search offline, dialect pairing, and more for languages from Urdu to Hindi.
37. Linguo - Multilingual Translator: This user-friendly translator works for languages like Norwegian, Polish, Dutch, French and Russian.
38. Free Spanish Dictionary: Practice your Spanish with this side-by-side dictionary.
39. World Guide: Look up language information, climate, transportation tips and more for places in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and beyond.
40. English-Japanese Language Translator: This virtual phrase book lists English words and their Japanese translations — in character form — side by side.

News and Alerts

Stay on top of financial news, medical alerts and more with these apps.

41. Influenza A(H1N1): Get swine flu alerts that could impede travel with this app.
42. talk Radio: Connect to talk radio stations wherever you are for news and entertainment.
43. iNap: Arrival Alert: Feel free to take a nap when you set up this alert, which will wake you up when you reach your destination.
44. CDCAlert LE: Get medical alerts from the CDC here.
45. AccuWeather.com: Keep up wtih weather news and forecasts with AccuWeather.com’s app.
46. TerrorNews QuicknEasy RSS: If you’re going to be traveling to risky regions, keep up with terrorism-related news here.
47. Cell Phone Ban: Set up this alert to notify you when you drive through a cell phone ban region.
48. PortfolioLive Stock Quotes/Market Data : Get a finance news reader, NYSE and NASDAQ quotes in real time, plus market analysis.
49. iBusiness News: Use this app to get aggregated news from CNN, BBC, USA Today, and The New York Times.
50. The Wall Street Journal: Get news from The Wall Street Journal no matter where you’re traveling with this app.

Food and Lodging

Download these apps to make sure you always have a place to stay at night and a well-balanced meal in the morning.

51. Urbanspoon: This popular app can quickly help you decide on a yummy place to eat near your current location.
52. Hotels.com: Book hotels on the fly with Hotels.com, which can refer you to places based on your current location, nearby landmarks, reviews, and more. No cancellation fees are included, either.
53. LocalEats: Quickly look up local favorites for dining out, and get directions, contact information and price ranges in your results.
54. Yeerp Bed and Breakfast: If you’d like to stay in a bed and breakfast when you travel, use this app to find the closest one to your location. Supports six languages.
55. Zagat To Go ‘09: You don’t have to waste time in dead-beat restaurants, bars or hang outs when you have this dining guide on your iPhone.
56. HotelsByMe: This iPhone service will help you locate and book hotels, save your hotel list, view them on Google Maps, and pay in 17 different currencies.
57. Call a Hotel: Look up hotels and their phone numbers quickly with this app.
58. Rest Area: Locate quality rest areas in the U.S. with Google Maps and this app.
59. FoodMenus: If you want take-out or delivery when you’re out of town, use this app to find and store U.S. restaurant menus.
60. HotelPal: Major hotel chains are logged in this database that can help you choose your next night’s stay while you review photos, maps, amenities, and more.

City Guides

If you manage to get some downtime during your trip but didn’t have time to plan a personal itinerary before you left, turn to these travel guides for city specific assistance.

61. UrbanDaddy: Find cool things to do in cities like New York, San Francisco and Miami by plugging in the time, neighborhood, and keywords like "date" or "lounge."
62. SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder: Find decent, clean public restrooms in a hurry with this app, that works for cities like Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, Boston and Seattle.
63. 7 Cities to See in Europe: If you have a little downtime when you travel to London, Istanbul, Barcelona, Rome, Prague, Paris or Dublin, watch one of the tourist videos on this app to find out what you need to see.
64. Travelhost: Learn about dining, shopping and entertainment attractions in different cities, and then save directions and listings to your iPhone whenever you have some free time.
65. GPS Points of Interest: When you’re trying to figure out what to do in a new city, use this app to get ideas and find directions to entertainment, food and more.
66. Smart Biz Traveler: With this app, you can find cabs, restaurants, hotels, entertainment and more, based on your current location.
67. Rome2Go: Check out the top places to visit in Rome.

Communication

With the help of these tools, you’ll be able to keep in touch with everyone back at the office, your family at home, and any contacts you can meet up with on your trip.

68. Wi-Fi Finder: Use this app to find Wi-Fi hot spots close by. It currently supports 270,000 locations worldwide.
69. Postcard Express: Create custom postcards without having to stop at tourist shops with this app.
70. Int’l Calling: Rates and Codes: Get international calling rates and codes for 243 regions, from Cape Verde to Greece to the UK to Canada.
71. TravelTrac Lite: Send back videos, journal entries, notes, photos and locations to the office or to friends and family as you travel.
72. Postman: Turn your iPhone into a virtual delivery service so that you can tweet postcards, post to your Tumblr blog, and more.
73. FriendWatch: Notify friends of your location so that you can meet up on business trips.
74. Boxcar: Let this one app send you notifications from your social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
75. Black Book: Manage all of your contacts’ information, including photos, social media IDs and more from this one list.
76. Loopt: Loopt is another tool that can help you find contacts, friends and colleagues wherever you travel.
77. Bluetooth Walkie Talkie: Turn your iPhone into an easy-to-use walkie talkie with this app.

Work Support and Organization

With these remote access tools, you’ll be able to keep up with work, organize your travel notes and save photos, text and more.

78. all-in Notes: Add photos, text, dates and voice recording for on-the-go note taking.
79. AirFloppy: Save files from the web to your iPhone with this app.
80. Overnight: Express Shipping, Tracking, Pricing: Use this app when you need to ship or receive packages while you’re out of town.
81. MobileMeiDisk: Access files and folders on your remote iDisk with your iPhone.
82. Trip Planning To-Do List: Keep up with your meetings and appointments, plus deadlines and other to-dos here.
83. LogMeIn: Log into your Mac or PC with this app.
84. Awesome Note (+Todo): Organize tasks, to-do lists, ideas, brainstorms and more with this app.
85. Hours Tracker: Keep track of billable hours even when you travel.
86. iTeamAgenda Location: Keep track of your location, meetings, parked car, and more as a way of staying connected to co-workers around the world.
87. Easy Attendance Memo: Record your attendance at and participation in meetings, conference calls and more across the globe.

Utilities

Turn your iPhone into a currency converter, alarm clock, tip calculator, packing checklist and more with these helpful apps.

88. Currency: This free app calculates currency conversions for over 90 different currencies in 100 countries.
89. Tipulator: Tipulator is a popular tip calculator that lets you split the bill and the tip.
90. Be Prepared to Travel: This travel checklist will help you remember to pack and update your passport, hold mail, get a house sitter, get a taxi, and more.
91. SplashTravel: This "all-in-one trip organizer" includes a tip calculator, currency exchange, world clock, time calculator, packing list and other tools.
92. Airline Bag Fees: Calculate bag fees by airline, including international carriers like Air Canada.
93. PackingPro: Manage multiple packing lists at once with this app.
94. Traveler’s Stain Removal: Get tips on how to remove pesky stains on the go.
95. White Noise Lite: If you need help falling asleep in strange places or on planes, use this app to simulate the noise of thunder storms, beach waves, rain or other noises.
96. Unit Calculator: Convert feet to meters and more with this unit calculator.
97. Gas Log: Use this app to log your gas mileage on business road trips.
98. Alarm Night Clock Lite: Turn your iPhone into a digital clock with date, time, day and other settings.
99. Send MMS: Send free photo texts home or into the office with this app.

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It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of alarm clocks, commutes, meetings, office politics and dead-end jobs, but life doesn’t have to be that way all. Here, we’ve revealed 100 of the all-time best lifehacks for your workday, which will keep you motivated, productive and energized each week.

Waking Up and Getting Ready

Learn how to wake up on time and get moving each morning by reading these hacks.

1. Go to bed at the same time every night: A regular sleep schedule will help you wake up at the same time in the mornings, too.
2. Get up when your alarm goes off: Don’t kid yourself about wanting an extra 10 minutes. Before you know it, 10 has turned into 20 or 30, and then you’re late.
3. Put your alarm clock across the room: If you’re afraid of snoozing in, put your alarm clock across the room so that you have to get up to turn it off.
4. Open curtains or a window: Help your body wake up naturally by letting the sun and fresh air peek into your room.
5. Pick out your clothes the night before: Pick out two outfits — one should be a backup — to wear to work the night before. Bonus points for ironing and picking out your shoes and accessories, too.
6. Shower strategically: For your morning shower, use bath soaps that smell like eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint or pine, which can help you wake up faster.
7. Exercise: Wake up 30-45 minutes early to get a quick workout in, which will help you wake up and get your exercise out of the way for the whole day.
8. Eat breakfast: Cereal, a banana, a granola bar or even yogurt will jump start your metabolism and give you fuel for your morning.
9. Pack your bag the night before: Get all papers and supplies (including umbrellas, shoes and jackets) organized the night before and set everything out by the front door.
10. Think of something to look forward to: For early morning motivation, think of something about the day ahead of you that will be fun or challenging.

Commute

Make your commute more effective and enjoyable by bringing distractions, having a back-up plan and sharing rides.

11. Check e-mail: If you ride the subway, train or city bus to work, use the time to catch up on e-mails and set up appointments.
12. Ride your bike: Make your commute doubly effective by getting a workout in, too. Plus, you’ll help the environment.
13. Bring your iPod: Tune out to music, an online course or audio book when you bring your iPod along for the commute.
14. Find the cheapest gas: Don’t waste time — and gas — driving around the for the cheapest place to fill up your car. Use a site like GasBuddy.com to look up the cheapest rates before you leave the house.
15. Carpool with reliable people: Make sure everyone in your carpool is punctual.
16. Have a backup plan: If there’s a strike, your bike tire is flat or your carpool partner can’t make it, always have a backup plan.
17. Keep up with car maintenance: Avoid unexpected car problems that can make you late by keeping up with car maintenance all year long.
18. Pack for a rainy day: Remember to pack an umbrella and any other supplies or accessories that will protect you from bad weather.
19. Consider cost: Calculate your commute’s cost and decide what ridesharing option is best for you.
20. Keep your cool: Distract yourself from obnoxious commuters, delays and bad weather by reading, eavesdropping on the right people, and playing games.

To-Do Lists and Deadlines

These hacks will help you organize, prioritize and work down your to-do lists each day.

21. Write a to-do list at the start of every day: Don’t wait until lunchtime to begin your to-do list: keep one handy for the entire day.
22. Break things down: Break projects down into individual action items that you can cross off faster.
23. Consider the essentials: If you don’t want your to-do list to overwhelm you, only include the essentials.
24. Delegate: Delegate "busy work" like fact-finding, data entry and photocopying to assistants and interns to give yourself more time.
25. Rearrange based on changing priorities: Your to-do list will need to change periodically based on new priorities and projects. Don’t be afraid to revise.
26. Color code your calendar: Color code your calendar so that it’s easier to identify projects, meetings, appointments and more.

Time Management

Avoid procrastination so that it’s easier to get out of the office on time every evening with these hacks.

27. Clean off your desk: Rid your desk of any distractions and allow your mind to focus on the project at hand, not the mess on your desk.
28. Hold office hours: Keep your door closed when you want to stay busy, and set aside "interruption" times for colleagues to come in and ask you questions.
29. Identify your distractions: Once you’re able to identify the websites, e-mails and phone calls that distract you the most, it’ll be easier to stay away from them.
30. Filter and file emails: Filter out spam and file away emails based on priority and subject.
31. Try time boxing: Instead of working on a project until you finish, work on it for predetermined time slots, like 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon.
32. Make yourself accountable to someone else: If you’re leading a project or working on your own, make sure you’re being held accountable for deadlines and updates.
33. Do unpleasant tasks first: Breeze through unpleasant tasks when you have more energy.
34. Hire an assistant: If you can justify it to your boss, ask for an assistant or intern to help you with menial tasks, scheduling and organization.
35. Use shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts can make you navigate the web and your files a lot faster.
36. Use RSS: Subscribe to RSS feeds instead of checking news sites and blogs every 20 minutes.

Meetings

Make your meetings less of a nuisance by being prepared, taking breaks and following up a couple of days later.

37. Limit chat time: Chat time is sometimes necessary for brainstorming and letting off steam, but set a timer to keep yourselves on schedule.
38. Have an agenda and stick to it: Even if you’re not leading the meeting, jot down a few notes and questions you want to address, but save all the extras until later.
39. Hold silent breaks: After discussing or proposing a topic, have everyone be quiet for 2 minutes to mull it over.
40. Follow up: When you get back to your desk, take a few notes while your mind is still engaged, and then follow up in the next couple of days to check on everyone else’s status.
41. Schedule breaks: Allow people to check messages and go to the bathroom so that they retain focus and energy.

Break Time

Learn how to take strategic breaks that help you rebuild focus, stretch, and get a second wind.

42. Make better coffee: Sprinkle salt into ground coffee for a better taste.
43. Keep it short: All you really need is a 2 or 3-minute break to stretch, use the restroom and get some water.
44. Be productive during your break: You can take a break from computer but still stay productive by doing something physical, like running an errand, folding laundry (if you work at home) or making a phone call.
45. Vent: If you’re really upset about something, take 5 minutes to call a friend or write in a journal.
46. Don’t take breaks on the computer: Taking a break to check your Facebook page doesn’t count. You need to stretch and get some fresh air.
47. Take a personal day: When you’re heading towards burnout, take a personal day to relax, reevaluate and have fun.

Ergonomics

Protect your body by following these ergonomics hacks at your desk.

48. Analyze your work space: Evaluate your work space for ergonomics no-nos.
49. Have a padded seat: Keep your bum comfortable while elevating yourself at the appropriate height with a padded cushion.
50. Prevent eye strain: Consider things like contrast, brightness, screen height, dry air, dirty monitors and monitor closeness to prevent eye strain.
51. Take stretch breaks: Taking 1-2 minute stretch breaks every 20-30 minutes is recommended to prevent overexerting your body.
52. Support your back: Make sure your back is supported at the right angle.
53. Work out your neck: Try to keep your neck relaxed during the day but also take time to breathe in, rotate your neck from side to side and up and down.

Office Relationships

Here you’ll learn how to get along with your co-workers and your boss.

54. Watch your jokes: Keep un-PC jokes, bathroom humor and vulgar or offensive language out of the office.
55. Learn how to say no to your boss: You can say no to your boss if your extra work will compromise your other projects and clients.
56. Be the bigger person: Avoid gossip and learn to tune out annoying co-workers instead of being dramatic.
57. Be careful of office romances: Don’t get intimate with a co-worker just to cure the office blues and never let your relationship interfere with work.

Nourishment

Your diet can play a large role in your energy at work. These foods and snacking hacks will keep you focused and healthy.

58. Water: Keep yourself hydrated and productive all day by filling up a water bottle in the morning and drinking from it at your desk.
59. Bring three pieces of fruit every day: Set up each piece of fruit on your desk and eat it whenever you get hungry. This trick will keep you away from the vending machines.
60. Make popcorn: Popcorn seems like a junky snack, but snack-sized bags without butter are satisfying without being too indulgent.
61. Stock your desk: Keep your desk and office refrigerator stocked with healthy snacks, like small bags of nuts, rice cakes, baby carrots and hummus so that you don’t have to feel guilty about noshing.
62. Pack a lunch: Save money and calories by packing your own lunch. If missing lunch meetings hurts your image at the office, eat beforehand and order a small salad or side of veggies when you go out.
63. Drink green tea: Take a break from sodas and coffee to get a healthier dash of caffeine from green tea.
64. Eat lean meats: Bring a chicken salad or sandwich on whole wheat bread or a whole wheat pita topped with lean meats for energizing protein.
65. Try to influence the office: Ask for healthier catering options and take-out menus to make it easier to eat right at group events.
66. Oatmeal: Make oatmeal for a late afternoon snack or bring it for breakfast to avoid hunger pangs and drowsiness throughout the day.
67. Get a plate: If you’re eating at your desk, it’s easy to just reach for the box or bag to get your munchies on. But just because you’re not at home doesn’t mean you have to eat like a pig. Avoid mindless munching (and mess) by getting a plate or bowl.

Work-Life Balance

Don’t let work get the best of you: these hacks will help you achieve a work-life balance that leaves plenty of room for family and fun.

68. Pace yourself: Pace yourself each day and each month to avoid burnout.
69. Inspire your work space: Hang up inspiring pictures, listen to music and find a way to spoil yourself in your cube, all for the purpose of inspiring creativity.
70. Write down your priorities: List your top 5 priorities to help you reevaluate the amount of time you’re spending on each one.
71. Talk to your boss: If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed and are comfortable talking to your boss about personal issues, set up a meeting to discuss how you can make your work life less stressful.
72. Make every day feel like the weekend: Learn how to tune out the stressors and work at your own pace, just as if you’d come in on a Saturday.
73. Set up boundaries: Turn off work phones at home and give yourself a 10 minute window of personal time after lunch to create safe, "sacred" space.
74. Ask for help: Enlist the help of your spouse, kids and co-workers when you need help with a project, chores, or running errands.
75. Stop procrastinating: Sometimes the easiest thing you can do to ease your stress is to amp up your productivity.
76. Believe in yourself: Feeling confident about your job performance will help you deal with stress. Learn how to believe in yourself and shake off obsessive self doubt.
77. Let the small stuff go: You can’t be perfect all the time, at work or at home. Accept the fact that you’re human, and don’t let little mistakes get to you.

Goals

Don’t get too complacent with your job. Here you’ll discover ways to set and achieve career goals that will change your life.

78. Learn to think "from" your goals: Don’t think of your goals as something you’ll never achieve. Make a goal and act on it right then.
79. Consider how far you’ve come: Don’t just think about the future: consider how far you’ve already come when you need some extra motivation.
80. Review your goals every day: Remind yourself why you’re at work each day by keeping a list of goals nearby.
81. Embrace negative outcomes: When things don’t go your way, reevaluate the situation and find the positive.
82. Do your research: There’s a difference between goals and fantasy: Understand the reality behind salaries, job titles, and more before going after your goals.
83. Get your boss to pay for school: Find out if your boss will be willing to pay for your continued education.
84. Get on a committee: Build your reputation and increase your exposure by applying to sit on boards and committees.
85. Get a mentor: Find a mentor who can help you with networking opportunities and point you in the right direction.
86. Talk to your boss: If you want to move up in your industry, talk to your boss about taking on new responsibility.
87. Never stop networking: Network with old and new clients, on social media sites, and with everyone in the office.

Office Parties

Survive office parties by checking out these hacks.

88. Show up for a little while: Whether it’s in the office or off-site, you’re obligated to at least stop by. Make up an excuse to leave early if you want to.
89. Come up with a list of things to talk about: This includes networking topics and personal small talk.
90. Limit alcohol content: At the office party, it’s best to limit your booze if you have any at all.

After Hours

These hacks will help you unwind and get ready for the next crazy work day.

91. Leave work at the office: If at all possible, finish up at work even if you have to stay a little late.
92. Jot down a to-do list for the next day: Make it easier to pick up where you left off by jotting down a to-do list to get you started in the morning.
93. Write down what’s bothering you: Don’t let work stress dominate the rest of your evening: write down what’s bothering you so that you can pick it up again in the morning.
94. Escape: Escape in mindless TV, a good book, a glass of wine or an evening run.
95. Socialize: Quality time with people you enjoy — not the people you’re forced to see every day — can help you relax.
96. Have quiet time before bed: Get ready for bed by meditating and having some personal time to think.
97. Go easy on the chores: Don’t leave work just to work yourself to death cleaning when you get home. Do one or two chores each day.
98. Exercise: Leave the stress of work behind you by working out when you get home.
99. Clean up: Take a hot shower or bubble bath to clear your head and start fresh for the evening.
100. Go to bed earlier: Give your body and your mind time to recover and prepare for the next day by going to bed earlier.

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Even if you’re naturally inclined to be a good team leader, becoming an excellent leader takes practice. From learning how to solve office conflicts to making better decisions to discovering new ways to market your company, management training takes time. Whether you’re already at the top of your field or you’re a low-level employee working your way up, check out these 100 inspirational blog posts to become a better, more effective leader and manager.

For Entrepreneurs

Small business owners will learn about investing, networking, and planning here.

1. Advice for budding entrepreneurs: Sue Rutherford walks entrepreneurs through the process of building upon a great idea.
2. Essential Tips for the First-Time Entrepreneur: This post lists the different kinds of business plans that entrepreneurs should research before investing in their new brand.
3. 10 unordinary tips for entrepreneur women: Women in leadership positions in business, not just entrepreneurs, will find this post inspiring.
4. Ethical Conduct of an Entrepreneur: This post encourages entrepreneurs to believe in themselves and avoid greed.
5. 5 Sure-fire ways to know if your business will work or not: If you’re wondering how your business proposal or new idea will work out, read this post first.
6. Get Your Business Going Now: This post has great tips for starting all kinds of businesses.
7. A New Year to Be An Entrepreneur: This day-by-day guide can help you create an effective plan to growing your business.
8. Not Everyone is an Entrepreneur: This post can help you recognize your natural gifts as a business leader.
9. More Support for Unintentional Entrepreneurs: Find out how the economy is inspiring more people from the corporate world to become entrepreneurs.
10. How One Entrepreneur Grew Sales to $50 Million in a Mundane Industry: This post should inspire you to become successful just by altering your perspective.

Leadership

These posts offer insightful suggestions for becoming a better leader.

11. Three Dimensional Leadership: Learn how to lead with your "head, hand and heart" by reading this post.
12. Are You a Leader or a Manager?: Ron Edmondson outlines the difference between leadership and managing in this post.
13. Humility as a Leadership Trait: Guy Kawasaki encourages leaders and managers to be more humble.
14. Management: The Coaching Way: Learn how to manage with a coaching style.
15. Leadership Q&A: Leading An Open Organization: This post will help you lead in the new marketplace.
16. Thanks for leading: Think of this short post as a pat on the back for all your hard work.
17. 5 Things I Have to Do, But Don’t Like to Do, as a Leader: Discover why managing, waiting, submitting and even failing are necessary as a leader.
18. Getting the Response You Want: Learn how to get the results you want by reading this post.
19. What is the single most important task for a leader?: Watch Sean Maloney reveal his most important task in 30 seconds or less.
20. Nine Great Questions for Leaders: Ask yourselves these nine questions to challenge your way of thinking and leadership style.
21. Managers Who Coach: Think About Your Best Teacher: If you’re unsure of the leadership style you want to adopt, Steve Roesler recommends mimicking your favorite teacher.

Employee Management and HR

This collection of blog posts gives suggestions for inspiring your employees, investing in your company, training workers, and more.

22. How to earn respect from your employees: In this post, leaders learn how to become comfortable viewing themselves as decision-makers.
23. Forget Wall Street, Small Businesses are Still Hiring: Find out why you, as a small business owner, are in a better position to help the economy.
24. Five Major Pitfalls for Leading Effective Work Groups: In this post, Mark Craemer encourages business managers to create comfortable work environments, build upon the work group, and provide training.
25. Hire People Who Disagree With You: Don’t think that you can only hire people who turn out to be "yes men."
26. Inspire Employees at the Grass-Roots Level: Get simple tips for inspiring your employees here.
27. Despite Cutbacks, Firms Invest in Developing Leaders: Find out why investing in and training choice employees is smart even during a recession.
28. Bad Leadership: This clever post gives specific pop culture examples of bad leaders.
29. Tough Talk for Tough Times: What CEOs Should Be Saying Now: Guy Kawasaki points readers to a list of things managers should be saying to unburden employees’ fears.
30. Where, oh where, has common sense gone?: This article helps employees and managers work together constructively.
31. Two ways to hire, and a wrong way: Seth Godin walks business owners and HR managers through the hiring process.
32. Remarkable Leaders Ask Great Questions: Learn how to push your employees by asking the right questions.
33. Ten Team-Building Tips for Managers: Become a more effective communicator, project manager and leader when you read this post about team building.

Innovation

Discover new ways to strengthen and expand your company or department from these bloggers.

34. Change Management in 4 Steps: The FC Expert Blog outlines the best practices for change management.
35. Ten Top Tips for the Innovative Leader: Embracing change, breaking the rules and collaboration are just a few tips listed in this motivating post.
36. Ten Great Ways to Crush Creativity: Learn how to step aside and let creativity flourish in your workspace.
37. The Mistakes that Kill Sales: If you’re a sales manager, learn what not to do in this article.
38. Five Tips for CEOs on Innovation: By making innovation a priority in your office, everyone will be more creative and insightful.
39. How to Think What Nobody Else Thinks: Learn the trick to being an independent, forward thinker here.
40. How Events Shape Your Career: Are You Paying Attention?: After reading this blog, you’ll learn how to take advantage of offhand comments and seemingly unrelated situations.
41. Think Laterally: Thinking laterally will help your business grow faster.
42. How to Be Lucky: Here you’ll discover that luck isn’t just coincidental.

Continuing Education and Career Growth

Work on your own career to find new management opportunities when you check out these blog posts.

43. Cultivate Your Online Reputation: This blog post by Jennifer Wang has tips for personal branding and monitoring your company’s image, too.
44. Interview with Jason Rzepka: Read this interview with a young communications and public relations executive at a major entertainment company.
45. An Important Leadership Question: What’s Your Dream?: Kevin Eikenberry motivates leaders to consider their own dreams if they want to be successful in the workplace.
46. How to Influence "Up": Get tips on building a solid reputation, being adaptable and more.
47. Best business networks for women entrepreneurs: Women entrepreneurs and leaders will want to check out these networking resources.
48. The hierarchy of success: What’s most important: attitude, strategy, goals or approach?
49. Leadership: You’ll Know Them When They Know You: Learn how to stand out at work by reading this post.
50. How to Move Out of Your Comfort Zone: Leaders are constantly thinking outside the box, even in terms of their own careers.
51. Leadership is About Powerful Partnerships: This post will inspire you to network for the sake of your own brand and your company’s health.
52. Leaders vs. Managers…Are they really different: Consider the differences between leaders and managers here.
53. Aspiring Managers: Learn to Behave Like Adults: Steve Tobak gives managers a lesson in maturity.
54. Leadership Training: Learn about all of the retreats, trainings and other continuing education opportunities available for leaders.

Goal Setting and Decision-Making

Below you’ll find tips for planning out projects, setting goals and making better decisions.

55. Tackle Business Projects: The Smallest Thing That Could Work: This post cautions managers against pitching big ideas first.
56. Better Meetings: Decide How to Decide: Here you’ll learn how to effectively plan out meetings and tap your employees’ brains.
57. 10 Common Mistakes That Startup and Small Companies Make: If you’re helping a company or new team grow, be aware of these mistakes.
58. Powerful manifestos and goal-setting tools: This post on the power of manifestos should inspire you to create one for your own department or company.
59. The Leader’s Role at Project Completion: When everyone else is celebrating the end of a project, what should you be doing?
60. When goal-setting backfires: When setting goals, be aware of these risks.
61. A Time for Flexible, Positive Leaders: In this article, you’ll learn why being flexible and positive will help you make better decisions.
62. The importance of questioning your work: Questioning your work will help you make better decisions and plans.
63. Goals Into Habits: Steve Pavlina shows leaders how to turn goals into habits.
64. Insights into effective decision making: This advises mangers to "try again," "slow it down," and "let go of your ego" when making decisions.

Marketing

Here you’ll learn ways to market your company and your own brand, too.

65. Get Your Marketing Strategy Right and the Rest Will Follow: Small business owners and leaders will learn how to conduct effective market research and present marketing plans.
66. Establishing the "Connection" Factor in Your Business: Lauren Berger offers tips to connect with consumers.
67. Small-Business Owners Anticipate Growth, Market Smarter: Here you’ll get a boost of confidence regarding your next marketing plan.
68. 137 Small Business Twitter Tips: If you’ve had it with social marketing and don’t think you have any ideas left, read this article for more ways to use Twitter to promote your brand, company or department.
69. Public Relations: Your Secret Weapon: Customer Service: Focus on your customer service strategy for a better PR and marketing campaign.
70. Use Salesmanship to Energize Your Organization: John Baldoni recommends a salesman mentality to strengthen your company.
71. Blogging as Management, not Marketing: Rethink your blogging responsibilities here.
72. 25 Must-Read Social Media Marketing Tips: These tips come from high-profile businesses like UPS, Home Depot, Wells Fargo and more.

Office Environment

As a leader and manager, you need to understand how to cultivate an effective office environment that encourages productivity, harmony, and professionalism. Here you’ll learn all about conflict management and more.

73. Conflict at Work?: Steve Roesler offers great tips for understanding office conflict and working through it.
74. Avoid Wasting Valuable Time: Turn your office into an efficient workplace by implementing these strategies.
75. What to Do When People Avoid Conflict?: Learn how to manage employees who shy away from conflict and confrontation.

Communication

These bloggers teach managers to be better leaders through more effective communication.

76. How Leaders Make Big Issues Personal (and Possible): Be more persuasive and influential by learning how to relate to your projects.
77. The Art of Giving Praise: Get over yourself and learn how to give praise to your employees.
78. 9 Tactics to effectively communicate your vision: Read this post for tips on getting others to see your way.
79. How to Speak to an Unruly Crowd: This post has suggestions for speaking to those who may not want to listen.
80. Communication is essential in times of crisis: In times of crisis, your company is counting on you to help them understand their next move.

Getting Help

Even managers need help. Here you’ll find posts that deal with stress management and more.

81. What To Do When You Run Out of Ideas: In this post, you’ll learn how to refresh your mind and get new ideas.
82. 7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress: This post outlines seven things you’re blowing out of proportion for no reason.
83. Five Myths About Life and How You Should Be Living It: Don’t get sucked into a self-destructive pattern just because you have a stressful life.
84. Stress Management Tips for the Small Business Owner or Freelancer: John Reeve talks small business owners through the stresses of needing to control every aspect of your job.
85. How to Escape Perfectionism: Be a little easier on yourself after reading this article.
86. Who Can Help the CEO? Other CEOs: Learn how to ask for help from your peers in this post.
87. Are you being effectively mentored?: It may be time to find a new mentor after reading this post.
88. Is Work Taking Over Your Life?: Find out if you need to take a step back and breathe.
89. Leaders hold themselves to a higher standard: Motivate yourself to find challenges, make decisions and implement change.
90. Job Stress Management Tips: This post recommends sharing the workload and getting a fresh outlook to deal with stress.

Finance and Economics

Managers will learn how to survive the economy and make smart budget decisions after reading these blog posts.

91. No More Budget Hacking - a.k.a. Know Where to Cut and Where to Spend: Nico McLane has helpful tips for reworking proposals to meet the budget.
92. Is Your Business Ready for the Recovery?: Find out how to get your business ready for the economic recovery here.
93. Make Cost Cutting Invisible to the Customer: Minimize the damage of budget costs by reading this post.
94. Is Your Small Business Getting the Help it Needs?: Learn to fight for your company’s share of freebies and benefits that are being handed out during the recession.
95. Seven steps to successful change, or How can a company start making money again?: In this post, Sam Homer offers ideas for business owners and leaders to rethink their business model and grow from the recession.
96. Weathering the Recession: Tips for Keeping Employees Happy and Productive: Here you’ll learn how to keep your workers happy and comfortable despite a worrying economy.
97. 5 Ways to Fight the Recession as a Small Business: From budgeting to expanding a web presence, these tips can make the difference during a recession.
98. Ten Tips for Using Good Leadership to Survive the Recession: This posts recommends facing problems head on, weeding out low performers and networking.
99. 5 Character Traits to Survive the Recession: Helen Whelan thinks you can help your company survive the recession if you have a healthy dose of passion, perspective and courage.
100. How to survive the recession: Keep your company afloat by adding value to your product, being flexible and becoming an expert in your field.

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Have you ever noticed just how little actually gets done in the average office?  It’s like the people in charge are looking for ways to create an office culture that is chocked-full of turtles who accomplish far less than their wolf counterparts.  What follows is a list of things management can do to create a low-performing team that stays out of the way and accomplishes just the bare minimum to scrape by with their jobs and a paycheck.

1.    Create a culture of cronyism.  Many managers do this and don’t even realize it.  They surround themselves with old college buddies, their nephews, or other people who don’t belong in the office in the first place.  These people are treated leniently and are generally given titles and perks that other, harder-working people are not.  This is a great way to lower morale and decrease productivity.

2.    Manage with apathy.  So many people work hard all the way up to management, and then think that they have paid their dues and no longer have to do anything.  When this occurs, there is always a reason or excuse as to why the boss is running late, or is gone completely.  When this type of manager returns from his or her unexplained hiatus, he or she rules with an iron fist, wondering why things aren’t running smoothly.  After a day or two, it’s back to the same old disappearing manager act.

3.    Overload your hard workers.  Rather than getting those who underperform their peers to work harder, keep distributing the work load to those who actually perform.  Why would you want the guy who takes three days to finish something on the task when someone else will get it done in three hours?  Just give all of the important work to the ones who perform.  Let the lazy employees get all the easy tasks.  This will certainly ensure that everyone decreases their productivity over time.

4.    Reward employees based on time accrued rather than merit.  Nothing says “you don’t really matter” to employees better than rewarding people for putting in time and paying their dues.  It doesn’t really matter if they’ve done a good job.  Simply pay them according to how long they’ve been willing to put up with their chosen profession, rather than what they’ve actually contributed.

Of course, there are many more things management can do to create a more apathetic office culture, but these are the main four.  If used all together, these can create an entire enclave of turtle employees who bear the weight of all their combined office inequities.  Implement these policies and watch your productivity go down the toilet.

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One of the unwritten rules of social conduct is that you should never engage people in conversations related to the topics of politics or religion.  Some people, however, fail to realize just why we don’t bring these topics up with others, especially in the workplace.  These topics can be particularly divisive and can create many problems within an office culture. 

Other uncomfortable topics of discussion have to do with finances and business ventures.  Oftentimes a co-worker will attempt to engage you in a conversation related to his or her home business.  None of these topics are appropriate for the workplace, end of story.  What follows is a list of a few tips for dealing with uncomfortable office talk.

Avoid those trying to initiate the discussion.

If at all possible, avoid the people who are trying to discuss divisive issues such as politics or religion.  Perhaps these people congregate in a certain part of the office or have lunch together.  Do your best to avoid these people when they are discussing these matters, and maintain a professional demeanor around them, avoiding rudeness or confrontation.

Don’t get involved.

If you absolutely cannot avoid being around these people, make sure you don’t encourage their behavior.  As the saying goes, silence is golden.  After a while, they may begin to get the message loud and clear without you having said anything at all.

Politely excuse yourself.

Again, if you happen to find yourself in a situation where being in contact with these people is unavoidable and you are uncomfortable, politely excuse yourself.  If someone wishes to confront you or questions why you are leaving, explain why in a neutral manner.  Letting them know that you don’t think it’s appropriate, whether you agree or not, is the main reason for not engaging in the conversation.

Change the subject.

Maybe you really do like the people, but don’t like discussing these sorts of matters at work.  Make a joke or try and change the subject.  Doing this a few times will let them know that you certainly want to be part of a conversation with them, but on another, less controversial topic.

Notify a supervisor.

If you feel that the conversations are inappropriate and are beginning to feel alienated or harassed, it is time to let someone else know.  Many offices and companies forbid discussions related to politics and religion, and trying to drum up business at work is certainly a conflict of interest.

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Do people in your cubicle space compare you to Jim from The Office? Besides your good looks and savvy business skills, we bet you’re the go-to guy or girl who can plan games and last-minute parties the second your boss leaves for a meeting. Whether your circumstances limit you to a stealth office party or you’re set on planning the happy hour blowout of the year for your friends after work, these 100 web tools are for you.

Games

From online games to paper football with your office mates, these games will keep the party going without the boss catching on.

1. Games You Can Play in the Office: This guide has all kinds of silly games like off-ground tick/tag, during which players try to see who can make it without touching the floor the longest.
2. 7 Office Games You Can Play with Your Co-workers: From Paper Football to Bullshit Bingo, these games can be played with just your cube mates or as an office-wide tournament.
3. OfficeGameSpot.com: Get everyone in the office to play games on this site and compare your scores.
4. Office Hoops: Inspired by the TV show The Office, this computer game challenges you to throw as many paper wads as you can into the trash can.
5. Truth or Dare Questions: Pull from this list of questions to challenge your co-workers during office truth or dare.
6. Cubicle Warfare: Ask your burnt out co-workers to join in on this game. First, select your office weapon: a paperclip, staple or rubber band. Then it’s on.
7. Who Would You Do and Desert Island: Remember when Jim organizes these games during the fire at Dunder Mifflin? You can learn a lot about your co-workers this way.
8. Island Mini-Golf: Up to four players can participate in this game.
9. Office Trivia Game: Use the famous lightning round trivia game idea from Friends to see which team knows more about office romances, the boss or each other.
10. Scavenger Hunt: Use this guide to get you started. You can use your own office or the entire building.
11. Very Funny Boardroom Bingo: Spaces on this bingo board are called URL, tactical, value-added, think outside the box and other irritating office lingo.
12. Office Party Games and Ideas: A few of these are a little lame, but you can get pretty creative with the Give Me game.
13. Top 10 Office Pranks Exposed: When you’re tired of playing games, try out a few of these pranks and see if anyone’s brave enough to get you back.
14. The Cubicle Prank Toolbox: 25 Great Ideas to Jack with Your Co-workers: Pranks in this list include sticking post-it notes to everything, steal their mouse ball and make them think they have a hearing problem.

Music

If you don’t want to hire a DJ, you can download, organize and manage the music for your party with these online tools.

15. EZ Tracks: Download free music of any genre here.
16. Spiral Frog: Here you can search by new releases, top downloads, artists or genres, and audio and video downloads are free.
17. We7: Sign up to create playlists and learn about artists and new hits on We7.
18. Grooveshark: Grooveshark generates playlists for you based on your musical interests.
19. Last.fm: If you don’t have much time to pick out new music, Last.fm will recommend music to you based on what you already listen to.
20. Ronan’s Online Karaoke: Gather your co-workers around for free karaoke on your computer.
21. GigMasters: If you want to book an actual band or live entertainment for your party, you can look up talent here.
22. iTunes Genius: When you’re out of ideas for new music or crunched for time, turn on your Genius tool on iTunes to get recommendations of new music or to create a playlist from the songs in your library.
23. Pandora: If radios aren’t allowed in your office, use this online version.
24. Rhapsody: Watch music videos and play music here.

Refreshments

Your office party is better than the vending machine. Get creative with office-friendly recipes and party snacks here.

25. Aramark: If you’re really sneaky, you can risk charging supplies on your company’s Aramark account.
26. Set up an office bar: Transform the basement or even the rooftop to your own private bar.
27. Chips and Dip recipes: From salsa to bean dips to shrimp dips, get ideas for what you’ll make (or order) right here.
28. Holiday Office Party: CookingLight’s holiday office party recipes include roasted red pepper and green bean salad, and chocolate pound cake.
29. Party Snacks and Appetizers: Here you can find even more party snack ideas.
30. Bar cart: Even if your office doesn’t have an official bar cart, stock one during lunch and roll it around as a surprise treat for your co-workers.
31. Nationwide Catering: Call up these professional caterers if you don’t have time to make anything yourself.
32. Potluck recipes: If you want ideas for a potluck party, browse these recipes.
33. CHOW’s intense brownies: Brownies are always a party favorite, and this recipe is totally indulgent.
34. Mugs: Drink or pass out snacks in mugs if your office has a no-alcohol or no-food policy.
35. PizzaHut.com: Order pizza without having to broadcast your order on the phone with this tool.
36. Special Order Keg List: For more liberal offices, order a keg from this list.
37. Quiznos: This popular sandwich shop also makes it easy to order online.

Invitations

Get the word out about your fabulous party using Twitter, Evite and other online tools.

38. Evite: Upload a photo of your logo or office space to customize your Evite.
39. Facebook: Send a mass message or create your own party page to notify friends of your party.
40. Twitter: For a spontaneous and under-the-radar party announcement, send invites over Twitter. (Yes, this is a bit less formal than sending cocktail party invites or wedding programs.)
41. MyPunchbowl: This online party planner lets you send save-the-dates, invitations, and a poll for a date feature that lets you ask coworkers when they have conflicts.
42. Socializr: Send free online invitations and upload your party pictures afterwards using Socializr.
43. Meetup: If your friends and coworkers are on Meetup, use this platform to schedule and plan a party outside the office.

Party Favors

Shop for party favors to thank your guests for keeping your party under the radar.

44. Cafe Press: Customize mugs, t-shirts and more with Cafe Press.
45. SeeJaneWork: Female colleagues will love the cute office gifts sold on this site.
46. Gift Ideas for the Office Worker: Pass out geeky badge holders, a digital voice recorder pen and other fun gifts at your party.
47. Gag Gifts: Find blow-up dolls and other gag gifts here.
48. The Office Holiday Gift Guide 2007: From the DVD to Dundie Awards, you can get ideas from the TV show here.
49. The Office Shop: Find more gifts from The Office at the official NBC store.
50. Pink Slip: Depending on your office culture, this could be kind of a sick joke, but a fake pink slip could also be funny.
51. Bonus: Slip $1 into an envelop marked "bonus" to surprise your guests.

Themes

Make your party even more fantastic by choosing a theme. These web guides will help you think of ideas and plan for the special day.

52. Popular Theme Party Ideas: From Bingo Party to College Party, find theme ideas here.
53. Theme Parties: Get ideas for decorating and food here.
54. Gift Exchange Party: Here are different ideas for gift exchanges, including White Elephant and Right-Left Present Swap.
55. How to Throw a Theme Party: This article has ideas for theme parties and a checklist for your supplies.
56. Theme Parties ‘N’ More: Get ideas for decorations with this website.
57. Party Theme Shop: Shop for theme party supplies here.

Surprise Parties

Sometimes a surprise party is the only way to go in an office that’s strict about rules. Wait until the boss is in a good mood or out of the office and bust out the snacks, drinks and music. This list shares even more tips.

58. How to throw a surprise party (and not get caught): This guide knows that surprise parties at the office are risky…and a lot of fun.
59. How to Plan an Office Surprise Party: This simple guide has tips for choosing the best day and time, sending invitations and more.
60. Surprise Office Party Gone Wrong: Avoid this tactic for surprising a co-worker.
61. How to Throw a Successful Surprise Party: Follow these eight tips to plan a surprise party without getting discovered.
62. Surprise Party Ideas: Evite shares tips for planning food, drinks, decorations and more.
63. How to Throw a Surprise Party: This About.com guide shares tips for an easy-to-throw surprise party.
64. How to Throw a Fabulous Surprise Party: Emma Halliday has ideas for picking a venue, selecting a date and coming up with the guest list.
65. Top 5 List for Throwing a Surprise Party: Here you can learn when to have guests show up and more.
66. Thinking of Throwing a Surprise Party?: This guide shares tips in a quiz format, testing you on your ability to throw a great party.
67. Surprise Party for All Ages: Here Betty Crocker shares surprise birthday party menu ideas and more.

Project Management

Sign up for your own account and invite your co-workers to join so that you can plan parties, figure out who’s bringing what, and keep in touch on the sly.

68. HyperOffice: This project collaboration tool offers pay-as-you-go pricing so that you can set up an account only when you need it.
69. Basecamp: This remote access tool is great for checking party updates even when you’re not at the office.
70. Zoho Projects: The free plan is good for one project, and Zoho offers tools like time tracking, a calendar and project collaboration.
71. Plan Projects: This free tool lets you assign people to certain tasks like bringing snacks, acting as a lookout and more.

Venues

From getting creative in your office to booking some place cool ahead of time, don’t forget to plan out your venue.

72. Agenda Online: Find venues across the U.S. here.
73. The Venue Library: UK offices can search for hot venues here.
74. Happy-Hour.org: This directory is still pretty new, but happy hour spots in major cities like Houston, Boston and New York are included.
75. The Pub Directory: This site has over 900 pubs listed in the U.S.
76. Holiday Inn: Consider throwing your party in a room at a hotel like the Holiday Inn.
77. Local Parks Directory: For an outdoor picnic or party, use this directory to find local parks by state.

Photo/Video

Document your party by hiring a photographer, setting up a webcam, and sharing photos on Flickr. These web tools will help you get everything set up the easy way.

78. How to Hire a Photographer: Follow these instructions if you’re considering hiring a photographer for your event.
79. Photography Pros: Here you can look up professional photographers in the directory.
80. Flickr: Post your photos on Flickr to share memories from your kick-ass party.
81. YouTube: Upload your video onto YouTube…unless your party got a little too crazy.
82. Webcam: Set up a webcam at your desk for co-workers to stop by and leave a funny message during the party.

Decorations

Whether your party is limited to the cubicle ring around the water cooler or you’re able to rent out a whole conference room, use these decorating tips to make the most of your party.

83. ShinDigz: Order custom banners and other decorations from this website.
84. PartyPro.com: Search for decorations by theme or event here.
85. Party Secret: This site offers heavily discounted decorations.
86. Party City: Shop online from this retailer and have the decorations delivered right to your venue.
87. Caribbean decorations: Learn how to make grass skirts and decorate for a Caribbean island theme.
88. 1980s party: setting the scene: Get decorating tips for a 1980s theme party here.
89. Setting up the buffet: Discover how to correctly set up a buffet table here.
90. Wilton Cake Decorating: Get tips and ideas for cake decorating here.
91. Party Cheap: Find inexpensive decorations for your party here.
92. How to Decorate Your Party on a Budget: You probably don’t want to spend a lot of your own money, but you can’t skimp on decorations. Find out how to make it all work by following this guide.

Etiquette

Make sure your office mates don’t become so rowdy or inappropriate that corporate has to take away your bonus. Learn the proper etiquette tips here.

89. Office Holiday Party Etiquette: Monster Career Advice cautions co-workers to party in moderation.
90. Office Party Etiquette 101: Get tips on introducing party guests and remembering names with this guide.
91. Office Party Etiquette: Figure out dress code and more from this list.
92. Oh, Behave!: Portfolio’s guide teaches you "who to talk to, when to leave and how to manage an office-party crisis."

Planning Tools

Keep everything organized with these tools.

93. Party Pop: Here you can research everything from entertainment to photographers to your budget.
94. Best Party Ever: Get party ideas, advice from the experts, recipe planners and more planning help here.
95. MyPartyPlanner.com: Get party tips, theme ideas and vendor connections through this site.
96. Party Planning 101: AllRecipes.com has put together this resource for organizing decorations, invitations, entertainment and food.
97. Shaws Party Planning 101: This checklist reminds you to plan the menu, make a shopping list, choose lighting and music, and more.
98. Party Gophers: Search for vendors and more by zip code.
99. Planners Guide: Get worksheets for all kinds of parties, like corporate events, company picnics, buffet menus and more.
100. Party Planning Checklist: Use this checklist to make sure you’re on track.

Posted in Office Tips, Web Tools -- No Comments

By Megan Jones

Social sites have grown in number and variety in the past years and many now offer opportunities for students and professionals to network in a serious manner. Whether you are preparing for your first job or making a change with an established career, connecting with others in your field will not only help you get started, but be an enhancement for your career as you continue to grow. These 50 social sites provide a chance for you to find others through professional networking sites, meet others in your field, find employment, and more.

Professional Sites

These social networks provide opportunities for finding and nurturing professional business relationships whether you are in marketing or academia.

1. LinkedIn. This popular social site connects professionals who are seeking opportunities for networking, client-building, employment, and more.
2. academia.edu. With such illustrious members as Stephen Hawking and Noam Chomsky, this social site provides an excellent place for those in academia to keep track of developments in their field while networking.
3. Networking for Professionals. Join NFP for some serious professional networking that not only includes online connections, but face-to-face opportunities in several cities across the US.
4. Ecademy. Business people can search for jobs, network, and connect with others at this site. You can upgrade (for a fee) to the BlackStar membership for extra benefits.
5. Ziggs. Market yourself, find employment, meet other professionals, and more on this site that is specifically meant to help you "organize and connect in a professional way."
6. NetParty. This site provides an opportunity for young professionals to network both professionally and socially at organized functions in several cities in the US.
7. Ryze. Participate in quality business networking with Ryze where you can see and be seen in the business world through profiles, bios, groups, and much more.
8. iKarma. Build your professional reputation with a presence on iKarma. Customers rate their experience doing business with you and leave comments on your profile. Others can then check out your reputation.
9. XING. This global networking site allows you to find and make professional business contacts as well as participate in employment searches.

Finance Sites

Check out these social sites to learn about finances, stock market, and the economy or just to connect with others to get great tips and ideas to help your money grow.

10. Financial News @ Tip’d.There are only a handful of social media sites related to finance. When it comes to Tipd vs pfbuzz, valueinvestingnews.com, clusterstock.com & feedthebull.com, Tip’s holds the advantage over the rest. For those interested in finance and investment, Tip’d offers news, tips, articles, and more to it’s community. Members then votes for which content goes on the homepage. Members are welcome to submit articles from their own blogs as well. 
11. Zopa. This social finance company works to connect its members who are seeking loans with credit unions who offer low-interest rates. Zopa also has sites for Italy, UK, and Japan.
12. Prosper. Based on a principle similar to eBay, this site allows member-borrowers to create a listing and set the interest rate they are seeking, then lenders participate in an auction to fund the loan. In addition to typical criteria such as credit scores, lenders can consider personal stories, references from friends and family, and group affiliations of the borrowers.
13. Minyanville Financial Infotainment. Join this financial social network to meet other investors, learn about smart investing strategies, read articles, participate in forums, and read blogs.
14. My.WallSt.net. Learn about investing with this social site that helps beginners find out about stocks, trading, and more.
15. MarketWatch Community. Members here can create profiles to help connect with others, then share information, news, tips, and more on this social networking site that is a part of Dow Jones.
16. Wesabe. Learn to manage your money while connecting with others with the same financial needs. This community offers both online tools as well as the experience of others to help you reach your financial goals.

Science Sites

Scientists of any ilk can find a group to call their own with these sites that range from life sciences to nanoscience to engineering.

17. The Research Cooperative. This international, not-for-profit group works to connect science researchers, writers, editors, and translators. Members have their own page as well as access to groups, blogs, and more.
18. sciencestage.com. Teachers, students, and professional scientists will all appreciate this social site that promotes academic research, teaching, and learning.
19. nanopaprika.eu. This international community is specifically for those interested in nanoscience. Members can join specific groups, read or post on blogs, participate in chats, and more.
20. Lab Spaces. Scientists can connect with this social network that offers specific categories for biological scientists, physical scientists, environment, space, and technology. Read blogs and submit your own articles, too.
21. Nature Network. This global community of scientists can connect through member profiles, forums, groups, and blogs. If you are in Boston or London, you will appreciate the city hubs available too (with more cities to be added soon).
22. BiomedExperts. Biomedical researchers can come together on this social site designed specifically to promote collaborative research and development in the field. Researchers with at least 3 papers published in PubMed over the past 10 years qualify for an expert profile.
23. SciLink. Not only can scientists network and stay on top of the latest news at this social site, there is also a job board for those seeking employment.
24. LabRoots. A social network for scientists of all fields, including mathematics, engineering, and computer science, this site offers opportunities for networking, employment, and collaborative learning.

Health and Medicine Sites

Whether you are in med school, are a practicing physician, or a patient, there are social sites to help you connect and expand your network.

25. SocialMD. Whether you are a med student, resident, or physician, you can connect with others on this site. Those in school will find the study groups and study aids of benefit.
26. Ozmosis. Physicians can participate in peer-to-peer networking for sharing information, learning about recent developments, and more.
27. SurgyTec. Surgeons can share their knowledge on this social site that includes videos of procedures and forums to keep surgeons and students up-to-date with the latest techniques and developments in the field.
28. PatientsLikeMe. Patients looking to connect with others facing similar diagnoses or health issues will welcome this community. The emphasis here is information sharing between patients, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device companies.
29. Healtheva. This organization is for physicians and researchers who are interested in research, paper collaboration, and start-up opportunities.
30. TiroMed. This social networking site is designed specifically for med students and physicians who want to "research and learn, and connect with others" in the same field.
31. The Student Doctor Network. Med students can connect with others through the blogs and forums as well as find plenty of articles that offer information and support.

Social Sites

With a vision beyond the flash and glitz of some social sites, these sites promote social networking with a more focused approach.

32. Care2. For those looking to combine social networking with supporting the environment and those who campaign for the environment, this site offers opportunities to make the most of both.
33. Gather. Come together with friends, family, and colleagues through this social site that strives to provide more down-to-earth connections than some of the other social networking sites.
34. FriendFeed. From videos to news articles to web pages, share what you find interesting with friends and family at this simple, streamlined social networking site.
35. Plaxo. Stay in touch with family, friends, and business contacts with this social networking site. You can also share all the items such as photos, blog posts, and tweets you’ve posted from a variety of other sites right here.
36. tweako. For those interested in computing and technology, this social network site will provide information as well as social contacts.
37. Pixel Groovy. If you want to find the best resources and tutorials for computer usage, this site relies on member rating for what information makes it to the home page. Find help with Photoshop, Flash, Ruby on Rails, and more that you can know will be quality information.
38. The Whole 9. Artists can connect with others, post portfolios, and find something to do in a specific geographic location with this networking community for the artistic types.
39. Green Friends. Whether vegetarianism or environmental consciousness is your thing, this site that is part dating and part social networking will help you connect with others equally devoted to the cause.
40. eons. A popular social network for Baby Boomers, eons offers plenty of ways to connect with others through profiles, groups, blogs, videos, and photos.
41. ReZoom. This social network that looks beyond age offers articles on music, activities, going green, money, and more, as well as ways to find and stay connected with friends and family.
42. Multiply. This site features media sharing for those who want to connect with people they really know. Create your own website, a social calendar, and more to help you keep in touch.
43. Maple and Leek. For those 50+, this community is one of adventure and entrepreneurial spirit. Connect with like-minded people at this site for friendship as well as professional connections.

Employment Sites

Whether you are looking for employment or want to stay connected with some of the top job seekers to staff your company, these employment sites will help you meet your networking goals.

44. YorZ. This site allows professionals looking for employment to connect with employers. Job seekers can join groups by university, professional interest, and by company.
45. Guru.com. Freelancers can create profiles here that employers can search. Employers can also post their projects and freelancers then participate in a bidding process to be awarded the project.
46. Monster. This popular site is a great place for job seekers and employers to come together. Not only can you find a job, but the resources here will help you do it professionally and efficiently.
47. CareerBuilder.com. Another popular career site, job seekers and employers shouldn’t pass up this opportunity for connecting.
48. CollegeRecruiter.com. Recent graduates or students looking for internships will love this site where thousands of opportunities await as well as many job search resources.
49. GoFreelance. Freelancers and those looking to hire freelancers will both find this site helpful. From writing to web design to programming and technical projects, there are opportunities for many different types of freelancers.
50. Sologig. Contractors, freelancers, and consultants can find employment at this site that allows job seekers to post their resumes and employers to post their projects.

Posted in Job Search, Web Tools -- No Comments

Despite the many wifi spots that are popping up all around airports, coffee shops and even whole neighborhoods, it’s sometimes hard to find a free, secure and stable connection. For many freelancers, students, business travelers and other professionals who have to spend time out of their office or on the road, Adobe AIR is a great solution for maximizing productivity, even if you don’t have an Internet connection. Read on for 100 of the best apps that will increase your productivity with Adobe AIR.

Social Apps

Use these apps when you want shortcuts or offline solutions to Digg, Twitter, Facebook and more.

1. SocialAddict: Facebook, FriendFeed, MySpace and Twitter are some of the services supported by this desktop tool, which lets you load mobile pages "for easy access."
2. Twibble: This Twitter app comes with six icons, lets you see Twitter timelines and see the location of other Tweets.
3. DiggTop: Check Digg posts 10 at a time with this tool.
4. Toro Twitter AIR client: This popular Twitter client comes with an integrated search and tabs for recent, public, friends, replies and search.
5. RAPTR Client: This gaming app can be accessed offline.
6. SedThink: This application currently supports Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, Feed readers and Thai stock tracking, all in one interface.
7. Apprise: With this tool you can share and streamline stories from AIM, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and even your e-mail in 16 different languages.
8. Zebr: View and manage Facebook from your desktop.
9. Moderator - Wordpress comment moderator in AIR: Moderate your Wordpress comments offline with this tool.
10. Mini Digg: Read and digg stories from your desktop with Mini Digg.
11. Lifestream.fm: Keep up with your lifestream.fm friends offline with this tool.
12. @eventtrack: Stay connected to world events even if you don’t have an Internet connection with this app.
13. DeskTube: Search and watch YouTube videos with this app.

Shopping and E-Commerce

Whether you’re selling your own products online or you just want to keep track of your bid on eBay, try out these tools.

14. Level Four Storefront: Manage your Flash e-commerce shopping cart with this tool.
15. TheSlurps eBay "Browse your Photo" Desktop Widget: Search eBay offline with this personalized widget.
16. Yahoo Desktop Search Widget: Search Yahoo! with this tool.
17. Cheapo: Get alerts on special online deals from different sites with Cheapo.
18. Allurent Desktop Connection and Anthropologie: "Valued customers" can shop Anthropologie from their desktop with Allurent.
19. eBay Desktop: This app features one-click search filters, alerts, history and more.
20. CL Desktop: Craigslist shoppers can use this app to view product photos, descriptions and search results.

Multimedia

From Flickr to YouTube to Picasa to Pandora, all of these apps offer desktop solutions for remote and offline management.

21. Picasa Image Browser: This browser lets you view public images from Picasa.
22. Doppelganger: Download, drag and drop online videos with Doppelganger.
23. DestroyFlickr: Manage Flickr with the app that actually features "really good online documentation with screenshots."
24. Pandora - Music on AIR: This desktop app is for U.S. users only.
25. Finetune: This customizable music tool lets you search for new artists and music, create your own playlist and more.
26. uvLayer: Upload videos, and use AIM, GTalk or Facebook to manipulate and share videos with friends.
27. Chorducopia: Songwriters who have either PCs or Macs can get recommendations for picking chords with this app.
28. Thumbfall: Conduct image searches supported by Google, FriendFeed, FFFound, Yahoo and more with Thumbfall.
29. Bookmash: This popular app can be used on Windows, Macs and Linux to watch, share and upload videos, music, photos, social searches, news and RSS.
30. Podcast Player: You can play pre-loaded podcasts from Buzz Out Load, New.com Tech News and Slate Daily with this app.
31. Splasup Light: Edit your digital photos with this app.
32. Flaivor: This app uses RSS to stream entertainment videos to your desktop.
33. MYMediaPlayer: This tool may actually hurt your productivity, but it’s a lot of fun. You can watch videos and online TV shows easily.
34. Adobe Media Player: This is the offline version of Adobe Media Player, which lets you download Internet TV and videos.

Web Developer and Design

These apps are great for web developers and web designers who want to work from their desktop and manage their files.

35. Google Analytics: This reporting app is great for bloggers and web developers who don’t always have an online connection.
36. Font-picker: Web designers use this tool to help them decide which of their saved fonts are the best match for whatever they’re doing.
37. Snippely: With this app, you can organize your code and text bits more efficiently.
38. WebSnapshot: Manage thumbnail, browser and full-page images to save and resize.
39. JavaScript Special Effects: If you like to use JavaScript, then take a look at this free app.
40. SnurlIt: Make long URLs short and manageable with SnurlIt.
41. Dot3D: View images in 3D, including JPG, PNG, GIP, BMP and ICO files.
42. Shrink-O-Matic: Resize photos with a drag and drop interface.
43. designview: designview is a great app for designers who like using Flex Builder Design View.
44. Icon Generator: Create CS# or Web 2.0 icons in just three steps.
45. JavaScript Style Switch: Play around with different designs without having to change HTML codes.
46. SearchCoders Dashboard: Connect with other web developers with this Flex-related app.
47. Pixus: Preview your designs without having to switch back to low-res views.
48. .merlin: .merlin finds and organizes all of your saved fonts.

Business Tools

Here you’ll find a great list of apps that work for the busy business professional, including calculators, stock analysis and more.

49. Klok: Use this time tracking tool when you’re trying to fit in extra projects at off times.
50. NASDAQ Market Replay: Those who track the NASDAQ and NYSE will love this replay and analysis app.
51. Timeloc: Timeloc is another time tracker that is great for freelancers and contract workers.
52. Scientific Calculator: Access a scientific calculator for your business and financial equations with this app.
53. VAT Calculator: This calculator can calculate VAT inclusive and exclusive values.
54. Jipingmi Pro: If you’re in the market for Chinese real estate, use this tool.
55. [G]OneTime: [G]OneTime is another time tracking tool.
56. Ora Time and Expense: This app helps you manage expense reports, invoices and timesheets.
57. Point of Sale Software (POS): Retailers and store owners can use this tool to get "a better overview of your business, your employees and your customers." Get updates daily.
58. Google Calendar Invoice Creator: Clock your billable hours and generate HTML or text invoices with this tool.

Contacts and Communication

Manage all of your instant messages and e-mails safely and efficiently with these tools.

59. Universal Inbox: This tool "gives you control over how you store your digital assets," including e-mail, files, Twitter messages and more.
60. AIR iPhone: This early-stage iPhone app manages contacts and the web browser.
61. TokBox: This video calling app is free to use.
62. GMDesk: Manage your Gmail account offline using this app.
63. AS iYahooCheck v2: Check your Yahoo ID status and your friends’ statuses with this app.
64. NEWZDOG: Stay connected to news updates with this searchable app.
65. Multilingual Soft Keyboards: This is a great tool for those who work internationally.
66. SimpleClass2: Teachers and students can check grades and stay connected wherever they are with SimpleClass2.
67. Pronto!: Pronto! is a secure interfact that includes IM, e-mail, groupware, voice and chat.
68. LG Phone: The Adobe AIR app for LG Phone lets you "call people from your Ribbit account."

Apps for Cubicle Dwellers

Adobe AIR is a fun platform for those who are stuck in their cubicles all day and want to waste time under the radar.

69. CrazyCam: This Adobe AIR app lets you turn regular photos into ridiculous images by playing around with 33 different effects.
70. dock_clock: Count the seconds until your workday ends with this clock.
71. StudioCloud Clothing Assistant: Play around with outfits and even send your saved looks to friends.
72. Pizza Hut: Privately order yourself a pizza from Pizza Hut.
73. FansBuzz Desktop: Catch up on football news with this app.
74. Fotobooth: Add effects to your webcam and play around with silly images with this app.

Time Management and Productivity

Below are a host of tools designed to boost your school or work productivity.

75. Remember the Milk Notifier: The Adobe AIR version of this web-based to-do list makes for maximum productivity.
76. AgileTracker: This easy-to-read app clearly displays task reports and time tracking charts. Agile Agenda users can sync up their task lists with this app too.
77. Doominow To-Do list: Check out this very easy to-do list manager.
78. Google Reader AIR app: Google Reader addicts work offline thanks to this app.
79. Snackr: Quickly browse your RSS feeds with this app, which pulls random items and runs them across your screen.
80. Desktop Alarm Clock Widget: This "unobtrusive" alarm clock can deliver messages automatically.
81. MiniTask: MiniTask is another simple to-do list manager for Adobe AIR.
82. RTM Notifier: This app automatically checks your Remember the Milk tasks and reminds you when deadlines approach.
83. JabeAbzar’S Clock: Stay on track when you download this analog desktop clock.
84. compuccino time track: This time tracker syncs up with Basecamp.

Apps That Make Your Life Easier

From a map app to a back up tool, these apps are designed to save you time and stress.

85. Websnapshot: Take snapshots of different web pages with this drag and drop tool, so you can work offline.
86. BackIt archive tool: Use this app to back up files and folders to a USB drive.
87. myHomeCache Visual Inventory: This offline home inventory software app is updated weekly.
88. JavaScript Quadratic Equation Calculator: If you need to solve quadratic equations, download this app to make things go faster.
89. PMT Mortgage Calculator: Use this app to help you organize your monthly payments to your mortgage.
90. EarthBrowser: EarthBrowser is similar to Google Earth. Click on different parts of the globe to retrieve data for that area.
91. WebKut: Cut screen shots and capture web pages to work offline.
92. Passpack Desktop: If you have trouble remembering all of your passwords, let this app manage them for you.
93. Net Cost to Buy: This app is another real estate tool that figures out your net cost per square feet for different commercial properties.
94. Oxy Reminder: This smart app reminds you to get up and stretch every 2 hours.

Managing Teams

These apps are great for team and business managers.

95. Timeslide: Add notifications into your apps whenever you post to your blog or a new IM pops up.
96. Employee Directory: Search for employee data and information on your desktop.
97. Salesbuilder: This app features data synchronization and direct chart manipulation.

Miscellaneous

These two apps round out our list of awesome Adobe AIR apps.

98. StockQ: Get stock quotes delivered to your desktop.
99. Netbook: Access the Project Gutenberg Library offline.

Posted in Office Tips, Productivity -- No Comments

By Megan Jones

Even if you like your job, or can at least put up with your job, you probably have those moments when you feel like taking up smoking just for an excuse to free yourself from cubicle fever for a few minutes. For the sake of your sanity (and health), we’re arming you with 100 fun, random, challenging and even educational and productive websites that will keep your mind engaged and distracted from your miserable nine to five.

Gaming

You don’t have to take your lunch break at Dave and Buster’s to enjoy a little game time during the day. Check out these sites to meet up with other players, play card games, arcade games and more.

1. OnlineFreeGaming.com: You’ll find arcade games, sports games, shooting practice, racing games and a lot more on this site.
2. Pogo.com: You’ll find traditional games like Chess and Bingo on this site, as well as arcades, card games, puzzles and more.
3. OnlineGames.net: From cooking games like Fish Fry and Food Memory to dress up games featuring couples and date-worthy outfits, this site has a lot to choose from.
4. Massive Online Gaming: Interact with other players on this site, which features games, panels and forums.
5. World of Warcraft: This immensely popular game allows you to play with other gamers.
6. MSN Games: For a slightly more subtle gaming experience, visit MSN’s site and switch back and forth to the news or main page when your boss walks by.
7. PlayStation: Online games from PlayStation include NBA Live09 and MaddenNFL09.
8. GamblingPlanet.org: Get into the world of online gambling, but be careful about office rules.
9. Pop Cap: Access free games or pay to download games on this site.
10. FreeArade.com: This site has more than just arcade games. You can also practice shooting, do puzzles, hook up with other players, get into strategy games and more.
11. The Office Solitaire: Flip cards to find faces of Jim, Dwight and your other Office allies.
12. OfficeGameSpot.com: Play free Flash games here to kill time at work.

Trivia

From traditional Greek mythology to obscure celebrities, test your knowledge with these trivia games and questions.

13. FunTrivia.com: Quiz categories include literature, movies, religion, people, sci/tech, sports, TV, video games, celebrities and more.
14. Thinks.com Trivia: Learn about Greek mythology, name derivations and opera composers when you play the trivia games on this site.
15. Celebrity Trivia Game About Obscure Celebrities: If you think you know a lot about celebrities, try this game.
16. Free Trivia Questions, Answers and Facts: Get answers to trivia questions about history, sports, birds, animals, science and travel.

Educational Sites

Just because you’re bored at work doesn’t mean that you aren’t craving some kind of intellectual stimulation. Visit these sites to learn something new that you actually care about.

17. Discovery GameCentral: Play games and watch videos on the Discovery Channel website to learn about history, the Earth, animals, crime and more.
18. Nobel Prize Educational Games: Some of these games are more for kids, but you’ll learn about science, economics and even nuclear weapons.
19. Library of Congress Digital Collections and Services: Access audio-visual materials and view online exhibitions from the Library of Congress without leaving your desk.
20. The History Channel: Watch videos, play games and even shop at History.com.
21. BBC: Listen to radio and watch BBC TV stations in different languages to get news from another perspective.

DIY, Arts and Crafts

Your boss might get a little suspicious if you whip out the construction paper and glue gun, but these online DIY projects and websites are very under-the-radar.

22. CafePress: Design your own t-shirts, pet items and promotional gifts here.
23. CraftMall.com: Buy and sell crafts on this site, from antiques to clocks to household items to clothing.
24. BobVila.com: Get a head start on your home improvement projects when you watch videos, read instructional guides, browse home plans and try out the 3D design tools from Bob Vila.
25. DIY Online: Become a member of this site to swap ideas with other members, ask questions, plan out your project and more.
26. smallblueprinter: Design blueprints for homes and gardens with the 3D tools offered here.
27. MyInteractiveGarden.com: This social media site features news, a plant list, advice for gardening, product reviews, multimedia and more.

TV

If you’re behind on your favorite shows, catch up at work by tuning into these online TV stations.

28. ABC: Watch full episodes of shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Brothers and Sisters. ABC also hosts its own community and encourages viewers to send in questions and comments about news shows and more.
29. wwitv: Watch over 2800 channels on this site, via live shows or on-demand programming.
30. Beeline TV: Visit this site to access TV channels in Arabic, Catalan, Korean, Polish, Dutch and a lot more.
31. ChannelChooser: This online TV portal lets you pick categories like youth, music, information, games, sports, movies, reality and more, then directs you to different shows in that category.
32. PBS: Play games, participate in the community sections, watch videos and more on PBS.
33. Mediahopper.com: Watch TV streams from around the world here.

Virtual Worlds

Perfect for simulation and gaming, these virtual worlds can suck up your time like no other site can.

34. Dunder Mifflin: Visit the online division of Dunder Mifflin for games, missions and more.
35. SecondLife: Create your own virtual world to let off steam, learn something new or meet other individuals in a safe, creative space.
36. SimCity Societies: Become a member to build and manage your own city in SimCity.
37. Virtual MTV: Create your own avatar to play games and live the life of your favorite MTV characters and celebrities on VMTV.

Puzzles, Quizzes and Brain Teasers

Challenge yourself with Sudoku or the New York Times Crossword, and you’ll be glued to your screen all day long.

38. Cool Quiz: Do puzzles, answer trivia, and even make your own quizzes here.
39. Web Sudoku: Play the highly addictive game here, where you can adjust the difficulty level between easy, medium, hard and evil.
40. New York Times Crossword and Games: Subscribe to these crosswords or get one free crossword a week to give your brain a real workout.
41. Brainfall: You’ll soon be addicted to these fun quizzes about lifestyle, celebrities, love and relationships, and trivia.
42. 3SmartCubes: Is it time for a new job? A new boyfriend? Learn a little more about yourself when you take these quizzes.
43. Quibblo: Quibblo is a quiz network that lets you take and make quizzes, set up a profile and rate other quizzes.
44. Tickle: The Tickle network has loads of quizzes, from the frivolous to the insightful.
45. JigZone: Solve jigsaw puzzles here.
46. BrainBashers: You can find logic games, illusions, puzzles, Sudoku and other games on BrainBashers.
47. edHelper: Make your own puzzles with the tools at edHelper.

Music and Media

From uploading and marketing your own music to channeling your inner artiste, these interactive sites bring out your creative side and can help you relax.

48. YouTube: Film your office pranks and upload them to YouTube.
49. podsafe Music Network: Submit your own music, share tunes and listen to podcasts here.
50. Last.fm: This popular site lets you listen to songs for free (for a limited time), watch videos, browse events in your area and more.
51. Flickr: Mange your photos online to pass time at work or browse photos from other users for inspiration.
52. Flotones: This social site lets you browse songs, artists, reviews and albums, as well as submit your own tracks.
53. SnapPages: Edit pages, upload photos and manage events with this easy website creation tool.
54. Juke Box Alive: JBA lets you upload your own music and listen to other uploads and tunes for free.
55. Google Video: Browse videos or upload your own on Google’s video site.
56. Guitar Master: When your boss is out of the office, play Guitar Master (sort of like Guitar Hero) from this site.
57. ArtPad: Indulge in your own art therapy when you paint on ArtPad. You can also save your projects and browse others’ creations.
58. USTREAM: Watch shows and video streams then chat with other users on this interactive broadcasting site.

Business Tools

Since you’re already wearing a suit and sitting at a desk, why not work on your own business? These sites and tools are easy-to-use, interactive and fun.

59. Calculators, Planners and Worksheet: Fidelity’s toolkit looks professional, so you can trick your boss into thinking you’re doing real work.
60. Hoover Web Templates: Access business and personal website templates here to get started on your blog or personal business site.
61. FOX Business Tools: Manage your finances, learn about real estate, retirement and insurance savings and more with all of these tools.
62. Bplans.com: This site features over 500 sample business plans. Browse free plans for easy access.
63. Minority Business Development Agency Interactive Web Portal: The MBDA business development tools are free and include a new business checklist, e-commerce FAQ, and a lot more.

Open Content

Submit your own content to these sites to fuel the discussion or share your expertise with the public.

64. Wikipedia: When you’re really bored or out of work, set aside some time to edit Wikipedia entries or add a new one.
65. Open Clip Art Library: Create an account to submit your own art and access free-to-use projects.
66. Open-Site: Become a volunteer editor with this free encyclopedia to give you a chance to read and write about your favorite subjects.
67. Open Directory Project: Become an editor for the dmoz open directory project.
68. Open Source Movies: Upload your movies into this open database and watch videos made by others.
69. The WebKit Open Source Project: If you’re good at web development, you can contribute to this project, which evaluates website compatibility and manages an open source web browser engine.

Mindless but Amazing

When you’re really bored or fed up with your work, head to these totally mindless and random sites for games and more.

70. TV Land Red Carpet Date: Which TV Land character will you be matched up with when you play this game?
71. TicketStumbler: TicketStumbler isn’t totally mindless: it stumbles the Web to find the best deals on sports tickets for the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and NCAA football.
72. BaronBob: Get lost browsing or shopping for random gifts on this site, including gag gifts for the office.
73. Retroland: If you’re obsessed with retro anything, you’ll love playing around on this site, where you can watch videos, play games, read trivia and more.
74. iFoods.tv: Plan out what your dinner by browsing recipes, watching cooking videos and submitting your own.
75. Celebrity Plastic Surgery: If you need to distance yourself from the stress of your job for a few minutes, this is the way to do it. Match the celebrity to his or her old body part, before plastic surgery.

Trip Planners

Whether you’re planning a real vacation or just a fake trip to keep your spirits up while you’re at work, check out these interactive trip planners and guides

76. Tripadvisor: Play around with this site to submit reviews of hotels and other travel-related stuff. You can also talk with other travelers on the forum, submit photos and more.
77. Lonely Planet: The website edition of the guidebook series features a forum, blog, videos, photos, stories, tips and more.
78. Travellerspoint Travel Community: Head to the forums for real tips and advice from vacationers. You can also read travel blogs, browse photos and get information on hotels and hostels.
79. Virtual Tourist: This member-driven site includes travel guides for destinations around the world, so you can imagine yourself far away from the office grind.
80. Fodor’s: Plan your next trip at Fodors.com and visit the forums for tips from real travelers.
81. iGuide: This interactive map will show you photos and travel information for places like Chile, San Francisco, France, China, Spain and more.

Social Media

Social media is a fantastic way to waste time and forget your office existence. Try out these sites that will introduce you to people in your area, ask you to rate and review stories, manage and share your online interests and more.

82. Digg: Read, rate, review and submit news stories on Digg.
83. de.licio.us: This popular social bookmarking tool lets you submit your own stuff as well as review stories from other members.
84. Meetup: Join a club and plan a happy hour event or party while you’re still at work using Meetup.
85. Reddit: Reddit is another social ranking site that posts top news stories.
86. Ning: Invite co-workers, happy hour friends, family members or anyone else to become a member of your very own social media network hosted by Ning.
87. Facebook: Facebook is one of the ultimate social media networks that you can play around with for hours.
88. Adium: Adium isn’t exactly a social media outlet, but it promotes online connections through its instant messaging client.
89. StumbleUpon: Set up an account to share your favorite sites and videos and to rank web pages.
90. FriendFeed: Create an account to manage discussions and invite your friends to debate with you, share media and information and broaden your horizons.
91. yelp: Offer up your reviews of shopping, dining, lodging, health and beauty, and other services and products in your area and in many other cities. You can also browse others’ suggestions for advice on travel and things to do.
92. LinkedIn: A lot of business professionals make contact over LinkedIn, so you don’t have to feel so guilty spending your time here while you’re on the clock.

Dissing the Office

These websites may not take you out of the cube, but they’ll help you relieve some of the frustration of being stuck inside one all day.

93. Paintball Office: Trash your office the safe way by playing this game.
94. Voodoo Boss: Turn your boss into a voodoo doll with this online game.
95. Work Hate: Play around on this blog that’s dedicated to people who hate going to work.
96. Office Diversions: Submit an office diversion or play existing ones, like brain twisters, Google Maps Gone Wrong and more.

Taking Care of Business

Your business. Get ahead on errands and planning your weekend with these sites.

97. GasBuddy.com: Find the cheapest gas in your area by visiting this site. You can also sign up to be a gas spotter and submit stations with low prices.
98. Schmap!!: Map out your next shopping trip or plan a trip to another city using these interactive maps. Cities that have maps on Schmap!! include Montreal, Prague, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco and Vienna.
99. Ta-da Lists: Mange your to-do lists and shopping lists when you log on to this site.
100. Interactive Shopping List: ChefMom’s interactive grocery list lets you check items and make notes for each category. Categories include deli, dairy, bakery, frozen foods and more.

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