Matzkinized

Blog

2010-10-11T05:45:00.001-07:00

http://www.fun.mivzakon.co.il/pictures/pictures/prikolnye_kartinki_140_foto_2.jpg

--
Regards,
Aaron Matzkin

Ron Matzkin has invited you to Dropbox

2009-06-09T06:28:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

We're excited to let you know you've been invited to Dropbox by Ron Matzkin!

As a bonus, we'll give you an extra 250MB of space in addition to the free 2GB we normally give you when joining. Also, Ron will get 250MB of space, just for inviting you. Just visit https://www.getdropbox.com/link/20.hYjy0Uoe3l/NjgyNzgxNTc to get started.

Enjoy!
- The Dropbox Team

Papers, papers and more papers

2009-05-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

My office is filled with papers - bank account balance sheets, stock market updates, old paid bills, salary slips, warranty cards, etc.
There are some papers that shouldn't be thrown away such as the salary slips and the warranty cards but the rest can be digitized to save room and to help with easier search.

Here are a couple of tips for un-clattering your papers:
1. Get a fast scanner and scan everything (product manuals, bills and even papers you can't throw away)!
2. Keep the papers you must and get rid of the rest (better shred the things that contain personal information).
3. Name the scanned files according to their content - use as explicit name as possible to aid with future search (Instead of "bills.pdf" write "Mar 2009 gas bill.pdf"). This process is longer at first but will save time in the future.

That's it - now you are left with what you need and a copy of the things you might need. Enjoy!

Backup your digital life on Google

2009-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

My digital life resides on Google servers - Mail, Calendar, Tasks, photos and even this Blog are all there.
I have found a nice article that shows how to back it all up. The article is not short and I can't sum it up as it is all relevant, but read it anyway - it would be worth it!

How to back up your Google life

The ultimate traveler set

2009-05-21T09:54:00.001-07:00

For those of you who travel to different countries regularly a good converter set is crucial if you still want to charge your various gadgets.
I have a camera, PDA, cellphone, portable media player, batteries charger and all with an Israeli plug.
Instead of using a sack of different converters such as this:

I have two items that I use as one, a powr multiplier (X5) to have more sockets for all of my stuff and the amazing, all in one, fits everywhere, power converter set:

You might see it manufactured by various companies but the main idea is the same - one gadget with various retractable connection - it never failed me in my travels!

A few tips for a better sleep

2009-05-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

As you might already know, a good night's sleep is crucial for maintaining an effective immune system, an effective brain and a happy life.
Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can cause to a weak immune system, high irritability and low brain effectiveness.

Here are a few tips that, if followed, will improve the night's sleep and the factors derived from it:

Don't bring your work to bed - your brain will link the bed to work and will not go into "sleep mode", as it should, when going to bed.
Create your own sleeping ritual - your brain is a master in following habits. The sleeping ritual (turn the computer off, brush your teeth and go to sleep) will allow the brain to link this set of activities to "sleep mode".
Maintain a regular sleep schedule - go to sleep and wake up approximately at the same time. As I said before: your brain is a master in following habits.
A day before an important event or a trip, create a tasks list and see to it that you have everything you need in order to complete these tasks. Your brain needs to know that he has all the tools he needs for the next day - your sleep will be calmer and more effective.

Good night!

Weekend warriors - Tips for performing physical activity over the weekend

2009-05-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

In united states they are called "weekend warriors" - a new brand of athletes that find the time to workout only during the weekend.

Here are five tips to effectively work out during the weekend.
1. Make sure you perform warm up exercises before the activity and relaxation exercises after the activity. A five to ten minutes work up will dramatically reduce the chance of cramps and other aches.
2. Workout gradually. Due to the large gap between workouts it is recommended to exhaust the current workout level before moving to the next.
3. find a fun activity. If we are working out once a week we better make it last - a fun activity will help us keep it constant.
4. Don't ignore muscle or other aches. If the pain is strong don't expect it to be over by the weekend - go see a physician.
5. And anyway... Try to find a couple of minutes a week to perform a short set of power and flexibility exercises. The short sets will lay the foundations for a better weekend workout.

Enjoy!

3D glasses for gamers for under 10$

2009-05-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

How can you play your 3D games with 3D glasses for under 10$?

1. Get or create a red/blue or yellow/blue glasses. You can start here or here.
2. Go to http://www.iz3d.com/ and download and install the free driver.
3. Configure the driver to work with either red/blue or yellow/blue glasses.
4. Run any of your DirectX games, adjust the 3D focus during the game using the Shift and the Numpad +/- keys.

Enjoy and post your experience - I do tend to fix any mistakes I find or brought to my attention :)

Source:
YouTube

A funny story about a car, a gun and an old lady

2009-05-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

Save a life - how to recognize a potential stroke?

2009-05-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

What should you do if it happens near you?

Remember the acronyms SLHT and ask the person you think suffers from a stroke to perform these four simple actions:
- Speak to me... Ask if the person can say a simple sentence such as "This is a beautiful day".
- Little smile... Ask the person to smile, check if he manages to smile a full smile that does not sag.
- Hands up... Ask the person to lift both his hands up together.
- Tongue out... Ask the person to take his tongue out, check if the tongue drops or leans to one side.

If one of the above actions are not performed with ease call 911, state the signs and an exact location.

Great designs of the day

2009-05-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the designs I liked in today's distribution:

A night lamp by David Moreland - My comment: practical and slick

Munch museum proposal by diller scofidio + renfro - My comments: A great and futuristic use of the space

kitchen ecology: recipes for good design - My comments: I love practical kitchen utensils.

A flue vaccination admission tool with no needle - My comments: As a person who suffer from needle-phobia I welcome this invention.

Why read it now if you can read it later

2009-04-30T02:58:00.001-07:00

As part of my work and my obsession with accumulating knowledge I do a lot of research on-line.
I usually start with Google, open a couple of web sites, discard the non relevant ones, open new links and end up with too-many-to-read-at-once web pages.
And then I have to go home and leave all this great unread knowledge behind.

The solution I recently found is a simple solution - ToRead, an "email-based bookmark" service.

Instructions for use:
1. Enter your e-mail address in the following page and press the start now button.
2. Check your e-mail, you should get a confirmation mail from ToRead.
3. In the mail click the registration link.
4. In the page opened follow the instructions to add the toread bookmarks.
5. Now, all you need to do when you would like to send a web page to your mail is to press the toread bookmark while on the desired page.

Enjoy!

Israeli independence day

2009-04-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, today is the Israeli independence day (i.d.).
Unlike many countries in the world where the Independence day is a pure celebration, the Israeli i.d. is a little bit different.
The Israeli i.d. starts at the moment the Israeli memorial day ends - families who lost their loved ones in the line of duty are "expected" to do a quick shift from sadness to happiness at that day.
But this is the story of Israel - a country built on the self sacrificing of it's citizens, a country that exist not because of war but despite of war, a country located in (some say) the most complicated area on the globe, my country.

"Dam Hamakabim" (The blood of the Makabim) - the icon of the memorial day

Celebrating the Israeli independence day with fireworks

Cutting the cheese (or anything else) - knife related tips

2009-04-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today, during a coffee break, we somehow started talking about knifes, cutting boards etc.
The conversation reminded me a couple of tips:

Cutting board:

Regardless of the type of material, cutting boards should be washed in hot soapy water immediately after use, and occasionally sanitized by adding chlorine to the water.
Discard boards once they sustain cracks and cuts that can form a hiding place for raw food and bacteria, making them harder to clean completely.
Avoid slicing foods with the same board and knife that was used earlier for raw food preparation. Change boards and knives to prevent contaminating other foods.
After a good cleaning, ensure your boards are dried completely before storing.
Use of dishwasher is recommended for plastic boards only, as wooden boards will tend to dry out and crack, reducing their lifespan.

Knife:

Buy a good chef knife once and maintain it - it will last for years.
Sharp the knife regularly - a sharp knife is safer than a dull knife.
Never let the knife air-dry. Dry the knife manually using a towel.

My knife, by the way, is a global chef knife, and yes, it is highly recommended!

Great designs of the day

2009-04-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

As part of my never ending effort to absorb new ideas in the design field I signed out to a certain design mailing list.
Via the mailing list I receive, every day, new designs and art created by various designers.

Here are some of the designs I liked in today's distribution:

A floor lamp by zaha hadid - My comment: practical and slick

A lighting system by Toshiba - My comment: a proof of concept - useless but beautiful

And, last but not least, a glowing dance club by the German design studio Modulorbeat - My comment: a proof of concept - useless but beautiful

Matzkinized FAQ

2009-04-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Q: Why did you start this blog?
A: I am a 29 years old guy with a lot to "show and tell".
It could be art, design, photography, politics, things I did and things others created and I like (or don't like).
I think that this blog would help me collect these things in one place for me to see in the future, like an electronic scrap book.
If, in the process of creating this scrap book, others will take interest - why not?

Q: What is this "matzkinized" thing?
A: Well, I came out with the "matzkined" title when I though about creating a portfolio to present to design schools I would like to attend one day.
At that time I was specifically interested in design and saw that many product around me are poorly designed - well, they are good products, but there are a couple of minor things about them that I would change to make the product better.
I started with finding solutions to these minor flaws and thought it would be a good start for a future portfolio - "things I took and made a little bit better". The title for that portfolio would be "matzkinized" - the matzkin (Ron Matzkin) way of making things better.

(The "matzkinized" portfolio cover)

Q: So, this blog is going to be all about "matzkinized" products?
A: Well, mostly no. A small number of posts would be "matzkinized" products but the rest would talk about "a matzkined world" - the world through my eyes.

Q: Can you tell us about these "matzkinized" products?
A: Yes, but not about all of them - some of them might have a commercial value, but the rest will be shown here with pleasure - most of them can be upgraded DIY style.

Q: Are there any more answers?
A: Are there any more questions? Currently I can't think of any - if you have a question you can comment here and I promise to answer for as best as my ability.

Potfolio guidance session in 6B studio

2009-04-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

These days, beside working at Comverse (A telecommunications company) I am also taking basic design lessons at 6B studio in Tel Aviv.

Yesterday I took my first guidance session with Saar Raz - an industrial (product) designer.
After months of dormant design juices I finally managed to re-light the design fire - I hope it will bring out new creations.

P.S. During the session we checked out some of my past work - since I had to collect them anyway, why won't you enjoy them too:

Shaheen Jafargholi - Britain's Got Talent 2009

2009-04-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for a happy ending - it started bad but the conclusion was great!

No option to embed so here is the link - Shaheen Jafargholi

And of course - the latest buzz about Susan Boyle

Mythbusters - one of my favorite shows (Banana Peels)

2009-04-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that one of my favorite shows is the Mythbusters, by the Discovery channel.
Just to give you a clue of why I like this show and what is it all about watch the following clip from the show: Can a banana peel really make you slip and fall?

Tips and tricks for youtube

2009-04-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Based on the YNet article http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3702232,00.html

1. Set your own youtube account - you can see all your subscriptions, clip suggestions, etc.
2. Ripping video from you tube - you can use one of the following services to rip (and locally save) videos from you tube:
- vid2mp3 - rip clip audio in mp3;
- keepvid - rip clip video & audio in flv or mp4;
- kickyoutube - just change the youtube to kickyoutube in the video address and save the video & audio in various formats;
3. Playlists - once opening a youtube account you can use that account to save you own playlists of videos you like. Start at youtube playlists.
4. Watch two videos at once at youtubedoubler.
5. Improve the video's quality - just add &fmt=6 or &fmt=18 to the end of the video's address.
6. Enjoy you tube - just like google you can find almost anything in youtube. Some examples:
- How to peel a potato
- How to build bombs
- How to sew

High-Tech lingo (Hebrew)

2009-04-22T04:42:00.000-07:00

How ironic - the past and the future unites in the international holocaust memorials day

2009-04-21T05:46:00.001-07:00

At the same day the world remembers the holocaust, the past ironically unites with the future.
At that day, 20th of April 2009, a new holocaust dis-prover and Jewish-extermination supporter is allowed to address the nations of the world on a UN podium.
It is quite ironic that he is allowed to speak in an "Anti racism and human rights" convention lead by some of the most "liberal and human rights conserving" countries in the world, such as Cuba, Libya and Iran.
Is is even more ironic that this absurd convention is being held on Hitler's birthday.

The world must not allow such occurrence to take place - never again.

The attached digital composition is not placed here to arouse disgust but rather to show you that we are not that far from what happened in 1939.

P.S. Notice the writing in the bottom of the attached file: "Human right or democracy? I'd rather focus on holocaust and Nuclear power"