Adam Pash

Business cards have long been the networking tool that kept your business-contact list growing, but in a digital age, they seem a little outdated. Weblog WebWorkerDaily argues that we still need them; we're not so sure. What do you think?

WebWorkerDaily's take:

There are times when even the most web-oriented among us have to meet with people face-to-face. Being able to hand out a business card does more than guarantee that they have your contact information and even goes beyond making it easy to pass it along. It can help establish your professionalism. Depending on the type of work you do, there can be some difficulty in reminding your contacts that you're a professional — after all, you spend most of your day at home or the coffee shop. But little touches like a professional business card can really help remind clients and colleagues that you are a professional, no matter where you're working at.

This editor just begrudgingly re-ordered a fresh batch of dead-tree business cards in preparation for a trip to SXSW, which, frankly, is the only place I ever hand them out. So I'm curious:

Obviously it depends a lot on what kind of work you do and the culture of that work, but let's hear specifics for why you do or don't keep business cards on hand in the comments.

MetaFilter founder and blogger Matt Haughey spent some time recently watching Pawn Stars (the History channel's "blue collar version of Antiques Roadshow"), and after a few episodes learned some solid negotiation lessons from the folks at the pawn shop.

The video above offers a few pointers for how to approach a pawn shop when you're looking to sell things, but Haughey also extracts a pattern for the negotiations that take place in Pawn Stars that seem applicable to nearly any negotiation.

The best part is the negotiation stage. I'm a terrible negotiator and in the past I've only done bargaining for new cars over email, since I completely fail trying to persuade lower prices from someone standing in front of me. I'm fascinated at how consistently Rick pulls a fairly low price for items and there is a general pattern to the procedure worth knowing.

Hit up his post for the breakdown, especially if you, like Haughey (and this editor), aren't generally skilled at negotiation. While you're getting your haggle on, don't forget the golden rule of negotiation.

Rampant DIYing aside, this week we rounded up five of the best start pages for your browsing convenience, detailed how to set up a fully automated media center, and reminded you to always, always write it down.

• Five Best Start Pages
  Your start page is the first thing you see when you open your browser or load a new tab-your gateway to the rest of the web. Get the most from your start page with one of these five favorites.
• How Can I Ditch Cable and Watch My TV Shows and Movies Online?
  Dear Lifehacker, I'd love to get rid of cable and stream all my favorite TV shows right from the internet. What do I need to know before I take the plunge?
• Set Up a Fully Automated Media Center
  We love a good media center almost as much as we love automation, so self-confessed media geek Alex Ward's fully automated media center caught our eye.
• When It Doesn't Pay to Be Google's Guinea Pig
  Besides a killer algorithm and brand-name recognition, Google's greatest strength is its speed at releasing new products. We get to play with new, cool, and ever-improving tools for free.
• A Celebration of Duct Tape: Our Favorite Duct Tape DIYs
  If the DIY community had a universal symbol, it most certainly would be a roll of duct tape. Inexpensive, abundant, strong, and ready to stick to nearly anything, this versatile DIY companion is a must in your DIY toolkit.
• Top 10 Windows Media Center Plug-Ins and Boosters
  Microsoft's powerful home theater centerpiece, Windows Media Center, is easily one of the best applications that ships for free with Windows. But you can still make it better-and take it into new realms-with these plug-ins, helper apps, and tweaks.
• Flavors.me Is a Simple and Elegant Personal Portal
  If you're looking to set up an elegant portal for your online identity that brings together social networks and other aspects of your online presence, Flavors.me is as simple and easy to use as it gets.
• Convert Your Old Laptop into a Digital Projector
  Some people have an extra $1,000 just lying around to buy a digital projector. Unfortunately, most of the people that I know, myself included, do not.
• How to Cook Something in the Dishwasher
  Authors Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler's Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) builds on the premise that "dangerous" things we avoid are often eye-opening and educational.
• "It Didn't Happen If You Didn't Write It Down"
  Borrowing an idea from a Tom Clancy novel, software developer and blogger Christopher Schanck explains why he writes everything down, then suggests a handful of worthy tools for the job.

Gmail stutters, a phony version of Microsoft Security Esssentials makes the rounds, Opera 10.5 beta comes to Macs, and video codecs Ogg Theora and H.264 go head to head.

(Click the image above for a closer look.)

• Why Can't PCs Work More Like iPhones?
  NYT's Nick Bilton wishes that PCs could adopt a few of the better things about iPhones and other user-friendly mobile operating systems—just not the awful walled garden part. [NYT]
• Quicken for the Mac: Finally!
  The popular personal finance desktop application makes its way to the Mac desktop. [CNET]
• Gmail Acting Up? It's Not Just You
  Earlier today, several people experienced Gmail errors, acknowledged by their Apps Status Dashboard, so if you had Gmail bugginess this morning, you weren't alone. [TechCrunch]
• Security Essentials 2010 Is Not Microsoft Security Essentials
  There's a fake antivirus application making the rounds on the internet called Security Essentials 2010—not to be confused with Microsoft Security Essentials, the antivirus app we like so much. [Softpedia]
• Ogg Theora vs. H.264: head to head comparisons
  A side-by-side comparison of two competitors for the throne of de facto web video standard reveals, unfortunately, that the free solution (Ogg) doesn't appear to stack up. [Ars Technica]
• Opera 10.50 Beta for Mac!
  Opera 10.5 Beta is now available for Macs, and it's gooood. [Opera Blog]

Google Reader goes real-time, the Criterion Collection comes to Hulu, and some PowerPoint mistakes never change.

• AT&T Roars Back in PCWorld's Second 3G Wireless Performance Test
  PC World's annual 3G performance test puts AT&T's 3G network on top of download and upload speeds, followed by Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. [PC World]
• Google Reader goes realtime with PubSubHubBub support
  We've talked about the real-time web and pushbutton web in Google Reader before, and now it looks like Reader's picked up real-time updating for sites that support the PubSubHubBub protocol. [Download Squad]
• iTunes Will Sell 10 Billionth Song Today
  I guess that's a lot of songs. [Gizmodo]
• Enough with the "expert" guilt
  "Sergey and Larry weren't advertising experts before they started Google." [A Smart Bear]
• Truth: Common Power Point mistakes never change
  An old video of a commedian's take on common PowerPoint mistakes demonstrates that not much has changed in the PowerPoint no-nos department. [Boing Boing]
• The Claim: To Cut Calories, Eat Slowly
  Another confirmation of an old favorite. [NYT]
• Ohhh Baby: The Criterion Collection Comes to Hulu
  And quality entertainment continues to make its way to the web. No complaints here. [Gizmodo]
• Office, Bing, and Windows Live on the iPad? Naturally
  "...there's good reason to think that Microsoft apps will be coming to the iPad." [Ars Technica]

This week we highlighted 10 Google settings you should know, helped you find a good place to catch the Olympics online, helped you share large files with your friends, and a whole lot more.

• Top 10 Google Settings You Should Know About
  As the outcry over Google Buzz's privacy has shown us, it's smart to explore settings in Gmail, along with other places you're sharing data with the search giant. Let's take a look at 10 privacy, convenience, and annoyance fixers you should know.
• Where Can I Watch the Olympics Online?
  Dear Lifehacker, I'm a huge fan of the winter Olympics and I don't want to miss a minute of coverage. Where can I watch the games online?
• Make Images 3D sans Goofy Glasses
  3D pictures are interesting, but they rely on glasses that alter the way your left and right eye perceive images. This cool 3D image-creation technique doesn't require glasses but still produces a 3D illusion.
• What's the Easiest Way to Share Large Files and Media with Friends?
  When you want to to share music, movies, photos, or other files online, you've got countless options. We've examined most, and for our money, one tool emerges on top of the heap for its ease of use, wide support, and all-around excellence.
• Five Best Netbook Operating Systems
  Netbooks-the low-power and lightweight mini-notebooks that have surged in popularity-practically beg for some tweaking and customization to increase the functionality of their diminutive screens and relatively wimpy processors. Find yourself the perfect netbook operating system from this fine selection.
• Full Screen Weather Is a Giant, No-Frills Weather Map
  We've always liked Weather Underground for its no-nonsense, real-time weather info. Today they've released a new service called Full Screen Weather that mashes up Google Maps with weather data for nothing but maps and up-to-the-minute weather info.
• Fav4.org Is a Dead Simple but Very Attractive Start Page
  Start pages are a dime a dozen, but considering how many times you open a new tab every day, it's nice to have something attractive to look at. Web site Fav4.org is a minimal start page that's easy on the eyes.
• Adjust Your Car Mirrors to Fully Cover Your Blind Spots
  The way most drivers, and car makers, keep their side mirrors doesn't actually cover the blind spot outside the driver's vision. Car and Driver illustrates a car mirror setup that, once you get used to it, could prevent lane change freak-outs.
• Which Social Network Is Right For You?
  Between Twitter, Facebook, and Google's new social networking tool, Buzz, it's hard to turn a corner without running into another social network. But how do you know which networking tool fits you best? We're here-with big charts and all-to help.
• Remains of the Day: Why Piracy Works Edition
  A fed up movie-watcher explains in pictures how buying is more hostile to consumers than pirating, a school spies on students at home through webcams, and Bill Gates gives a great presentation.

A fed up movie-watcher explains in pictures how buying is more hostile to consumers than pirating, a school spies on students at home through webcams, and Bill Gates gives a great presentation.

(Click the image above for a closer look.)

• Why Piracy Works
  See image above. [via Kevin Marks]
• When are High Wine Prices Justified?
  The not that interesting answer: When it costs a lot to produce. [NYT Freakonomics Blog]
• Steve Jobs: Flash Video Would Make the iPad Battery Life 1.5 Hours
  Gizmodo dissects the claim, which doesn't necessarily hold a whole lot of water. [Gizmodo]
• BitTorrent Visualization
  Ever wanted to understand how BitTorrent works but you're more of a visual learner? This very cool BitTorrent visualization can help! [via TorrentFreak
• Bill Gates on energy: Innovating to zero!
  Bill Gates delivered a much-talked-about presentation (because of his improved presentation skills) at this year's TED conference, which you can see embedded below. Looks like Jobs isn't the only skilled presenter around. Gates just needed a little time to simmer. [TED]
• School Spies Students Through Their Laptop Cameras
  Keep those eyes on the webcam light, kids. [Gizmodo]
• Is Google preparing to challenge iTunes in the cloud?
  Google is showing interest in a cloud media company, leading CNET to speculate that Google is looking to create a web-based media service to compete with iTunes. [CNET]

Skype is on its way to Verizon, we take a look at what magazines may look like when they transition to tablets, and a study shows that 80% of successful malware exploits found their way to computers via Adobe Reader/Acrobat flaws.

• Report: Malicious PDF files comprised 80 percent of all exploits for 2009
  You heard it right: 80% of all exploits in 2009 had Adobe Reader and Acrobat to blame. Yikes. [ZDNet]
• The Wired Tablet App: A Video Demonstration
  Wired demos what a magazine may look like in an age of tablets. [Wired.com]
• Redbox Cuts Deal With Warner; Agrees To 28-Day Window
  The movie industry is doing everything it can to make people buy DVDs before they're able to rent them, and we, the consumer, keep losing. [Tech Trader Daily]
• Verizon Smartphones Score Unlimited Skype-to-Skype Calling
  Great news for Verizon customers who make the occasional international call. [Gizmodo]
• Google Goggles Getting OCR Translations
  Previously mentioned Google Goggles will soon recognize text and translate it. Hello future! [TechCrunch]

Microsoft new Windows Phone operating system looks pretty snazzy, Adobe AIR is on its way to smartphones, and one diligent self-measuring math teacher delivers his 2009 annual report.

• Windows Phone 7: First Videos
  Closer look at what you can expect from a Windows Phone 7 experience. [Gizmodo]
• Apple to wrap digital books in FairPlay copy protection [Clarified]
  Remember FairPlay, the DRM scheme Apple mostly dropped after years of locking users into a crappy DRM scheme? Well it's staging a comeback in e-books. [LA Times]
• Malware Peddlers Look to Exploit Olympic Luge Tragedy
  Same old trick. Find what users are searching for, then fake 'em out! [Mashable]
• My 2009 Annual Report
  Math teacher Dan Meyer puts a year's worth of personal metrics into the incredible video below. [dy/dan]
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• The Smarter You Are, The Less You Click
  But then you probably already knew that, didn't you smartypants. [RWW]
• Sciencefeed
  It's like Friendfeed for Science! [via TechCrunch]
• Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall
  Internet on a school bus means students stop all that noisy horseplay! [NYT]
• Adobe AIR for Smartphones Wants to Be One Platform to Rule Them All
  Adobe's cross-platform desktop runtime AIR is on its way to mobile devices, starting with Android. [Gizmodo]
• Apple drops the ban hammer on iPhone hackers
  If you develop for the iPhone and App Store proper, Apple's not going to reward your spare-time hacking. [Boy Genius Report]

A Microsoft employee speculates that Windows 8 will change everything, an in-development photo app thinks it can make your pictures look a whole lot better, and we get leadership lessons from a dancing guy.

• Microsoft Employee Claims Windows 8 Will Be A "Completely Different" Experience
  According to Gizmodo, a Microsoft employee blogged that Windows 8 will be "completely different from what folks usually expect of Windows", and that it "will change the way people think about PCs and the way they use them." The post was apparently removed, but is still in Google's cache. [Gizmodo]
• Software photo-doctor fixes up bad photos
  The creators of the software highlighted in the video above claims it can make your photos look more professional with a fancy algorithm. [New Scientist via Download Squad]
• Google Trivestiture?
  Marketer Steve Poppe thinks Google Buzz is an indication of Google's "culture of technological obesity." Youch. [What's the Idea?]
• Email as Identity: Google Turns on WebFinger
  "WebFinger provides users with a standardized and decentralized way of sharing their profile and identity information online" [ReadWriteWeb]
• The Problem With Google Buzz Is That It Solves Google's Problem At Your Expense
  Seems like no one's all that happy with Buzz. [Mixergy]
• Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
  Sure a lot of it is semantics (you can lead without being first), Derek Sivers' three-minute Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy TED talk is fun to watch. [Derek Sivers]