Mix your technologies to share music like it’s the ’80s

• Who is this post for? Everyone
• What does it discuss? A lovely retro-style product
• How does it benefit you? Increased smiles

Those of us the wrong side of 35 will have grown up sharing mixtapes and what treasured items they were! Just think back to the effort they took to compile and the appreciation of the person who was the recipient of your labour of love.

It’s just not the same sharing your playlist on Spotify is it? I can create a playlist in minutes. It’s efficient and the music is just as good but there’s little emotion involved from a sharing perspective. Thus, we really like the work of Sydney based designer Tiffany Roddis whose rendition of a mixtape is actually a USB that can hold up to 8GB of files and media (hopefully music!). It also has a personal message written on it for those of you planning to give it to someone special.

Easy to buy from anywhere as ships worldwide from the UK at the designer’s Etsy store, Wild Card.

Music as medicine

• Who is this post for? Everyone
• What does it discuss? A technology project for all that explores how music can benefit your mind and body
• How will you benefit? Better health, clearer focus, more thoughtful children…we could go on

The Sync Project is a initiative started and run by one of my old colleagues Marko Ahtisari.  Marko and his team believe that if music can reach us physically, then we can find a way of decoding what music does, and we could then use it to improve health.

The project itself centres around a platform that maps music characteristics to real-time biometrics gathered from an exploding variety of sensors. The team hope to understand and decode the personalized therapeutic effect of music.  Or in layman’s terms – they collect data from things like smartphones, wristbands and smartwatches to help us understand what happens to our brains and bodies when listening to music.

Read more about the purpose of the project here

Right now, I advise doing what I’ve done and simply sign up to see what happens. Up to this point I’ve been getting e-mail updates but I’ll certainly be a willing volunteer (as would my wife and daughter) when the project scales up and starts to have its desired positive impact on all our lives.

What’s the right music to help you focus on your work?

• Who is this post for? Everyone
• What does it discuss? How I use music to focus on my work
• How does it benefit you? Increased productivity, decrease in stress

There are, essentially two aspects to my profession. Meeting people and coming up with solutions for them. Both require clear thought and clear explanation but much of the latter aspect requires me to work solo.

Whilst I can control distractions to a certain extent, (turn-off e-mail, close down Facebook, shut the door etc.), my mind is the biggest distraction. I constantly like to think about ‘new stuff’ so I have sometimes had problems focusing on the actual task in front of me until the deadline is so close that I force myself to finish the job. That’s not a productive or healthy way to work.

So when I stumbled upon a service called focus@will, I was intrigued and I was listening. I had used music to try and help me focus before but the trouble was that if it was music I really liked, I just started to hum and sing along and couldn’t concentrate on a deep level. Basically, my approach wasn’t particularly scientific!

It promised that I could, “On mobile, tablet or computer, listen to multiple music channels scientifically optimized to increase concentration and productivity.”

I’m a bit sceptical by nature but it offered a free 15-day trial with no credit card required. So I signed up….WOW!

I had absolutely no hesitation subscribing at the end of the trial (£7.50 per month or less if you pay for a year up front). As you can read on the site itself, your favourite music encourages foot-tapping because it engages you. This service has a library of instrumental music that’s been remastered to enhance your concentration and increase your attention span, all developed in association with leading neuroscientists.  It ranges from classical to chill-out to ambient noises and back again and it asks you about your own difficulties in focusing before recommending certain channels. Apparently results show 15% increase in concentration and 400% increase in attention span.

From my own personal experience I can testify that this was, and is, 100% true for me. I gain nothing by sharing this with you – no referral fees or commission etc. This is just a service I found and instantly loved and am now recommending it to you. I simply ask two things of you in return – 1) give it a try 2) do share any experience of similar services or technology you use to focus at work.

Enjoy the increased productivity.

The best headphones for your workout

• Who is this post for? Gym junkies, runners, cyclists
• What does it discuss? It gives the verdict on the best headphones for use whilst exercising
• How does it benefit you? Increased focus, enjoyment and motivation

The verdict is in. Engadget has tested 145 pairs of headphones for use whilst exercising and come up with one pair to wear the crown. See the winner here.