I'm interested in being inspired by smart women. What are your recommendations for blogs or autobiographies of strong-willed, independent and successful women? [more inside]
posted by pulled_levers on Dec 1, 2009 - 20 answers

What are your top 5 Android Apps? [more inside]
posted by ekpyrotic on Aug 30, 2009 - 16 answers

How do I learn intimidating material without making myself miserable? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 10, 2009 - 10 answers

To cut down on connectivity bills should I pair a Novatel Mini-port with some sort of unlocked wifi-enable smart-phone/device, such as an Ipod Touch or a wifi Skype phone? [more inside]
posted by harnharn on Jul 9, 2009 - 6 answers

Can anyone recommend a cheap smartphone that can make Skype calls over Wi-Fi? [more inside]
posted by redteam on Jun 3, 2009 - 6 answers

In OS X on my iMac, Disk Utility asserts that my main, internal hard drive is "about to fail" and has been asserting this for several months. But my computer is running just fine... should I worry? [more inside]
posted by so_necessary on May 2, 2009 - 17 answers

I need a solid list of fun video games [esp. Xbox 360 and Wii] that will make (feel) smarter. For example: the game "Portal" absolutely stumped me at times and required me to literally contemplate -- but it was also fun. Half Life 2 had moments like that as well. [more inside]
posted by AlbatrossJones on Feb 9, 2009 - 14 answers

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? [more inside]
posted by Bageena on Jan 28, 2009 - 24 answers

how do I become smarter in making the best decision when facing a new situation for the first time? [more inside]
posted by thomasck on Jan 4, 2009 - 17 answers

Please suggest self-aware romantic comedies. (Rather lengthy explanation sheepishly included.) [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on Sep 15, 2008 - 64 answers

How can I transfer the calendar from a Motorola Q to an iPhone, without Outlook 2003? [more inside]
posted by Reverend John on Sep 5, 2008 - 3 answers

This is in regard to Curves Smart equipment, which is now available at some Curves for Women fitness facilities. Does anyone know what exactly the display depicts? Although I've seen pictures of it, which shows "Cardio", "Energy", "Range", and "Reps", I'd like to know what each one is indicating. Also, prior to the installation of the Smart upgrade, the hydraulic resistance was non-adjustable. The only way to get more resistance was to speed up. It appears that the hydraulics are still configured the same. If so, then is it safe to assume that the only way to increase intensity/resistance is to do more reps in the same 30-second time frame? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
posted by Savannah on Jul 21, 2008 - 6 answers

A question about kid lore ("smart" = "pregnant"). [more inside]
posted by user92371 on Feb 19, 2008 - 20 answers

I am a brand new Blackberry Curve owner with a very frustrating problem. I don't have MS Outlook (or MS Office) so I can't sync my address book. I would really like to be able to edit and back up my address book on my PC but I have found NOTHING to help me with this quest. I am not able to spend a ton of money for software I will only use for this purpose (the phone cost enough, TYVM), so it should be "cheap-as-free" whatever it is. [more inside]
posted by evilcupcakes on Feb 16, 2008 - 10 answers

Procrastinators: Is your PDA/smartphone a net negative or a net positive from a productivity standpoint? [more inside]
posted by fermion on Dec 4, 2007 - 12 answers

One of my hard drives threw a SMART error last night, but the symptoms are inconsistent with the self-diagnosis. What is the best way to do further testing? [more inside]
posted by Ziggy Zaga on Oct 31, 2007 - 9 answers

Are there any "smart" true crime community blogs or message boards? [more inside]
posted by taz on Jun 21, 2007 - 8 answers

'Smart casual' trousers, what alternatives are there for men? [more inside]
posted by MrC on May 28, 2007 - 13 answers

In Thunderbird, I can make a smart mailbox that shows only messages I haven't replied to, but I can't change the size of the text in the message lists. In Apple Mail, I can change the list size but can't figure out how to make a smart mailbox that only shows unreplied messages. I think I'd be better at answering mail if I could solve either of these problems. Help?
posted by clango on May 17, 2007 - 5 answers

I absolutely love Firefox Smart Keyword Searches. Beyond just the default preinstalled ones, I also use custom ones for easynews, rottentomatoes, metafilter, etc. Here's my question: Is it possible to launch these from the command line in OS X? For example, ideally I would enter (into a bash prompt) rt apple to open a new tab in firefox with a search result for "Apple" in rotten tomatoes, like this.. Similarly, I would like to be able to enter easy creative commons to have it launch the keyword bookmark "easy" which searches easynews global for "creative commons". Is this possible to do, preferably without using Applescript or Automator?
posted by crazyray on Feb 19, 2007 - 14 answers

My external USB hard drive was making some really weird noises (screeching and clicking) last night, when I tried to un-rar a bunch of large files. I quickly shut it off, and waited a few moments before turning it back on. It seems fine now, but I want to make sure it really is, and the noises didn't cause any permanent damage. Do those SMART things work over USB? If so, what's a good, free one? Any other suggestions? I can't afford to lose what's on this drive!
posted by fvox13 on Aug 2, 2006 - 5 answers

iPodFilter: Can you do complex filters in Smart Playlists? [more inside]
posted by pettins on Jul 22, 2006 - 11 answers

Help a college student decorate a living room/kitchen on the cheap. Theme: Martini glasses and tiki. [more inside]
posted by skjønn on Jul 6, 2006 - 21 answers

Having problem with S.M.A.R.T data collection apps with IDE drives on a PCI to IDE card. [more inside]
posted by flyby22 on Jun 22, 2006 - 5 answers

Are there any Firewire or USB external hard drive enclosures that support translation of SMART messages? [more inside]
posted by rajbot on May 28, 2006 - 5 answers

Lately I've been fascinated by "smart" songs: songs with witty, intelligent lyrics, especially if the lyrics are literary. Can you recommend more music of this sort? [samples inside] [more inside]
posted by jdroth on Oct 31, 2005 - 100 answers

Why didn't SMART warn me about my hard disk failure? It was definitely predictable: ominous clicking sounds were accompanied by increasing seek times. I was able to squeeze another week out of the drive before it died completely, and the whole time, SMART insisted that it was fine. [more inside]
posted by Eamon on Aug 28, 2005 - 8 answers

CorporateCrime Filter: I remember a while ago I use to constantly reference a fairly objective "smart shopper" site that would list issues, good and bad with most of the big corporations. [more inside]
posted by Lockeownzj00 on Jul 1, 2005 - 10 answers

I'm looking for conservative bloggers who are going to make me, a fairly well-entrenched liberal, re-examine my ideas and my own precepts by the weight of their arguments, and yet be an enjoyable read in the process. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Apr 4, 2005 - 15 answers

GadgetFilter: Have any MeFi technophiles tried one of the MSN Direct Smart Watches? If so, what were your impressions of the watch & the service? [SImoreDE] [more inside]
posted by Fourmyle on Dec 5, 2004 - 4 answers

I've been reading about Nootropics, or "smart drugs" for a little while, digging around in rec.drugs.smart. I wanted to ask if anyone in the mefi-verse has used some of the latest nootropics and what their experiences were. I won't go into the complexities of my situation save to say that I'd like to increase my focus and mental acuity during the conclusion of a long, life-draining project that rhymes with "dissertation." Thanks.
posted by mecran01 on May 29, 2004 - 17 answers