Most likely you use more than one computer in the course of a day—a work computer and a home computer, maybe even a laptop and a desktop. That means you've got at least two workspaces that can get horrendously out of sync if you don't keep them in check. The key to staying productive at all your computers is building a consistent workspace—that is, a computing environment that is the same (where it counts) everywhere you use a computer. Today we'll highlight several methods for creating consistent workspaces so that whether you're at home or work, your bookmarks, essential files and folders, favorite applications, email, and calendars are all in perfect harmony.
NOTE: This post was inspired by weblog Scholastici.us' 5 Steps to Creating a Consistent Workspace. Several of the author's suggestions differ from my suggestions below, so I'd encourage you to check it out as well.

Sync your Bookmarks

For your most frequently accessed bookmarks, we recommend syncing across Firefox installations with Foxmarks. Alternatively, you can enhance your browser consistency with synced bookmarks and browsing sessions with Google Browser Sync. If you want to go really advanced, you can sync your Firefox extensions and profiles across computers.

When it comes to prolific bookmarking, social bookmarking apps like Del.icio.us provide a great way to keep your bookmarks organized and accessible wherever you are. There are a few desktop applications that make accessing your bookmarks quicker and easier, like Windows only Deliwin or LocalDeli and the Mac only Delibar. If you prefer doing it all from Firefox, there's Del.icio.us Complete or the official Del.icio.us Bookmarks.

Keep Your Calendars in Check

If you have the option, web-based calendaring doesn't get much better than Google Calendar, if for nothing else than its simple and powerful web presence. If you prefer using a desktop application to access your calendars and schedule appointments but you still want access to your calendar from the browser, you can sync Google Calendar with your favorite desktop calendar application.

Consistency in Your Email

Web-based email has never been better than it is right now, so if you have a choice, apps like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail are great options for complete consistency. No matter where you are, as long as you've got a web browser you can access the same email interface and folder/label structure. If you're using Gmail, the Better Gmail extension can really help you supercharge Gmail with features that rival even your favorite desktop email application.

On the other hand, if you're set on working with desktop applications, using Portable Thunderbird means you get the same email no matter where you go and you don't need to worry about messing with IMAP or keeping email filing structures or organization methods consistent on different applications.

Sync or Consolidate Essential Files

Microsoft's cross platform application FolderShare syncs files and folders across both Windows and Mac computers. For those of you who've never used FolderShare, this step-by-step example should help you get started.

If you love the command line, you might prefer mirroring files across systems using rsync.

Lastly, if you don't want to deal with syncing files and folders across different computers, just carry around your important files on a thumb drive. For extra organizational punch, try out our guide to organizing "My Documents".

Go Portable with Your Programs

If you really want to keep all of your application data consistent no matter where you go, you should go portable and carry your life on a thumb drive. There are currently a load of excellent resources for finding portable software that you can run from your thumb drive, like web site PortableApps. A few of my favorite portable applications are:
Internet: Firefox PortableEmail: Thunderbird PortableText Editing: Notepad++ PortableFTP: FileZilla PortableChat: Pidgin Portable
If you don't feel like picking and choosing portable apps and you've got at least 105MB free on your portable drive, you can just grab the entire PortableApps Suite.

Let us know how you keep your many workspaces consistent in the comments.

Adam Pash is a senior editor for Lifehacker who stays in sync no matter where he's working. His special feature Hack Attack appears every Tuesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hack Attack RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

Perfect

I noticed a lot of people are favoriting this screen grab of the “Perfect” iTunes equalizer setting (I posted it to Flickr, so I won’t keep forgetting it when I need it).

Ever since I saw this in that Mac OS X Hints article, I’ve used it as my default equalizer in iTunes — it seems to give a nice pop to MP3 tracks in particular.

HOWTO and specific settings from the original article:

Open the equalizer, and from the pop-up menu, select “Make Preset.” Call it “Perfect,” because it is, and set the following levels, from left to right (skip the Preamp section):


db +3, +6, +9, +7, +6, +5, +7, +9, +11, +8 db

apple macs os x, itunes, tips

Linux users: Not only can desktop decorator Compiz Fusion add eye candy to your system that leaves Windows and Mac users drooling on their keyboards, it can seriously boost your productivity. As Compiz Fusion creeps closer to its first official release, its effects are well ahead of anything found in commercial operating systems. Let's take a look.
Installing Compiz Fusion
Depending on your distro, Compiz Fusion can be finicky to install. Ubuntu users have a few options that include Treviño's repositories, Amaranth's repositories or grabbing the DEBs manually. I strongly suggest using either of the repositories hosted by Treviño and Amaranth. If you're running Ubuntu and have never used Compiz Fusion, this thread is probably the easiest way to get going. All other distro users should check the appropriate support forums for installation instructions. Compiz Fusion does not work with all graphics cards so make sure your card is compatible before starting. MacBook graphics cards work great out of the box. If you're having a hard time getting CF up and running, give the support channel on IRC (#compiz-fusion) a try, they are extremely helpful.

Remove the annoyances
First let's adjust two default settings that are a bit annoying. By default, CF uses sticky windows to facilitate easy window placement. I find that it interrupts my workflow more than it helps, so I prefer to disable it. CF settings are managed with CompizConfig Settings Manager. CCSM can be accessed through System >> Preferences >> CompizConfig Settings Manager. In CCSM, navigate to Wobbly Windows and disable Snap Inverted.
The second major CF annoyance is related to window placement. By default, every application is opened in the topmost portion of the screen. Anyone running a panel across the top will probably prefer to open applications in the middle of the screen. To change this setting, in CCSM, navigate to Place Windows and change Placement Mode to Centered.
With the installation and the annoyances taken care of, let's get down to using Compiz Fusion to improve productivity.

Using the defaults to improve your productivity
Compiz Fusion has a bunch of great features built right into the default installation.

The Cube
One of the most well-known and useful features is the "spinning cube." The spinning cube is actually a virtual desktop manager. Virtual desktops (brought to Windows with Dexpot and Yod'm 3D and Mac with VirtueDesktops) are a great way to manage your open applications: email on one "face," web browsers in another, music in a third and image editing on the fourth. Virtual desktops keep your workday modular and easily navigable. To use the cube effect, middle click anywhere on the desktop and drag the desktop face. Alternatively, CTRL + ALT and the arrow keys will change the desktop face. The entire cube can be unfolded with CTRL + ALT + Down arrow.
Hit the video clip to see the cube in action.


Expo
Expo is another virtual desktop management effect. Expo allows you to see all of your virtual workspaces simultaneously. In addition, you can drag and drop windows and switch virtual workspaces with Expo. Expo can be invoked with SUPER + E ("SUPER" is the Windows key on PCs and the Option key on Macs).


Ring Switcher
Similar to the SUPER+TAB effect for Vista (demoed here) and expanded with SmartFlip, CF has the same effect, known as Ring Switcher, which can be invoked with SUPER + TAB and reversed with SUPER + SHIFT + TAB.


Send active windows to the background and take screenshots
You can send active applications to the background simply by middle clicking anywhere in the title bar. Additionally, you can take screenshots by holding down the SUPER key and selecting the region of the screen you would like to capture.

Make the best better
A few simple tweaks to CCSM can make Compiz Fusion fly. To emulate the Expose effect used in Mac OS X, navigate to Scale, select the Actions tab and add a screen edge (I prefer top right) for Initiate Window Picker for Windows on Current Desktop. With this plugin enabled, you can then mouse to the top right of the screen and change the active application. Additionally, if you would like to show the desktop, you can click directly on the desktop and the active windows will disperse to the corners of the screen. When you want to restore the windows, click CTRL + ALT + D.


You can also enable task bar previews of open applications by simply activating Window Previews in the Extras section. Windows Vista users have this feature built in, and XP users can get the same effect with Visual ToolTip. Please note that this feature will only work if you have a window list in the menu bar. It does not work with Avant Window Navigator.

Since the Expo effect (mentioned above) requires heavy use of the mouse, it is a good candidate to set up a "hot corner." You can set Expo to be activated when you mouse to the lower left corner by selecting Expo and then selecting the Actions tab and assigning a Screen Edge location.

It all comes together
Compiz Fusion has a ton of great features. The following is a nice compilation that gives a taste of everything Compiz Fusion can do to improve your productivity.

What do you love about Compiz Fusion? What did I miss? Share in the comments.

Kyle Pott, Lifehacker's Contributing Editor, credits Compiz Fusion for ratcheting up his love for Linux to an unnatural level.

Corel WordPerfect Lightning is a new kind of free word processing and note-taking software from Corel that fills a gap between today's existing desktop and Web-based productivity tools.

Useful command-line secrets for increasing productivity in the office

Never forget the milk (or anything else) again

Start by stripping your e-mail directory structure down to seven basic folders, each defined by the action that its messages require

Backpack makes it easy to flesh out your ideas. Start with a a title: "My trip to Paris" or "Furniture I eventually want to buy" or "Things I want to do this summer" or "My favorite quotes" or "Ideas for the bathroom renovation" or "People we need to inte