multitask

10 Stories

Is Your Work Output the 'Only Proof' That You're Working?

In 'Esquire,' Kelly Stout ponders whether productivity, the process, or something else is what matters

(Newser) - If you've tried every multitasking trick in the book to maximize your time on the job, Kelly Stout wants you to know you're not alone. In Esquire , Stout writes that she spent a lot of time earlier in her career assigned to busywork, longing for "a life...

Facebook, Studying Don't Mix
 Facebook, Studying Don't Mix 

Facebook, Studying Don't Mix

New study shows another negative result of multitasking

(Newser) - Surprise, surprise: Turns out it's not a good idea to use Facebook while studying. A new study finds that those who did so scored an average of 20% lower on exams than those who did not, the Telegraph reports. However, only one-quarter of those who used Facebook while working believed...

New iPhone OS Allows Multitasking*

*As long as you aren't using an iPhone 3G

(Newser) - iPhone OS 4 will at long last allow iPhone users to multitask—as long as they’re using the latest version of the device. Just double-click the home button and you’ll see a list of apps you can switch between. It’s not precisely true multitasking—apps can only...

Multitasking Causes Serious Brain Drain

Constant switching of focus is inefficient, can lead to trouble

(Newser) - Multitasking isn’t helping you do anything faster, and constant exposure to multiple electronic media makes people really bad at—multitasking. “When you’re pushing yourself to perform two or more tasks, especially complicated tasks, it’s not beneficial,” a researcher tells the Boston Globe . “It’s...

In Today's Economy, Nannies Must Multitask

(Newser) - As affluent Americans downsize their household staffs, the once distinct lines between nannies and housekeepers are getting a little fuzzy, the Los Angeles Times reports. More and more, nannies are being asked to scrub the toilets along with watching the kids, and housekeepers are being asked to vacuum with a...

Multitasking Can Melt Your Brain

Scientists warn of dangers of doing too much at once

(Newser) - Multitasking isn’t as productive as you may think—in fact, our brains just can’t handle it. Scientists say working on many tasks at once slows all of them down, NPR reports. “No matter how good you have become at multitasking, you’re still going to suffer hits...

Multitasking Is a Myth
 Multitasking 
 Is a Myth 

Multitasking Is a Myth

Imaging shows brain quickly switches among tasks instead

(Newser) - Pull your ears away from that cell phone: Multitasking is a myth. New research shows we can’t really concentrate on two things at once; rather, the executive functions of the brain sweep quickly between multiple tasks. It’s thought that survival and the hunt made this rapid refocusing of...

Browser Solves Some Social Networking Poblems
Browser Solves Some Social Networking Poblems
PRODUCT REVIEW

Browser Solves Some Social Networking Poblems

Flock lets you see Facebook and email feeds while reading

(Newser) - The web browser Flock is designed to ease multitasking for highly active web users, and it  mostly succeeds, writes Walter S. Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. Billed as “the social Web browser,” Flock gives users a sidebar with feeds for email, and social networking, photo, video, or...

What Was I Writing?
What Was   
I Writing?
OPINION

What Was I Writing?

Chronic distraction —a self-inflicted malady—may seem comic, but it's deadly

(Newser) - We all complain about the myriad distractions in the wired world, but Bryan Appleyard goes further in the Guardian: Distraction is not just annoying, it can kill you, and will be the downfall of democracy. “Chronic, long-term distraction” may be as deadly as smoking, and the habits of the...

Multitaskers, It's All in the Bag
Multitaskers, It's All
in the Bag

Multitaskers, It's All in the Bag

Blog offers old and creative new uses for that extra paper sack

(Newser) - Paper bags are good for more than just school lunches and book covers. Check out Wise Bread's 25 tips, and you'll never hesitate again when the cashier says, "Paper or plastic?" Here are 10 to get you started:
  1. Ripen fruit.
  2. Make your own wrapping paper.
  3. Give your cat hours
...

10 Stories