Pointy Haired Dilbert - Chandoo.org

Google docs team has announced gadgets, auto-fill support, formula help while typing and several other goodies yesterday. I was experimenting with these stuff and wanted to share a cool idea with you all.

Tracking / Sharing your goals (or resolutions, progress) with everyone using Google Spreadsheet Gadgets:
For the example purpose, let us build a gadget that will track my new year resolution “to run 500 miles in 2008″. When done, the gadget looks something like this: (go ahead, play with it)

Step 1: Create the data format as per your need
I created a table like this, you can create something depending on what you want to track / share:

Step 2: Findout what you want to share and calculate
In my case, I needed 2 metrics, “miles ran so far” and “miles remaining”, the “miles ran so far” is a simple sum of the entire table shown above, the other metric is 500 minus “miles ran so far”. Once you have the values, display them 2 columns as shown below:

Step 3: Generate a gadget for the data you want to share

1. This is even more simple, just click on the gadgets icon on the tool bar on top (shown below) and select gadgets.
   
2. Select the gadget type, I have selected a bar-chart as I wanted to show progress in a stacked chart.
   
3. Next enter data range for the gadget (just as you would do with an excel chart dialog) and press save.
   
4. Finally publish the gadget by selecting the publish option, this will provide html iframe code for the gadget, simply paste the code in your blog, sidebar or coffee mug and you are good to go.
   

If you want to play with my sheet: google spreadsheet gadgets demo, So what are you waiting for, go ahead, play around with google spreadsheet gadgets, flash your gadgets.

And you almost knew why it is a superb tuesday, well, we got Shimla delivered today. Still going through initial learning curve of getting used to mac. Here is the screen cap, isnt it looking gorgeous? We know :), but the important thing is the it feels gorgeous.

PS: regular posting @ PHD should resume with immediate effect.

Missus arrived
Missus on bench
Missus bored at hotel
Missus asked for some immediate lap love (not the baby kind )
Missus nagged
Missus ORDERED!

I had to obey now, the choice was between Dell XPS 1530 and one of the Macs. A quick check at the bank balances revealed that I forgot my online password. But it also revealed that we could either afford macbook pro or food for the next several weeks. So the choice narrowed to Dell xps kind and the Macbook. Well, it wasnt much of a choice, we werent rooting for windows support or anything like that. Our needs are simple, watch movies, listen to songs, check mail, surf internet, manage photos and have tons of fun. So Macbook it is.

We have ordered the macbook. Since my desktop in India is called Madhu [know more - madhu the crash madhu2.0], we are going to call this one as Shimla, its the most romantic place on earth - for us. And yeah for the still looking, shimla is a hill station in northern India.

We are so excited about Shimla!!! I have added a tracker on the top of this blog, live updates about the order and shipment. Will post photos once we get it. Feel free to share our happiness.

Oh yeah, for the curious, the config is macbook white, 2.0 ghz, intel core2 duo, 2 gb ddr2 ram, 80 gb SATA, 24x CD RW / DVD. Also, the image is copyrighted to Apple.com.

OCDOBG stuck me when I was in HK last week. That is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Of Buying Gadgets, This time I have picked up the biggest possible thing that can still be carried inside the luggage bags. A 19inch widescreen lcd monitor. The Samsung 931bw.

I have been thinking about upgrading my old 15 inch samtron to something pleasent for a while now, After doing the preliminary research I have shortlisted both Dell and Acer 19inch versions. But getting either of them in HK proved to be next to impossible given my short stay and other constraints. When I walked in to Fortress (an IT / Gadget / Electronics retail chain in HK) to findout if they stock Acer, I bumped across this samsung black beauty. I couldnt resist myself. So I went back and did some research on this one and it seemed like a good monitor. The price is also not steep at 250 USD. So I have purchased in the very next day.

Now the only thing still around from my original computer purchased in 2000 is a TVS gold key board. That one is a tough choice to replace.

Read also: Madhu, Madhu 2.0
PS: Images are from Samsung website.