10 Trims for Lean, Low-Bandwidth Web Surfing

Slow internet got ya down? Trimmin’ data cost? Common van life complaint for nomads and rubbertramps. Try these 10 hacks for better performance. Also try these 5 Chrome extensions I posted about before.

1. Use HTML or POP Email

Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook/Hotmail all got light versions that is HTML only. They can all also be accessed via a POP/IMAP email client for offline readin’.

2. Load Mobile Versions of Websites

Accessin’ mobile websites takes a lot less data. They’re made thataway! Two ways to do this. Easiest is put an "m" in front of the URL, for example, m.facebook.com. If that don’t work, trick the website inta thinkin’ you’re a phone usin' an extension, like User-Agent Switcher for Google Chrome. Not all sites gotta mobile version, but if they do, you’re in like Flynn.

3. Use Web Apps Offline

In a backpeddlin’ move, lots a web apps got offline access. Here I’m thinkin’ a Google Docs and Zoho, for example. But lots others do this, too. Look ‘round, dammit!

4. Use a Newsreader or News Aggregator

RSS newsreaders ain’t as popular as some years ago. But they’re still out there! In one screen, ya can see the latest from all your favorite blogs and websites. Vanholio uses Minimal Reader with images turned off – FAST!

News aggregators is almost the same thing, but not quite. They’re websites that pull together headlines tweaked your interests. Saves surfin’ time and data. News.google.com is one example, but there’s tons.

5. Get Your Daily News and Blog Updates via Email

Lots a news websites got daily email digests ya sign up fur. Plus there’s special news digest services out there, like Daily Digest and Need2Know. Also, Lots a blogs got automatic post emails, so ya don’t have ta pull up the site.

6. View Cached Webpages

When ya search in Google, there’s usually a pulldown by the links in search results. That’ll let ya see a cache of the page, pulled from Google servers. Faster access. These can even be viewed text-only for true zippity-do-dah! Cashedview.com is a search engine just for cached pages.

7. Post and Comment on Social Media via Email

Most a your big-time social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, etc. – let ya post, comment, and see others’ posts and comments via email notices. Much less data than goin’ ta the site, particularly if you’re doin’ HTML email. Check your prefs an’ dig around.

8. Use IFTTT or a Social Media Manager

IFTTT (If This, Then That) picks up the slack where your social media won’t let ya work ‘em through email. Vanholio posts a ton a shit by sendin’ an email to IFTTT, which then does the post for him. Plus IFTTT can do a TON more shit. Ya can also use a social media manager, like HootSuite.

9. Watch Video at Low Resolutions

Know those damn quality numbers on YouTube? Well here’s a fact, they multiply, not add. 720p is 4 times as much data as 360p, for example. So for all video sites with some kinda quality settin’, watch on the lowest ya can stand. And hell, if it’s all talk or music, ya can rip it to MP3 for download.

10. Download Video and Audio for Later Use

While YouTube, SoundCloud, Vimeo, the rest don’t like it, ya can download audio and video content when you’re at public internet (or a family or friend’s house). Then enjoy it later – without burnin’ your data up!

Hey, Beer Vanholio! He works hard on this blog.

Also See ...

5 Chrome Extensions to Accelerate Your Web Browsing
View Your Snail Mail Online From Anywhere

Browse the Web Faster on a Slow Internet Connection (Digital Inspiration)

Read More »

First Step to Van Life? Trash Your Junk!

Every journey starts with a single step. For van life, that step is trashin' all your crap, you fuckin' hoarder. Here's how to do it right!

Vanholio can't take credit for this one. Hashtag Van Life posted it first, and they used the method from some Ted Talk video. Seems sound.

Here's the steps as Hashtag Van Life put 'em:

1. Pack up all of your belongings as if you were moving (clothes, kitchenware, towels, electronics, toiletries, etc)
2. Continue to live in your home for 3-4 weeks
3. Unpack only the items that you need
4. Donate or sell everything that is still in boxes

Check out the video below, and check out Hash Tag Vanlife for other cool ideas. Their Twitter kicks ass, BTW!

Hey, Beer Vanholio! He works hard on this blog.

Also See ...

Is Van Life for You?
Top 10 Questions About Living in a Van
Hashtag Van Life (website)

Read More »

5 Chrome Extensions to Accelerate Your Web Browsing

For van life digital nomads and rubbertramps, internet data speed is a problem. Either we’re budgeting data to save money or we’re dealin’ with a shitty slow connection. These five extensions will speed things up.

Vanholio uses all five extensions together, so he can vouch. But they got cousins in the Chrome Web Store that do about the same. I bet there’s similar for Firefox, Safari, and other browsers.

5 Data Saving Chrome Extensions

	Adblock – Does just what it says. Supposedly the most popular Chrome extension of all time. It don’t block everythin’, but it blocks most.
	Data Saver – This here Google-made extension shrunks, e.g., “optimizes,” the web pages you’re pullin’ on Google servers. Cuts Vanholio’s data 5-10 percent.
	Disable HTML Autoplay – I fuckin’ hate it when videos just go off by themselves. This extension cuts that bullshit out.
	Ghostery – Ton a sites these days shove extra trackin’ code down your throat. Helps them, not you. Kills privacy. This’ll stop ‘em.
	Text Mode – This keeps all images and video from auto-loadin’, leavin’ a box where they was. If you wanna see the image after all, you can click on it to reveal.

All these five extensions have options to turn them off on pages you wanna fully load for one reason or other.

Hey, Beer Vanholio! He works hard on this blog.

Also See ...

How to Read Your Mail Online Anywhere
How To Make Google Chrome Faster? (QD Tricks)
32 Hidden Chrome Features That Will Make Your Life Easier (PCMag)

Read More »

Why Work When You Don’t Have To?

Simple enough damn question. For most, the answer is, I gots bills to pay. But what happens when you’re livin’ van life on the cheap and bills ain’t no issue no more? When you’re living in a van down by the river, what the fuck you gonna do with all that time?

What If You Didn’t Need to Work?

When your van life expenses are down to $500 to $600 a month and the credit monkey’s off your back, what next? That kinda money’s easy to come by. And if you got some passive income going, why it’s even easier. Thanks to luck and plannin’, that’s where Vanholio is now. Strange territory.

Let’s get more philosophical for a second. Let’s say the fuckin’ robots take most a our jobs in the next few decades. It’ll put a lot a people outta work. And this time it’s lookin’ like maybe new bullshit jobs won’t replace ‘em.

One thing bein’ discussed by big shots is givin’ every man, woman, and child a Basic Income. Free money to each’n’every citizen, just for bein’ alive!  I shit you not! Think of it as a dividend on the GDP. Won’t be much, but it’ll keep ya fed. Common number thrown around is $10,000 a year per person. Bet lot’s more would take up van life then!

Even as we speak, the ideal’s bein’ tested smalltime in the USA and around the world.

Aha! you say, People won’t work ‘lessen they have to! Folks’ll get lazy and sink into vice and depredation.

But will they? Do we work just ‘cause the creditor is at the door in wolf’s clothing, huffin’ and puffin’ and ready to blow the house down? And is work just the efforts that’s paid in the market? I ain’t so sure …

8 Reasons We’ll Work Despite Basic Income

Vanholio contends that we work for a whole lotta reasons besides keepin’ food on the table. There’s pleasure in work, paid or not. And if’n we had Basic Income or some kinda financial independence, we’d be doin’ work that gives us pleasure – like a pig diggin’ in shit. Don’t matter whether he’s hungry.

1. Boredom

OK, this don’t exactly sound like a pleasure, but hear me out. Thing is, people like to keep busy. We go plumb crazy if’n we ain’t got nothin’ ta do. So we’ll find somethin’ to do, trust me. Best if we keep busy doin' creative or useful things, though, rather’n sin.

In fact, keepin’ busy is good for our health. Retired folks know that. Thems that keeps busy have a good life. Thems that don’t complain all the time and die earlier.

2. Caring

Did your momma and daddy wipe your ass and teach ya manners ‘cause someone paid 'em? Hell no! In these days, it ain’t even like you was bred for extra farm hands. Nope, it was love, charity in the Christian sense.

The fact is, people need people, and that ain’t gonna change. We might build robots to do some a the domestic gruntwork for thems that need help, but the robots ain’t gonna love ‘em.

And there’s a lot a callin's that are about lovin’ one another: counselors, parents, teachers, preachers, animal rescuers, soldiers, massage therapists … Oh hell, you get the point.

3. Status

Better or worse, humans is hierarchical critters. We always work to better ourselves in the peckin’ order. So whether it’s for money or recognitions, we’re gonna work. Ain’t no one hardly’s gonna be happy bein’ another nobody.

4. Idealism

Saw a general testifyin’ before Congress about recruitin’ more hot IT guys to protect against hackers. Congressman asked the general, “How are we going to recruit more top IT professionals when they can make a lot more money in Silicon Valley?”

The general responded, “We’ll recruit those who are attracted by a sense of mission.”

Lotsa people take on work outta idealism more than a check. I mean, are soldiers really paid enough to risk a bullet? Hell no! Most take on the mission because they believe in American ideals.

5. Luxury

While a few are natural minimalists, most people like their toys. Basic Income ain’t gonna get you an ATV, Buddy! Most don’t think life’s worth livin’ if they can’t have a little somethin’ extra. That could be anythin’ from a chocolate bar to seein’ the goddamn Taj Majal! Whatever extra folks crave, they’ll work for it.

6. Play

Humans is creative. Whether we get paid or not, we’re gonna do what we’ve always done: art, music, storytellin’, sports, clothes, buildin’, workin’ on cars, cookin’, and a million other things. If anything’, people will do more when they’re free of bullshit jobs suckin’ their time up. We’ll all benefit, whether or not cash changes hands.

7. Curiosity

What drives scientists, engineers, and scholars of all stripes? It’s discovery, learnin’ something new. Hell, it’s what drives Vanholio to travel! I gotta see what’s in the next valley. Curiosity'll always drive people to make discoveries and solve problems. And problems that need solvin’ ain’t ever goin’ away neither.

8. Self-Betterment

Who’s 100 percent satisfied with themselves? A few potheads and retards maybe? Not many. People’ll keep busy with learnin’ new languages, new skills, gettin’ fit and strong, buildin’ better relationships, and a million other ways to become better people.

How Would You Keep Busy?

Are you financially independent? Workin’ to get that way? Retired? What do you do or plan to do to keep busy? Will you try to make money off your efforts or not? Comment below!

Hey, Beer Vanholio! He works hard on this blog.

Also See ...

I Caught the Car, Now What!?
About Basic Income (BIEN)

8 Basic Income Experiments to Watch Out for in 2017 (MSN)
Basic Income Could Be the Safety Net Mistreated Employees Need (Big Think)

Read More »