I’ve just read a great post on Wired, entitled Ten Reasons To Throw Away Your Cellphone (via Digg).

It’s fairly succinct, but does touch on a few interesting points:

1. Cellular Phones are a LOT more expensive than people realize.
2. Cell phone use can be a social hazard – Driving whilst using a mobile phone is stupid and dangerous and has already casued several tragic fatalities.
3. Being always available sounds nice in theory, but constant interruptions at all hours are actually very tiresome. Think about what else you could get done if you didn’t have to worry about your mobile all the time.

I’ve spent several brief periods of my life phone-less and dependent on landlines, and despite feeling a bit out of sorts at the time, I was probably better off. No crises went by without me knowing; I didn’t lose any money; my friends and family could still reach me if needed…

On the flip-side, I was less distracted and more productive; a little lighter on my feet and ultimately happier and more relaxed.

Makes you think.

The web is loaded with hundreds of different tools to help you get the most out of your computer and the internet, and it can be difficult to know which ones are of use. This post is focussed upon helping you find and use the software that will help you be more organized and productive.

Despite a large number of Google detractors out there, Google has a huge range of very useful tools which are almost all available for free. I use several Google Tools on a daily basis, and find all of them give some measurable productivity boosts.

Gmail
Gmail is one of the best email clients I have ever used, especially those that are online-only. With loads of storage; clever tools for finding, tagging and filtering email; and a great standard user interface. I moved my personal email traffic to Gmail back in the days when invites were being fought over, and not regretted it once. If you’re not already using it, I’d recommend giving it a try.

Google Calendar
I spent 2 years waiting for this to arrive, and instantly set-it up with all my recurring events. It’s the nicest calendar I’ve used online (and there have been a few) and it has the benefit of being tightly integrated with Gmail. It has everything you could wish for from an online calendar including slick integration with invitations, automatic event reminders and the same powerful search tool that underpins Google Search and Gmail.

Google Reader
I have recently migrated to using Google Reader (online edition) as my de facto Feed Reader. It has a neat, intuitive interface and integrates very well with Firefox. A few simple clicks are all it takes to add new Feeds, and I can update and track them from multiple computers (Important for me as I regularly use several different machines).

Google Notebook
Google Notebook is a great tool for anyone who spends a lot of time online – I like to organize my online experience so that I have access to all the information that I need, and Google Notebook allows me to clip useful information from websites, organize notes and information and get to it all from wherever I am. Notebook is a tool I am using more and more as time goes on.

Google Webmaster Tools
Not one for all our readers, but Google does offer a huge range of Webmaster Tools to help you out with analyzing, planning and managing a website. I use AdSense, Sitemaps and Analytics daily to monitor this very site you’re reading. I recommend them as worth a look if you run a website.