Maaz Zulfiqar

If you want to bring your old photos albums into the digital world, your phone camera is the most cheapest and the simplest equipment for this purpose. Although, default camera application does a good job of taking random clicks. But it's not best for scanning photos. After experimenting with several apps, the one which stuck with me is Microsoft Office mobile application. It's free and is available on both Play Store and App Store. To scan effectively, place your photos at a flat surface like ...

Although, I prefer watching movies from the 80s and 90s. However, these days, I am experimenting with the golden era of Hollywood. So, these are the classic movies that I watched in the past few months and can't help myself to share it with you. My Rating: Good Great Excellent 1) Sunset Blvd. (1950) Genre: Drama, Film-Noir My Rating: Excellent 2) Double Indemnity (1944) Genre: Crime, Film-Noir My Rating: Good 3) 12 Angry Men (1957) Genre: Drama, Crime My Rating: Excellent 4) Singin' In Th...

What I learned Today: The GTD method is made up of five simple practices to systematize the clutter in your brain and get things done: 1) Capture Everything: Capture anything that crosses your mind. Nothing is too big or small! These items go directly into your inboxes. 2) Clarify Process what you’ve captured into clear and concrete action steps. Decide if an item is a project, next action, or reference. 3) Organize: Put everything in the right place. Add dates to your calendar, delegate proj...

What I learned Today: Positive Ways to Cope Stress • Name your feelings, positive or negative • Control your anger • Practice self-reflection • Communicate or talk about your feelings • Exercise • Participate in hobbies and/or sports • Spend time outdoors • Consider a situation from another point of view • Remain flexible and open to new ways of thinking • Keep a journal or engage in another form of conscious self-reflection • Spend quality time with family, partner, friends • Use positive sel...

If you are like me, the first Windows you used was Windows XP. Windows XP came in 2000s and It was successor to Windows 98. Before Windows 98, there was Windows 95. Although, I have never used it, I always have the fascination with Windows 95. So, to pay a tribute to the Windows 95, I have designed this Computer wallpaper. Just a simple blue background with a custom logo, in which I have tried to incorporate the 90s look, while at the same time keeping it a little modern, Download my tribute t...

Writing Prompt: What the world will like in 10 years Well, 10 years is not a big duration, but given the unprecedented speed of tech advancement, no wonder how tech will change the world in the next ten years. Just to give the examples of previous ten-year gaps: In the years 2000, nobody would have thought that every household will have a mobile phone by 2010. In the years 2010, nobody would have imagined that smartphones will become an integral part of our lives by 2020, and that we would depe...

Here is the list of movies that I watched in this month: 1) Tommy Boy (1995) Genre: Comedy 2) Rate Race (2001) Genre: Comedy, Adventure 3) Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1985) Genre: Comedy 4) Going in Style (2017) Genre: Comedy, Heist 5) Road Trip (2000) Genre: Comedy, Adventure 6) Little Miss Sunshine (2005) Genre: Comedy, Adventure Although, my favourite decades of movies are 80s and 90s, but these days I am trying to watch the movies from another decade. Yes, the 2000s which is my c...

Read my struggles with social media, and how and why I quit it? After being in the no-social media club for 4 years, should I return? Why I want to return? Read the full article at: https://medium.com/@maaz.zulf/4-years-without-social-media-should-i-return-97cd3924cdab ...

Growing up as a kid in the early 2000s, I realized that I have this fascination for old things and old times. Now in my twenties, I firmly believe that I am an old soul. What is an old soul? While there are many definitions for it on the internet, I stick to my own. It is simple, “any person who likes old things and old times, and wishes to have been alive in the years before his birth year”. It’s a weird definition but anyway. You got the point(I hope). At first, I thought it was unnatural to...

My Note-taking system of saving the articles in my long-term memory Remembering what you read is an important trait in this day and age, as we are constantly bombarded with tons of information every day. To remember what you read, you have to have a system of saving the notes from what you read in a note-taking app. I am an avid reader of blogs and web articles myself. That’s why I have been searching for note-taking apps for over a year. During that time, I tested many apps and services. Howe...

Quit these 20 habits for a better life in 2022 1) Using Your Phone While Eating Make your eating time a ‘no screentime’. Similarly, make your dining table a ‘no-screen zone’. Instead of looking at your phone, feel the sensation of your food i.e. the taste and smell of your food. Put the phones away and enjoy conversing with your family members. 2) Not Spending Time in Nature Challenge yourself to go on a walk every day. Do this without music. Observe, feel, smell, and simply be in Nature for ...

We read and watch a lot about productivity and time management these days. We also have a lot of productivity tools and apps at our disposal. However, it is important to get familiar with the basic mistakes that we might be committing while considering ourselves to be productive. 1) Making Ineffective To-Do Lists: Making a to-do list is an old yet effective way to manage time and be more productive. Pretty much everybody makes to-do lists nowadays. However, just making to-do lists isn’t going t...

Starring: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins Director: Clint Eastwood Year: 2003 Runtime: 138 minutes IMDb rating: 7.9 This nail-biting crime drama revolves around three childhood friends. They get separated when they grow up. But one unique event brings all of them together: the death of a young girl. One of them is the girl's father, the second one is the prime suspect in the murder, and the third is the police inspector investigating the case. There is no action in this movie, but the thri...

Good movies are hard to forget. They never get old and that's why, you want to watch them again. Re-watching movies is kind of a time-travel. You began to remember how was your life when you first watched a certain movie, and how it has changed now when you are going to re-watch that movie. Here's my re-watch list for 20220: 1) Fight Club (1999) 2) Copland (1997) 3) Windtalkers 92002) 4) Goodfellas (1990) 5) Casino (1995) 6) The Specialist (1994) 7) Airplane (1980) 8) Good Morning, Vietnam (19...

In this post, I am going to write some of my memories from my childhood decade, the 2000s. It's not a decade review instead, it's just my observation of this decade. Get ready for nostalgia. Entertainment: Growing up in the 2000s, television used to be the main source of entertainment, especially up to the mid-2000s. Pakistan television undoubtedly produced some of the best tv dramas in this decade. PTV was already on its downfall, nevertheless, it still maintained its superiority over private...

What is Journaling? Journaling is the most simplistic form of writing. You can call it a method to convert your thoughts into writing. Basically, you will be writing down your thoughts, problems, goals, or plans on a paper/digital notebook. Benefits of Journaling: Journaling has been proved to improve your mental health Writing about yourself can give your more self-awareness Journaling helps you organize your life (by writing goals and plans) Journaling can preserve your memories. You can l...

"Think Ahead. Plan for tomorrow, before it arrives." In today’s fast-paced world, everybody has a lot of plates spinning. Planning your day in advance gives you better control over your day-to-day activities. A daily plan enables you to focus on your most important task while keeping the distractions to a minimum. Next time you sit to plan your day, remember the following points: 1) Pick a Planning tool a) Digital: If you prefer a digital system, do some research on to-do list apps and digit...

What are Journaling prompts? Journaling prompts are topics or ideas that can serve as a starting point for your journal entry. It can be a word, a statement, a photo or any general trigger. Actually, you can write about anything in your journal, but for the sake of this article, we are going to talk about creative journaling prompts that will not only improve your creative writing but also consolidate your habit of journaling. Creative Journal Prompts 1) A Movie Review Write a movie review of ...

Just like your regular life, your digital life also needs a declutter-drive now and then. As we use the internet and digital devices for more and more services, our life may get easier but our digital life gets messier and messier. Many people have no idea how many emails they are subscribed to or how many online accounts they have. To get hold of your digital life, follow these steps: Declutter Your Smartphone a) Disable notifications Every mobile app these days comes with a plethora of not...

I see many of my friends in the WhatsApp group asking 'Match ka link he kisi ke paas? (Does anybody have the link of today's match?)'. Nowadays cricket is broadcasted not only on television and radio but streaming platforms and mobile apps. In fact, these days cricket is mostly seen on the go i.e. on smartphones. Let's travel two decades back. Watching cricket on the television in the 2000s is one of my beloved memories. Earliest of my recollection date back to the 2003 World Cup (Although this...

If you are a ‘note-taking nerd’ like me and are always typing ‘Best note-taking apps’ in your search bar, then do read this article till the end. Gone are the days when you had to carry a pen and a notebook(physical one) for taking notes. Nowadays, all you need is a digital device, with a note-taking app and Bob’s your uncle. Many great note-taking apps are there in the market, both free and paid. But today I am going to tell you about my favorite note-taking app that has all the functions tha...

Here we are with another nostalgic post cherishing our favorite decade, the 80s. Well, I am not a car enthusiast but anyway, here are my three favorite cars from the 80s: 1) Toyota Corolla E80: (Image Link: https://www.carspiritpk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/toyota_corolla_sedan_55.jpg) Manufactured between 1983 to 1987, this fifth generation of Toyota Corolla is without a doubt the most popular car of its time in Pakistan. One of my uncles had this car and that's why I saw a great deal of...

What to write about today. Ah! Nothing special (as always). Hmm, oh well, currently I am writing a article about my favorite note-taking app on Medium.com which I hope to complete it in two three days. Yeah! I am as lazy as are thinking. I can proudly relate to this quote that I stole from the internet: "You know you are lazy when you get excited about cancelling your plans." Coming back, so If you are a 'note-taking nerd' like me and are always typing 'Best note -taking apps' in your search b...

Here are some funny sayings I gathered from the internet: Some people's x-ray looks much better than their photographs. You are as useless a fart in a wind tunnel. You got a face only a mother can love. I would agree with you but then we would both be wrong. Weird hill to die on, but at least you are dead. Sounds like a whole lot of not-my-problems. Be an optimist. It pisses off people. She got a face that would make a train take a dirt path. Sometimes, I surprise myself too. I am not anti-so...

Check out my new design at Behance, called 'The Retro Room': https://www.behance.net/gallery/136907343/Retro-Room-80s-Room-Design Well, nothing special in this graphic. Just a room, kind of which doesn't exist now a days. You have a tape recorder and a vinyl record in the right shelf. A record with a tape recorder! Yes I know there should have been a audio cassette in place of a record. Anyway, It still catches the spirit of a retro room. Moreover, there is also the painting of a cassette on t...

From 1921 to 2021, my Alma Mater, the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore (UET) has turned 100. Today's alumni reunion was arranged for celebrating a century of this institute and today's motto was ''100 years of Academic Excellence' (Gladly they didn't make a typo and write '100 Years of Academic Negligence'). Although It has just been three years since my graduation but coming to the first-ever reunion was a great experience. It brought back so many beautiful memories that It seem...

Hopscotch (1980) Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Spy-Fiction Cast: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom My Review: A classic spy movie of the 80s and strangely with no big action scenes. And that's the beauty of it. It was just pure acting by Walter Matthau who gave us some memorable punch lines (He never disappointed us.) Although a typical story about a spy turning rogue, cold war tactics and CIA's incompetence (yeah!). However it is still worth-watching because.....

Nothing in my mind to write about. But anyway. Writing is what writer does. So here goes some of my favorite movies lines of on humor: A friend in my building died. Oh, sorry to hear that. Find out what his rent was. I am always looking for cheaper. (The Odd Couple II 1998) Mrs. Lampert! do you know what CIA is? I don't suppose it's an airline, is it? (Charade 1962) I am willing to pay in advance. Cash? Well what else? A sack of flour and some color beads? (Mirage 1965) Your wife should be ...

Check out my new Retro Cassette Design at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/138159261/Mixtape-Black-Cassette-Design Yeah, another bad design in the Hall of Fame of Bad Designs, but it's okay. I'm improving. About this design: Well, audio cassettes have been the biggest source of inspiration in my designing journey. Being a 2000s kid (born in the late 90s'), I saw the magic of audio cassette playing in every household from the early 2000s to the mid-2000s. But with the arrival of mobile in the l...

قائم ہے اب میری وفاؤں کا سلسلہ اک سلسلہ ہے ان کی جفاؤں کا سلسلہ Qayim hai ab meri wafaon ka silsila Ek silsila hai un ki jafaon ka silsila کسی کی راہ میں کا نٹے کسی کی راہ میں پھول ہماری راہ میں طوفاں ہے دیکھیے کیا ہو Kisi ki rah mein kante kisi ki rah mein phool Hamari rah mein toofan hai dekhiye kia ho ورنہ یہ تیز دھوپ تو چھبتی ہمیں بھی ہے ہم چپ کھڑے ہوئے ہیں کہ تو سائباں میں ہے Warna ye taiz dhoop to chubti hamen bhi hai Hum chup khare hue hen ke too saibaan mein hai آئے تھے بے نیاز تیری...