Two more options for managing email

Thanks to John Brandon, in the September 2012 issue of INC magazine for this suggestion.

He has found two options to help you stop the time-drain that is known as email. We've all tried unsubscribing to newsletters, and avoiding getting locked in to daily updates, but still, we waste hours each day plowing through a full mailbox, just to get it down to a manageable number. And then, the next day, we start all over again. Yes, we all know its a losing battle.

John's suggestis are for inbox tools that might help:

Unroll.me  and SaneBox.

Unroll gives you a fast way to unsubscribe to all the sites that have you as a subscriber.

SaneBox is a fee-based service, $4.95/month, that analyzes your messages before delivery, to pre-sort by priority. The low-priority items are then summaried and pavailable for you to scan na single message.

If email continues to waste your time, try these or other resources to keep you from losing productive hours each week.

That darn keyboard!

How many times do you hit CAPS LOCK without looking and have to retype your work?

Is your computer's Page Up key in an awkward place? This is especially true on laptops where Delete often interferes with your efforts to page up and down.

Well, I have the answer for you. A cool program called KeyTweak. It allows you re-assign or remap the Microsoft keyboard and works with all current versions of Windows. So if there's a key you never use, give it new life as an easy-to-reach key you frequently use. See the site, linked below, for full details. I've used this for years and hope you enjoy it.

Best of all, its a free download you can find with a web search, or here at the company.

The two worst words in tech: "SIMPLY LOG-IN"

Surely, you, like me, have been frustrated by the inability to log-in at a site, where you know your user name, and of course, you know your password.

My frustrations mount when I have to try various user names and passwords, and check my encrypted password list to be certain I've got it right.

Today, the problem was worse than usual, so I tried creating a new account.
No matter what variation on my name I tried, or which email address, the service responded that name was already in use.

So I was instructed to "simply log-in..."  and it simply failed, over and over again.


Then I tried to re-set my password, and even though my various names were "in use" none of them allowed me to re-set the password.

I think from now on, once I get past this obstacle, I'll change my password to IFIHADAHAMMER...

Hope your day is going better, and the tech gods on on your side,

Helen

Understanding Social Networking: Twitter, and Facebook and Furl, oh my!

If you are curious about Web 2.0 social networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, I've updated The Mysterious World of Web 2.0 to version 4, with loads of new helpful information.

You can download it now. This ebook also contains great graphics and statistics on who uses these sites, and the high percentage of teens that are more involved with micri-blogging and following friends all day.

Click to see a preview and download the ebook now - cost is only $6.95

Digital writing on Bamboo tablet....

Now that I have your attention, yes, it's true. There is a new digital pen tablet device that converts your ideas, drawings and signature to your computer.

The Bamboo lets you write emals, ideas, lists, and notes, working from anywhere. Learn more at Bamboo.

Oh, and the best news may be the $79 price tag! And it works on Windows XP, Vista and Macs.

Can you still find a Windows XP computer?

I've learned that HP and other computer makers might be pre-loading the old Windows XP on the Vista machines they are selling. Why? Well, people don't want Vista, and Microsoft told vendors they had to stop selling XP after June 30th. HP can't sell computers people don't want.... so, technically, they're not selling it, just hiding it within the system.

The researchers at InfoPackets report:
"Microsoft has told HP they won't be able to do that after January 2009, but HP is already discussing how to push that deadline back with Microsoft. Feedback from HP customers reveals that they hadn't had the time to do full compatibility testing of all their business applications with Vista and the high time and monetary costs of rebuilding system images wasn't worth it, especially in this economy.

HP isn't the only one bursting Microsoft's bubble. Microsoft Watch recently reported on the dismal pronouncement on the state of Vista adoption among top businesses. The really bad news for Microsoft is the number of business PCs running Windows XP increased from 2007 to 2008 -- three times the increase in the percentage of PCs running Windows Vista. The majority of businesses waiting for Vista migrated to XP instead.

One recent survey shows that by the end of 2008, the majority of businesses will have 9 percent of the PCs running Vista, increasing to 28 percent in 2010. Microsoft needs to realize that Windows Vista is a lame duck and their recently unveiled $300 million ad campaign crafted to instill confidence in the flailing operating system probably won't achieve the desired results.

Granted Windows Vista isn't going to cause a computer to explode, but hardware requirements, compatibility, and the User Account Control do absolutely nothing to help its reputation. Negative perceptions holding Vista adoption back have only gotten worse."

So even tho all the computers we see in stores are Vista, if you call the firm, you may find out how to run XP instead of Vista on your new purchase if you plan to buy in the remaining months of 2008.

Electronics Recycling Event in Northbrook

The Electronic Equipment and Durable Medical Equipment Recycling Drive is April 19, 2008, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Location: Maple School, 2370 Shermer Road, Northbrook.

Acceptable items: durable medical equipment and electronics, such as computers, monitors, printers, cell phones, fax machines, keyboards, mice, software and printer/power cords.

All items will be refurbished and distributed to children with disabilities throughout Illinois

For more info: Call 847-400-8900 or United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago at 708-444-8460, ext. 231.

New Ebook explains Web 2.0 social networking

The Mysterious World of Web 2.0 is now available in an exclusive ebook format. Download, read this colorful 43 page book with Adobe Acrobat Reader, and get a grip on the newest wave of the internet: Web 2.0. Written in slide-show format, the ebook makes it easy to understand what Web 2.0 is, and why you should care, especially if you have school-age children.

Priced at just $9.95 for instant download, with special pricing for qualified academic faculty members.
Download the ebook from Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/content/2045895 or click here for more details.

Registered purchasers will receive updates as this fast-paced social networking world evolves.

Helen Gallagher

Spam: It's worse than ever

Spam is always bad around the holidays, preying on desperate online shoppers, but this report from InfoPackets newsletter shows the problem is worse than ever, and growing.

Continue to use a good internet protection suite, and don't open anything you're not expecting, or from a trusted source.
The best measures:

1. View your mail without using the Preview feature that opens the message.
2. Delete all the spam based on subject line or sender name.
3. Use File / Print Preview if you're viewing email in an email program like Netscape or SeaMonkey.
4. Press Shift+Delete to bypass the Trash and delete spam without opening.

Leopard's spotty upgrade

Okay, I'll admit it. Reading Eric Zorn's column in the Chicago Tribune is time well spent but it doesn't always make me giddy. Yesterday, 11/20/07, his column "Father knows high-tech hype when he sees it," pleased me. Not because Eric had computer trouble - I take no joy in that for anyone, but because for once, we read something honest, and negative, about the Mac "experience" and the new Leopard operating system.

I consult only on PC's and 2007 is the first year I've heard of so many PC users bailing out and moving to a Mac. Then, they often call and have the same problems with the Mac they had with the PC.... can't print, can't open an email attachment, can't find their files. My premise all along, is that you can have the same problems with a new computer as an old one. Switching doesn't always make it better.

You can read Eric Zorn's article for free on the Chicago Tribune web site. Sign up if you're not already a reader there. Basically, he purchased the new Leopard operating system, only to find the upgrade would wipe out his hard drive -- all data would have to be backed up. So he took it to the Apple store, and paid them to do the upgrade. They also found some faulty memory and restored some of his files but not all. Not a completely happy experience for someone enticed by the promise of an upgrade that costs much more than expected.

There is no panacea with computer, nor with anything else that requires effort. I see the same experience with people who upgrade to Vista on a PC, thinking it will be better. Sadly, it's better for Microsoft, but doesn't do much to enhance a user's productivity. And isn't that why we use technology?

Let me know what you think,
Helen Gallagher

QuickBooks software - free

Intuit, Inc., maker of Quicken and QuickBooks is launching a new version of QuickBooks called Simple Start. The retail price is $99.95 but it is now available as a free download from their site at Just Start.

Their goal with the Just Start program is to create a vehicle for entrepreneurs and start-ups, with a site full of advice and services, as well as contests and grants.

If you are a small business or solo operator, and want the full power of QuickBooks, download the free software. It takes about an hour, even at high connection speeds, and can NOT import existing QuickBooks data. It's intended only for someone starting out for the first time.

If you need to issue invoices, track payments and monitor your spending, you have nothing to lose.

Putting computers where they're needed most

We all know people with multiple computers: desktop(s), laptop(s), handheld(s), and none of them are fast enough, new enough, good enough for all their needs. New tech pops out in this industry so fast, we can't keep up.

Yet, I'm constantly aware that the Digital Divide is not closing the gap. A nation with so much tech power doesn't do a very good job of bringing it to the people who could become empowered with a computer and with some training. The past ten years have shown few advances, but now there is good news.

A Chicago Tribune article by Barbara Rose 10/04/07 speaks of a Chicago-area pilot program to "provide low-income working parents with laptops, printers, career assessments, online courses and 12 months of internet access."

Isn't that wonderful? There are only ten participants in the pilot program, but let's hope it thrives. The pilot was launched by National Able Network Inc. and receives funding from the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust and a private family foundation.

A 1945 technology prediction

An excerpt from "As We May Think" in the July 1945 Atlantic Monthly.
The author is Dr. Vannevar Bush, a man with imagination...

"Consider a future device for individual use, which is a sort of mechanized private file and library. It needs a name, and, to coin one at random, "memex" will do. A memex is a device in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged intimate supplement to his memory.

It consists of a desk, and while it can presumably be operated from a distance, it is primarily the piece of furniture at which he works. On the top are slanting translucent screens, on which material can be projected for convenient reading. There is a keyboard, and sets of buttons and levers. Otherwise it looks like an ordinary desk."

I'd say his idea indeed came to pass, even better than predicted 67 years ago.
Curious? Read the full 1945 article online here: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush/4

Have mouse, will travel ~ and travail

I burned my finger with a too-hot touchpad. Here's my solution:

I love using my notebook computer, all day, every day, from cafe, to client, to summer on the balcony.
My Averatec notebook has a speedy built-in touchpad but lately it has become so HOT I'm hurting my fingers. While waiting for tech support to determine if there is a recall notice, I switched to my wireless mouse.

The Logitech Optical Wi-FI mouse connects wirelessly via a USB sensor that plugs into your computer's USB port. The connector looks just like a thumb drive. When you roam, you pull the USB out, snap it onto the bottom of the mouse and you're ready to go. Without a rolling ball on the bottom, the mouse works on any surface, knee, dashboard, even on your laptop wrist rest.

I have been using it lately as a portable mouse wherever I go and it is fantastic. Office Max has a big selection, and I'm sure other retailers do too.
Logitech Mouse

PS - it's a perfect present for all those Leo's with an August birthday!!

Read more Good Mousekeeping tips in "Computer Ease."

On PBS this Thursday, July 12, 2007

Google truly is an amazing empire. Be sure to watch this PBS show Thursday night.

The World According to Google

Thursday, July 12, 8:00pm

CHANNEL 11 (WTTW)

A look at Google, the Internet company whose motto is "don't be evil." Included: the company's "chief Internet evangelist" Vint Cerf; Google's hiring process; and the ethical and philosophical questions it faces.

And while Google has grown from good to great, and bred more than a few multi-millionaires, remember, it's not always the best search tool for your needs.

Read about "Search Engines: Order out of chaos," in Computer Ease.

Is more RAM the answer?

If your computer is slowing down, it is not likely due to the number of files you've saved. No need to feel guilty and start emptying the trash. It's more likely the amount of random access memory (RAM).

I know what you're thinking: The computer has the same amount of memory it did when it was new. Why wouldn't it be enough now. Well, more programs, like web browsers and Microsoft Office use much more memory. They are now graphic-intensive resource hogs.

The less memory you have, the slower the computer is to switch between programs, open and close files, and save your data. The more time you're online, the slower it works, perhaps needing a reboot to refresh the memory. When memory is unavailable, the computer starts using disk space for temporary, virtual storage.

Memory is an expensive component of computers so PC manufacturers skimp on memory. If you can, next time, buy a computer with double the original memory.

For now, if your computer acts downright lazy, the easy solution is to double the memory.
You can also use a utility like MemTurbo or SpeedUpMyPC.

What is Web 2.0?

A client just asked for help understanding Web 2.0 on the Q & A forum at www.cclarity.com/questions.html.
Since space is limited there, here's the concept:

Web 2.0 is a new wave beyond static web pages delivering info on your screen. The 2.0 implies a new generation, just as software that moves from version 1 to 2.

What's different is that information can be readily shared, accessed from anywhere, and massive storage space is free. It includes simple, and even free, tools and applications, like Picasa for photo management. The broader concept is: "web-based software services" that encourage users to become more involved with information.

Web 2.0 start-ups received $844 million in venture capital during 2006, double the prior year, according to VentureOne.

Web 2.0 is moving into "mashups," merging ideas such as adding Google Maps to Craig's List. If someone searches for an apartment on Nob Hill, they can click the map to view the actual neighborhood and street.

Web 2.0 uses new technology that goes far beyond HTML, like AJAX, RSS and XML.

It remains to be seen if this is a new way for the me-me-me generation to waste time, or whether companies can make it work for communication and interactive meetings, giving people a base station to launch their life online.

TIP: When you see a word you're unfamiliar with, look it up at dictionary.com.
When you're mystified by acronyms, use acronymfinder.com.

Vista update

Microsoft Vista, the operating system to replace Windows XP will begin shipping at the end of this month, and will be on most new computers by next month. Before it's even on the market, Microsoft has launched the "Vista Ultimate Extras" package. As I've said before, Vista is indeed a refreshing and exciting interface, but none of the glitz matters if we still just want to do our work the same way. There are long-term, significant improvements in security, but don't get caught in the hype. For example, the two biggest features of the Ultimate Extras package are: Texas Hold'M Poker and DreamScene to animate your screen wallpaper. As I said, the hype won't improve productivity, so either buy it for fun, or wait til you get a new computer and spend time learning some of the more worthwhile features.