tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41993283299230016362024-03-08T16:32:40.506-08:00The IT GalSay bye bye to your IT guy and hello to technology made fun and simple!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-73826369575949010182012-04-03T09:29:00.001-07:002012-04-03T09:55:45.419-07:00Cool Feature - Gmail canned responsesI tend to send out a lot of "how to" emails and many of them are exactly the same. One of the ways I get around the monotony of typing the same set of directions over and over is by using the "canned response" feature in Gmail. It allows me to create a really detailed and well worded set of directions once, and use it as many times as I need in the future without having to search.<br />
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<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><u><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">Step One: Turned on Canned Responses</span></b></u><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><br />
</span></div><ul><li><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">Click the <b>gear icon</b> at the top of any Gmail page. From there, select <b>Mail settings</b><br />
</span></li>
<li>Select <b>Labs</b></li>
<li>Enable <b>Canned Responses</b></li>
<li>Click <b>Save Changes </b>at the bottom of the page</li>
</ul><u><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><br />
</span></b></u><br />
<u><b></b></u><u><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;">Step Two: Create Canned Response</span></b></u><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat;"><br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>Select <b>Mail</b></li>
<li>Click <b> Compose</b></li>
<li> Create your canned response</li>
<li>Select <b>Canned responses > New canned response</b></li>
<li>Choose a name for your canned response and click <b>OK</b></li>
</ul>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-68591453002178101972012-04-02T18:23:00.000-07:002012-04-02T18:23:03.493-07:00Newegg Weekly Bargains<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4512207-11032248">Haier 22" Class (21.5" Diag.) 1080p 60Hz LED-LCD HDTV - $144.99 (w/ $35 off code "EMCNGHC96") + Free Shipping at Newegg.com, exp. 4/2</a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-4512207-11032248" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4512207-11032252">Acer Aspire AS7739G-6676 Notebook Intel Core i5 17.3" 4GB Memory + Free $50 Gift Card - $599.99 + Free Shipping at Newegg.com, exp. 4/8</a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-4512207-11032252" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-4512207-11031805">LITE-ON Black 12x Blu Ray Combo Drive Model ihes112-04 - $49.99 (w/ $10 off code "EMCYTZT1392") + Free Shipping at Newegg.com, exp. 4/2</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-4512207-11031805" width="1" height="1" border="0"/><br />
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<a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-4512207-11031807">Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 32-bit OEM - $119.99 (w/ $20 off code "EMCYTZT1395") + Free Shipping at Newegg.com, exp. 4/3</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-4512207-11031807" width="1" height="1" border="0"/><br />
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<a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-4512207-10443208">Samsung WEP490 Bluetooth Headset w/ Stand & Case & Car/Travel Charger - $4.99 (w/ $5 off code "SAMHS42" & $20MIR ) + Free Shipping at Newegg.com, exp. 4/4</a><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-4512207-10443208" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-57727182625337248382012-04-02T13:06:00.000-07:002012-04-02T13:06:34.079-07:003-D Printer - For home use?I just watched this video on CNN:<br />
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I've seen a lot of my friends in animation post cool 3-D printing links but I don't think it ever dawned on me that I could use this technology at home. Custom shoes, what?! They can't be comfortable...but they sure do look sexy.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-62597659344677380932012-03-28T14:05:00.000-07:002012-03-28T14:05:13.154-07:00Skype is Making Trouble for ExcelWe've gotten a few tickets over the last week with users reporting that they can't copy and paste formulas in <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/" target="_blank">Excel 2010</a> anymore. After doing a bit of research, it seems there's a bug with the<a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype/on-your-computer/click-to-call/windows/" target="_blank"> Skype Click to Call </a>application that is causing this. <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home" target="_blank">Skype</a> has yet to push out a fix for this, so the current solution is to uninstall Click to Call. It's actually separate from Skype, so you can just go to add/remove programs and uninstall it on it's own. <div><br />
</div><div>None of my users had the problem in <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word" target="_blank">Word</a> but I did see on a few forums that some folks were reporting the problem in Word as well. </div>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-12289674061805403902011-08-19T11:31:00.000-07:002011-08-19T11:35:17.717-07:00Kindred spiritI read an awesome blog post on cracked.com today. If I wasn't already very happily taken, I'm pretty sure I'd ask this guy to marry me. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">"The only reason I'm not punching you in the neck right now is because I know this ignorance isn't your fault. Despite owning a computer and probably using one at work, much of your knowledge comes from Hollywood, <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_19160_8-scenes-that-prove-hollywood-doesnt-get-technology.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #145e9d; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="c">and Hollywood hasn't got the slightest goddamn clue what they're talking about</a>. In movies, everything from hacking the Pentagon to creating Kelly LeBrock can be done in one flurry of keystrokes." - John Cheese, Cracked.com</span></blockquote><div>Read more: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-guy-whos-fixing-your-computer-hates-you/#ixzz1VV6yndIx" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">6 Reasons The Guy Who's Fixing Your Computer Hates You | Cracked.com</a> <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-guy-whos-fixing-your-computer-hates-you/#ixzz1VV6yndIx" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-guy-whos-fixing-your-computer-hates-you/#ixzz1VV6yndIx</a></span></div>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-45803132780860157982011-06-29T17:12:00.000-07:002011-06-29T17:12:41.128-07:00Damn You Auto Correct!It's been a while since I posted, so I figured I'd return with a bit of a laugh. As I've mentioned many times before, I'm a bit of a cell phone junkie. I remember when I got my first iPhone and experienced the joys of it turning my harmless misspellings into scandalous messages sent to the most unfortunate of parties. Some clever folks thought to make website that catalogs these gems. If it doesn't make you cry a little, you take yourself too seriously.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://damnyouautocorrect.com/">http://damnyouautocorrect.com/</a>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-37043585541057707882011-05-02T13:26:00.000-07:002011-05-02T13:29:59.245-07:00In the market for a new phone?I am a total cell phone junkie. I look at new ones online daily. It's like geek porn to me. I've wanted a new one for a while, because I'm still on the original Motorola Droid but I'm currently holding out for the <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/motorola-droid-bionic-verizon/4505-6452_7-34468463.html">Droid Bionic</a>. If you're a Verizon customer or thinking of switching to Verizon I suggest you do the same as it promises to be wicked fast and chock-full of techy goodness. Dual core, lovely large screen and front facing camera? Count me in!<br />
<br />
What I wanted to show you guys today, is this new AmazonWireless website. I got an email from Amazon introducing this new site and I have to say I dig it. They've got all the deals from the four major carriers (At&t, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile.) It's a great site to go to if you're feeling a bit lost and want to compare phones and plans from different carriers on one site. It seems like it has the potential to be quite the time saver. When the Bionic finally decides to show it's face, I'll use this site to buy it and report back. Until then, if you're interested in checking it out, click the link below:<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=12&l=ur1&category=amazonwireless&banner=13A670EB10W0N2FZPE02&f=ifr" width="300" height="250" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-79040170954177790322011-03-30T22:59:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:08:38.183-07:00Curiosity Killed the ConsoleSeveral hours have just been spent putting a <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/" target="_blank">PS3</a> back together again, and it has prompted me to remind folks of a few things to think about when taking computers/electronics apart. My boyfriend, in his excitement to play <a href="http://dragonage.bioware.com/agegate/?url=%2F" target="_blank">Dragon Age II</a>, got tired of waiting for me to clean the lens on his <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/" target="_blank">PlayStation 3</a> and decided to do it himself. He's never done anything like that before, and he's about as tech savvy as my grandma, so needless to say I wasn't surprised to find a baggy of "spare parts" and a very funny looking <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/" target="_blank">PS3</a> when he was done. <br />
<br />
Before you go on an electronics disassembling adventure, take heed the following tips:<br />
<ul><li>Set aside several hours of time. You may think that you'll remember how that piece fits tomorrow, but given enough time and distraction people are prone to forget. Also, leaving something disassembled on a hard work surface is just begging for something to get lost. I personally have a cat that collects screws in the middle of the night. He steals them, plays with them, and drops them in his food or water dish. True story.</li>
<li>Do your homework. Have manuals, links, and instructions on hand before you start. A quick Google search will most likely uncover a video of somebody doing exactly what you're doing. Watch it, take notes, and save it for later. </li>
<li>Make sure you have all of the proper tools, cleanser, etc on hand. Stopping in the middle to go to the store is a drag.<br />
</li>
<li>Keep a pen and paper on hand and document each step. Remember, it's a lot tougher to reverse engineer something to try and figure out where that missing screw goes than it is to write it down as you take it apart.</li>
<li>Keep several containers (shot glasses or sandwich bags work well) to hold screws/parts from different parts of the machine in and label them. For example, drop the screws for the outside case in a sandwich bag and label it "outside case." If they are different sizes, note what size goes where.</li>
<li>Don't be afraid to seek out help. If you're not exactly sure how something should come apart, look it up or call somebody. Muscling a fragile part will lead to much shame and embarrassment. </li>
</ul>It took some time, but all is well with Mr. <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/" target="_blank">PS3</a>. <a href="http://dragonage.bioware.com/agegate/?url=%2F" target="_blank">Dragons Age</a> shall be played, and I believe I've earned a free pass on dishwashing for a couple of weeks for my efforts and his embarrassment. Time well spent, if you ask me!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-58385133504112520842011-03-23T13:12:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:50:05.123-07:00Hard drive filling up? WinDirStat to the rescue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's hard to believe how much hard drive space we use up these days. If you're somebody who has a lot of video and or audio files, you can find your drive filling up fairly quickly. Cleaning up to make more room can be annoying and time consuming when done manually. <a href="http://windirstat.info/">WinDirStat</a> is a cute, simple and free application that analyzes how much disk space files are taking up. Simply download it <a href="http://windirstat.info/download.php">here</a> and follow the simple installation instructions. <br />
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To run it, select a drive and let it scan. The scan is fun and has little pac man guys darting across the screen as they analyze your data. There really isn't much on this computer so the scan only took a few seconds<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I3dReyxW3uI/TYpTLd9vN4I/AAAAAAAAAVA/EMJvtn6vt98/s1600/winderstat_scanning.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I3dReyxW3uI/TYpTLd9vN4I/AAAAAAAAAVA/EMJvtn6vt98/s640/winderstat_scanning.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Look at that! Free AND shiny! You can drill down and see more details about what's taking up space in your files, by clicking on individual files.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IHEEwf1iBng/TYpTEHLOIiI/AAAAAAAAAU8/0iA8_0JGk8Y/s1600/windirstat_finished.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IHEEwf1iBng/TYpTEHLOIiI/AAAAAAAAAU8/0iA8_0JGk8Y/s640/windirstat_finished.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-91604992592870609182011-03-19T13:34:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:48:06.778-07:00Up and Down WirelessWireless can be fickle. One minute it's giving you all of its 802.11N love while you watch a Dexter marathon on Netflix, the next it's down filling you with the agonizing pains of Internet withdrawal. Then, moments later, it's back up with no apparent rhyme or reason. Let me give you a little rhyme for your reason.<br />
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Unless you live in the wilderness, it's extremely likely that your neighbors wireless network(s) extend into your wireless domain. Many consumer routers are set to broadcast on the same wireless channel (often channels 1, 6 and 11) which can lead to multiple networks duking it out for airtime in a relatively small space. The way I see it, you're left with two options. Make tiny matching foil hats for yourself, your laptop, and your router...OR you can change the channel. While the former is definitely more fashion forward, it's not very effective. I just wanted to see if I could get you to rush into the kitchen to grab some foil before reading the rest of this. Let's change the channel.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Dg0CPmZ-KsI/TYUWcYvmNdI/AAAAAAAAAUw/-oIt1Bl_T0w/s1600/signs+hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Dg0CPmZ-KsI/TYUWcYvmNdI/AAAAAAAAAUw/-oIt1Bl_T0w/s320/signs+hats.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286106/">Signs (2002)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now I'm banking on the fact that you understand how to make basic changes to your router. I'm going to assume that when you got it, you logged in to set up an SSID (your network name), set a security protocol and passkey, and hopefully changed the standard administrative password of the router itself. If you haven't done these things, you need to locate the make and model number of your router and Google it to locate the manual. Breaking into unsecured wireless network is about as easy as going to the fridge for a snack so it's important to do these things to keep people from leeching Internet access from you, or even worse, accessing your personal information.<br />
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Now let's take a look at what channels your neighbors are using. Download and install an application called <a href="http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/">NetStumbler</a>. When you run it, you'll notice it removes you from your wireless network and uses your wireless card to scan local wireless networks. In order to return surfing, you'll need to close the application. NetStumbler couldn't be easier to use, especially for the information we're trying to access. Simply double click it and let it run for a minute and you'll see a neat little list of local networks and what channels they are on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--PttwwsFfz4/TYUQJcDMr_I/AAAAAAAAAUo/6e90_XYJcro/s1600/network+stumbler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--PttwwsFfz4/TYUQJcDMr_I/AAAAAAAAAUo/6e90_XYJcro/s640/network+stumbler.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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As you can see from our list here, some channels are quite packed. This is most likely because this was the default channel the router was set to and it was never changed. All you need to do to avoid this traffic jam is to set your network to one that is not being used, or at least, not being used very much. Just log back into your router, find the wireless channel settings, put yourself on a traffic free channel, and enjoy smooth wireless surfing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6oPSR-IDqg/TYUQ-PnVexI/AAAAAAAAAUs/F4zt5sjYktg/s1600/channel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="441" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6oPSR-IDqg/TYUQ-PnVexI/AAAAAAAAAUs/F4zt5sjYktg/s640/channel.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-52543906736561563712011-02-17T14:48:00.000-08:002011-03-23T15:50:56.545-07:00Turn Your Laptop into ArtLess technical...more shiny! Ok I have been in love with these things for a long time. They're called <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-4512207-10814475" target="_top">GelaSkins</a><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-4512207-10814475" width="1" /> and like any skin you'd get for your phone or computer, they help protect them from damage. But these are literally works of art! You can chose from tons of different artists, or you can even upload your own creations. They go on really smoothly and easily. I've even had pretty good luck transferring them to a new device when mine broke, though it didn't look quite as snappy as the first time. They also gave me a cool background image too, so it just looked really slick.<br />
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One thing to note, is that they are simply skins. They don't have any kind of real padding. They protect from surface scratches and really transform the look of your device, but won't protect much if you drop it. If you have butter fingers, make sure to put your device in some sort of case as well!<br />
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<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4512207-10817993" target="_top"><br />
<img alt="GelaSkins - Protection with Style. Not Bulk. " border="0" height="200" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-4512207-10817993" width="200" /></a>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-58447965889853308412011-02-17T13:41:00.000-08:002011-02-17T13:42:46.446-08:00Compacting Huge .PST FilesOn the same .pst file kick, I wanted to explain something that a lot of people don't realize about how Microsoft handles .pst files.<br />
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A lot of folks will look at their pst file size, freak out, and delete a bunch of emails. They toil over whether to keep the video of little Timmy getting <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=roflstomp" target="_blank">roflstomped</a> by the new kitten in their inbox, even though it's saved to their hard drive and backup drive. It's so much easier to forward from my inbox, right? After careful soul searching they come to the conclusion that it's time, and let it go along with a few thousand other emails. With an aura of pride that can only come from a job well done, they check back to witness their accomplishment and see how tiny their pst file must now be. Queue the screams of frustration when...wait for it...OMG IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zjFywJrn7WQ" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Ok, take a breath. This is maddening, but I promise you, nothing is lost! Not even your time. There are just two other things to look at before we can make that .pst file smaller. First, you have to make sure you've cleared out your deleted items folder. When you delete an email in Outlook, it goes to the deleted items folder to await permanent deletion. It's like a safety net. Make sure you really want to get rid of everything you have in there because there's no turning back!<br />
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Now that everything is truly deleted, why isn't my .pst file any smaller? Well, because Outlook doesn't compact your .pst file automatically, right away. This means, that those email you deleted only created room within the .pst file itself. It's good news, because emails you receive won't actually make your .pst file any larger, until it exceeds the empty space inside, but annoying because your original goal had been to reduce the file size. If you leave Outlook open and running, it will eventually compact everything on it's own. If you're one of those instant gratification people, like me, you can follow Microsoft's directions <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291645" target="_blank">here</a> for compacting your .pst file manually.<br />
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Oi vey! So much work goes into maintaining one little email application. I've personally opted to give up on Outlook all together and use Gmail and their interface exclusively. I'd suggest you try the same if you're in the position to but we'll save all that for another post.<br />
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Happy emailing!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-75845974546280891972011-02-07T09:52:00.000-08:002011-02-07T09:53:22.141-08:00Outlook+Gmail=Huge PST FilesSomebody asked me about the huge pst file their Gmail account was creating when using Microsoft Outlook. I take absolutely no credit for this answer, because I found it spelled out perfectly <a href="http://www.msoutlook.info/question/530" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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I love the internet!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-60791842215478796372011-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:002011-02-05T19:58:49.933-08:00Geek love!This is the cutest thing ever! <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-4512207-10857236" target="_top">Geek2Geek</a><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-4512207-10857236" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>is a dating website just for geeks! If I was single I'd be all over this. What a cool way to meet people that actually share your interests. If anybody has tried this, I'd be really interested to know how it went. Comment here and let us know!<br />
<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-4512207-10858729" target="_top"><br />
<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-4512207-10858729" width="120" height="240" alt="Geek 2 Geek Dating" border="0"/></a>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-3069825778809941722011-02-05T10:56:00.000-08:002011-02-09T09:43:57.812-08:00Magic Jelly BeanIt sounds like something out of a fairy tale, and this week it was so useful it almost was! I had a user whose drive was failing and needed to be replaced, so I set him up with a new one. I then took his old drive and put it in an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-NST-300S2-BK-3-5-Inch-External-Enclosure/dp/B0015LURY2?ie=UTF8&tag=th0d72-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">enclosure</a>, that allowed it to connect via USB so he could access all of his data. Unfortunately, he had no record of the key for his Microsoft Office installation. Yikes, that could be an expensive thing to have to purchase again!<br />
<br />
Thank goodness for <a href="http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/" target="_blank">Magic Jelly Bean</a> products! They make key finders, that scan the registry of your system for the keys of software you have installed. I've mentioned <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/identifying-hardware-easy-way.html" target="_blank">SIW</a> before, and I adore it, but it doesn't find keys on external drives.The free version is just called Key Finder, and they make an fancier yet still inexpensive version called Recover Keys for more elusive and harder to recover keys. Simply download, install and run for data on your own drive. For keys on an external drive, like the situation above, you simply use the "load hive" feature and point it to the Windows installation on the drive. Voila! All the information you need to reinstall that expensive software on the new drive.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-18998963215663169022011-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:002011-01-31T22:17:55.698-08:00Service with a smile?This isn't really a technical post, but rather, just something I've been thinking about for the past few months. I've found an interesting phenomenon when talking to people in my industry. So many of them seem to not like what they do or resent the users they support. Does anybody remember the "Nick Burns" skits from <a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/" target="_blank">Saturday Night Live</a>? They're about a geeky IT guy who talks down to people asking for simple help. It was pretty popular at the time, probably because it's so true. <br />
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I was doing some research to find like minded folks, doing what I'm doing, writing a blog about their IT experience. I did find a lot of great content, but what I also found, were a lot of IT industry folks who'd taken to the Internet to vent about the "stupid people" they work with. Some even went as far as to post stories about reading personal emails, or even sabotaging computers. This really kind of appalled me. As an IT professional, specifically as one that deals with customers all the time, I consider myself in the service industry. It's my job to not only provide technical expertise, but to do so in a kind and understanding way. I thank my lucky stars when a user doesn't know how to set up their printer, because it means I still have a job!<br />
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I follow a strict code of conduct when providing support. I never make fun of even the easiest question. I always offer training when time allows. I never *ever* read emails or files that do not belong to me or abuse the administrative access I've been privileged with. And above all else, I try to maintain a cheerful temperament, even when things get stressful. People who approach me asking for help have usually wound themselves up with frustration trying to fix their own problem, and don't need me to make them feel any worse than they already do. They need friendly help so they can get back to having a productive day!<br />
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If you're reading this because the IT industry interests you, then try to take to heart the code of conduct I've laid out. You'll find that people will enjoy working with you, and you'll be substantially more successful in your career, if you carry yourself in a professional and up beat way. Sure, it's not always exciting to answer the same questions day in and day out, but you can resolve that by writing good documentation and pointing users to it. If you're reading this because you're sick of your IT guy rolling his eyes at you when you need help, I apologize. I applaud your effort to take things into your own hands, and learn how to fix things on your own and I'm sorry you experienced bad support. Take comfort in your friendly IT gal and feel free to send me a message when you can't figure something out on your own.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-70205983848919118372011-01-19T07:13:00.000-08:002011-01-19T07:16:00.636-08:00Free WinZip AlternativeSometimes, because software is considered the standard for years, we just get into a rut. It can be kind of an expensive rut over time, because we'll tend to fork over the cash like zombies because we don't want to deal with finding an alternative. Luckily for you, I make it my personal mission in life to pay for as little software as humanly possible. If I can get just five people to use all my favorite freebies, I'll consider it my own little way of sticking it to the man.<br />
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Enter (stage left) the free pick of the day, <a href="http://www.jzip.com/support.php" target="_blank">jZip</a>. Sorry, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinZip" target="_blank">WinZip</a>, but you're not worth $30. Especially with your annoying website that proclaims WINZIP HAS NEVER BEEN FREE! (I guess they didn't use caps but I still felt yelled at.) Oh and my personal favorite,WinZip will give you the software for free if you complete one of their marketing offers that include selling your information and probably your soul to marketing companies. Seriously? No thanks. JZip can create, open and extract Zip, TAR, GZip and 7-Zip files and open and extract RAR and ISO files. You get all this for the one time price of ZERO! Maybe they'll even take installments? OK, joking aside, I tested this software and am using it right now. It's safe and works great. Save yourself some money and download jZip <a href="http://www.jzip.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-76958537236595363062011-01-12T12:20:00.000-08:002011-01-13T01:23:32.614-08:00Upgrade Your Desktop RAM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to boost your computer's performance is to add more or upgrade your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory">RAM</a>. For a brush up of what RAM does for your computer and how much you need, read my earlier post <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-much-computer-do-you-really-need.html">here</a>.<br />
<ul><li>Establish if you need an upgrade. To do this reboot your computer without opening any applications. Open the Task Manager (Ctrl+alt+delete for Windows XP and Windows 7. Start > Task Manager in Vista) and click the performance tab. If your available memory is hovering around 50% or less, then this means you're using half or more of your memory just to boot up Windows. Once you start opening applications, you're most likely maxing it out or getting pretty close to it so you could use an upgrade.</li>
<li>Use the application SIW to figure out what kind of memory you have, how many slots your motherboard has, and how much memory your motherboard can support. See my post about SIW <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/identifying-hardware-easy-way.html">here</a> if you're not sure what it is or where to get it. In the example below, you'll see I have 2 gigs of DDR2 RAM, 4 slots available, and my motherboard supports 4 gigs total. I'm going to purchase 4, 1 gig modules of DDR2 ram to replace my existing 512 modules.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS3ScrzFnXI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ct58NINLUvM/s1600/SIW_memory_breakdown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS3ScrzFnXI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ct58NINLUvM/s640/SIW_memory_breakdown.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><ul><li>Go find the best deal you can! For shopping tips, check out my post <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/feel-like-shopping.html">here</a>. </li>
<li>Gather your new memory, the tools I described in my <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2011/01/tools-of-trade.html">last post</a> and your unplugged computer and lay them out on a hard table top. Carefully open it up, you may need to unscrew small screws from the back to do so. (Make sure to carefully save them!)</li>
<li>Locate your existing RAM, and remove each one by gently pushing down on the clips on either side of each module, and carefully pulling it out of it's slot. Make sure to only hold the RAM by it's edges, and avoid touching the circuits on the side or pins on the bottom. When I remove RAM, I like to take it out and lay it in such a way, so that I know which direction it was installed. This makes it easy when lining up the notch in the pins on the bottom of the new RAM modules. You know exactly which way it's supposed to go. Oh these clips are dusty, time to break out the canned air!</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS4JWOA9vrI/AAAAAAAAAT4/vJ0VghjuBJ0/s1600/clips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS4JWOA9vrI/AAAAAAAAAT4/vJ0VghjuBJ0/s200/clips.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><ul><li>Again, holding it only by it's edges, carefully line up your new RAM module and gently push down until the clips pop into place. This does require some firm pressure, but not too much. If it's a strain, check to make sure you've lined it up correctly. Again, that notch in the bottom needs to be lined up the right way or your RAM just won't go in.</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS4J2Ww3jEI/AAAAAAAAAT8/O4eDmFV10ww/s1600/ram_notch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TS4J2Ww3jEI/AAAAAAAAAT8/O4eDmFV10ww/s320/ram_notch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<ul><li>Take a final look to make sure all of your new RAM modules have been installed correctly. They should all be flush, nothing should be sticking out. </li>
<li>Close your computer up, plug it in and boot it. Run SIW again to make sure all of your new RAM is recognized. If it isn't or if you received an error on boot, unplug it, open it up and re-seat the RAM.</li>
<li>Now sit back, relax and enjoy the performance boost!</li>
</ul><ol></ol>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-632854668599689042011-01-10T22:27:00.000-08:002011-01-19T06:45:47.697-08:00Tools of the TradeThis is just a really quick post to discuss the tools you should have on hand before you go tinkering around inside your computer. <br />
<ul><li>A small set of demagnetized computer tools. You don't need to go nuts buying expensive kits. For $10-$20 you can buy a small kit that will include everything you need. Most likely you won't use much more than screw drivers, but it's nice to have the other tools on hand just in case. Plus the nifty cases they come in keep everything together and organized. The one below even comes with a small flashlight which can really come in handy.</li>
<li>An anti-static wrist band. While some people chose not to use them, static electricity is bad news for hardware. They're really inexpensive and it's better to be safe than sorry</li>
<li>Container for all your loose screws. Computer screws are tiny and will easily roll right off your table and into oblivion. I personally love old prescription bottles because of the lid but you can use anything, even a sandwich bag.</li>
<li>Canned air is also really helpful. When you open up your machine you may find lots of dust, especially if you haven't opened it in a while. You should always take time to clean it up while you have it open for a repair or upgrade. Plus it's just plain fun!</li>
</ul><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00004Z5D1&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0002KKIUA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0007XP8GQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-37026134607583085062011-01-10T06:57:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:23:50.080-08:00Text SpamI'm kind in love with my phone. For years, I've been a cell phone junkie, always drooling over the latest and greatest technology. Last year, I bought the first Motorola Droid and fell passionately in love. In fact, for the first time in my cell phone using life, I have no urge to upgrade. (Yes, I'm old enough to remember a time without cell phones.) But this really isn't about how much I love my little bundle of Android joy, this post is about something much more devious. Pure evil. SPAM.<br />
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Now, at this point, everyone knows about email spam. But did you know about text messaging spam? To be honest, I really didn't until today. I'd occasionally gotten unsolicited text messages, but they were so few and far between that I just blew them off. Today I heard the repeated chimes of my personalized text tone going off over and over. (You too can make personalized text alerts out of Bonnie Tyler's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Eclipse_of_the_Heart" target="_blank">"Total Eclipse of the Heart" </a>for free using a little app called <a href="http://download.cnet.com/Ringdroid-for-Android/3000-18505_4-10929046.html" target="_blank">Ringdroid</a> but we'll talk about that in another post. Turn around, bright eyes, and keep reading about spam.) You can imagine my discontent, when instead of it being my BFF frantically trying to let me know that <a href="http://www.fluevog.com/" target="_blank">John Fluevog</a> was having a 90% off sale, it was some dick telling me I could borrow money from money600.com. Then cash39.com. And so on...<br />
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<i>I'm going to assume that since you're reading a tech blog that you have the common sense to not try and visit the sites I've listed above. While it may boost my readership since you'll need <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-computer-is-infested.html">this article</a> and most likely a priest to fix your computer, it would show embarrassingly bad judgement on your part and all your friends will laugh at you. So let it be known that I claim no responsibility for repairs to your computer or your ego should you chose to brain fart your way over to visit said sites.</i><br />
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In total I got 9 text messages trying to lure me to their shady cash advance sites. Now, I've never applied for a cash advance, and I'm kind of a control freak about giving out my cell number so if this can happen to me it can happen to anybody. It made me feel a special kind of rage when I realized, that if I didn't have an unlimited texting plan, I'd be paying for each one of these low life messages. So I set out to figure out how to block these little weasels and found out it's pretty simple. Most of these messages don't actually come from real cell phones. They come from the Internet, sent in mass, in a whack-a-mole attempt to get through to anything that might be a cell phone. I found this article from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">New York Times</a> called <a href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/how-to-block-cellphone-spam/" target="_blank">"How to Block Cellphone Spam"</a> explaining how to block text messages that originate from the Internet. They go into step by step detail for several carriers. For example: <br />
<blockquote>"Verizon Wireless: Log in at vtext.com. Under Text Messaging, click Preferences. Click Text Blocking. You’re offered choices to block text messages from e-mail or from the Web. Here again, you can block specific addresses or Web sites."</blockquote>The article says this service is not available on some carriers yet, but it was written several years ago and at this point I'm sure everyone has caught up. I actually am a Verizon user, and I just logged into <a href="https://www22.verizon.com/myverizon/" target="_blank">My Verizon</a> and clicked the block Internet spam button under the plan heading. I'm sure their method works too, but I was most thankful for the information that the service was available. I thought I may be stuck getting multiple spam texts a day for the rest of my life. Oh the drama of it all!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-16105455307626896552010-12-15T23:32:00.000-08:002010-12-16T09:18:08.245-08:00Social Networking SafetyI was reading an <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/12/14/controlling.privacy.online/index.html?hpt=Sbin" target="_blank">article on cnn.com</a> about some Internet scandal circling around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tila_Tequila" target="_blank">Tila Tequila</a>. Now, I don't really know much about her except that I'd like to look as good in a mini skirt as she does, but it got me thinking about how careless people can be in this age of the Internet and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service" target="_blank">social networking</a>. <br />
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I think it's human nature for people to want to share information about themselves. I remember back in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system" target="_blank">BBS</a> days, on one I used to frequent, we had a little location section that we could fill in where we were hailing from. We all tended to change it daily and fill it in with the days events, witty quips, or song lyrics. Now we have <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/" target="_blank">Myspace</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> and on and on. These sites are fun, and they give us all the perfect venue to connect, share and entertain each other BUT I really believe there are lines that need to be drawn, and information that should not be shared.<br />
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Here are some examples of things not to post online:<br />
<ul><li><b>Details about your location or where you're heading.</b> This boils down to a personal safety thing. Don't post your address or telephone number. Even a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter" target="_blank">tweet</a> that says you're heading out for a burger on 41st street invites people to show up there. Now chances are you aren't a celebrity and you don't have a stalker, but why risk it? If you feel you need to tell the world about your culinary adventures, perhaps do so when you're safe and recovering from your food coma at home.</li>
<li> <b>Compromising photographs of yourself and especially of other people.</b> Think of how embarrassing it would be if your boss saw a picture of you passed out in a drunken stupor at a party. If you really don't care, at least don't assume your friends don't either. Ask permission before posting anything that might get somebody in trouble.</li>
<li><b>TMI!</b> Yes, there is such a thing as too much information. Nothing gets me to unfriend somebody on Facebook faster than when they link their Twitter account and update every five minutes. It's not that I don't care, or I don't want to know details of your day, but I don't need to know every waking detail. Even if your friends don't mind, they'll eventually just start to tune you out which defeats the purpose of sharing in the first place.</li>
<li><b>How much you despise your job</b>. If you want to keep your job, it's probably a bad idea to call your boss a douche bag on the Internet. I've heard stories of people even getting fired for posting too much information about their company online.</li>
<li><b>Conversations that should be private</b>. If you have something you need to say to somebody that may be personal or confrontational in nature, call them or write them an email. You may think you're really making a statement by calling somebody on their BS in front of the whole world, but you're actually just making the rest of us uncomfortable.</li>
</ul>Now chances are none of us will become Internet sensations, and our own personal additions to the online community will go mostly unnoticed, but why risk it? Put a little thought into the information you put out there for everyone to see, and make sure to monitor what your kids are doing as well. Common sense is something we learn, and as savvy as they may seem, they're more prone to making dangerous mistakes online than anyone else.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-77914848474167989252010-12-12T19:40:00.000-08:002010-12-16T09:18:31.193-08:00Instant messaging overload!I've loved instant messaging ever since it came out. It's as convenient as having your friends and family in the same room with you, but less awkward if you want to walk around naked. I personally use <a href="http://www.aim.com/" target="_blank">AOL Instant Messenger or "AIM"</a>, <a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo! Messenger</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/talk/#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20talk" target="_blank">Google Talk</a>, and <a href="http://explore.live.com/windows-live-messenger?os=other" target="_blank">Windows Live Messenger or "MSN Messenger."</a><br />
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They're certainly not difficult to install or set up, but with so many types of instant messaging services currently available, it can be cumbersome to keep track of people spread around different services. Not to mention it can be pretty taxing on your computer's resources to be running 6 different messenger applications at once. Just like our current economy, let's downsize!<br />
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There are quite a few instant messaging consolidation programs, so I'm going to focus on a few of the most popular. Also, let it be known that I do not get excited about things like smilies. I like my instant messaging software like my soul, black and void of emotion. OK that's not true, I'm chipper like puppies and kittens on a sunny day, but I still don't want unicorns in my chat window.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pidgin.im/" target="_blank">Pidgin</a>: I have really liked Pidgin for years. It's very stable, and doesn't have too many confusing bells and whistles. It worked really well with the Jabber server (internal instant messaging service) I set up a few years ago for my last company. It was definitely the least glitchy of all we tried, so for that it gets high marks. On the down side, Pidgin only supports video/audio chat for Google Talk. They have said that support for other services is in the works, and when that's complete, I'm pretty sure I'll be sold because it's otherwise an outstanding application. Who are we kidding? I'm already sold. When I want to call somebody using my computer I usually use <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank">Skype</a> anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://www.meebo.com/" target="_blank">Meebo</a>: Meebo is interesting because it's web based. Instead of installing an application on your computer, you log in to their website, plug in all your account information for your various messaging accounts, and they all pop up like magic. This is a great option for folks who are not allowed to install software on their work computers. That's right, don't let the man bring you down!<br />
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<a href="http://www.trillian.im/" target="_blank">Trillian</a>: This little guy used to be my favorite. It was the first application of it's type I had used. I'm honestly just not a big fan anymore. The installation process is full of <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/sneaky-installs.html">sneaky installs</a>, like really sneaky. They asked me once if I wanted to install it with the Ask Toolbar (I'm not going to link it because I consider it to be almost <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware" target="_blank">malware</a>) so I unchecked the bubble...then they snuck it in there AGAIN at the end. That made me raise an eyebrow. It's certainly not a bad application, it's cute and bubbly. I try it each time they put out a new build for nostalgia sake, hopefully they'll hit the nail on the head again someday.<br />
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Now after you've chosen an application and installed it, don't forget to uninstall any messaging software it's replacing! The point was to subtract, not add! And remember, TALKING IN ALL CAPS IS LIKE YELLING. Don't do it.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-82931657770974963542010-11-29T20:36:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:11:08.641-08:00Don't buy the hype! Expensive HDMI cables are for suckers!This is such a perfect example of what I talked about in my <a href="http://itgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/feel-like-shopping.html" target="_blank">shopping guide</a>. I'm convinced that most big name electronics stores make 90% of their profit on huge cable and accessory mark ups. I walked into one such retailer today and saw this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TPR5HX-Oq8I/AAAAAAAAATI/vM4LTWl6KSA/s1600/IMG_20101129_165055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HjIlTEhn1dw/TPR5HX-Oq8I/AAAAAAAAATI/vM4LTWl6KSA/s200/IMG_20101129_165055.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><br />
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I felt slightly violated. An HDMI cable for $40 plus tax? Does it come with a massage or a lobster dinner? For that price, it should. These retailers are counting on your ignorance to charge these kinds of prices and laughing all the way to the bank. Check out what I found on Amazon after about 30 seconds of searching:<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001TH8UUA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0019EHU8G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=th0d72-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000IJY8DS&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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Is there a difference between what I saw in the store and what I've linked you from Amazon? Sure there is! A pizza and a 6 pack of beer. Oh you meant technically speaking? <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=negatory%20ghost%20rider">Negatory ghost rider</a>. CNET's "<a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/hdmi-guide/" target="_blank">Quick Guide: HDMI and HDMI Cables</a>" explains it beautifully:<br />
<blockquote><span class="dek"> "If you walk into your typical electronics store to buy an HDMI cable, you're likely to see prices upward of $50 with promises of better performance and faster speeds. Do you really need to spend that much money on a single HDMI cable?</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="dek"> <b>Absolutely not--those cables are a rip-off</b>. You should never pay more than $10 for a standard six-foot HDMI cable. And despite what salesmen and manufacturers might tell you, there's no meaningful difference between the $10 cable and the $50 cable. Unless you see something obvious, such as dropouts or a flashing screen, the digital information transmitted by both cables is exactly the same--no cable can make the picture any better or any worse."</span></blockquote>I couldn't have said it better myself. This also goes for just about every other kind of cable you can think of. Networking, printer, power supply...I can't even think of an exception. Do yourself and your pocket book a favor and pass on in store cables and buy online.MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-73935273957119296002010-11-29T15:04:00.000-08:002010-11-29T15:04:32.717-08:00Sprechen sie interwebs?Are your kids confusing you with their internet lingo? Get up to speed by visiting the <a href="http://www.noslang.com/" target="_blank">Internet Slang Dictionary & Translator</a>! Also watch this video, because it cracks me up:<br />
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<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iEWgs6YQR9A?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iEWgs6YQR9A?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199328329923001636.post-11198881210298673152010-11-27T20:32:00.000-08:002010-11-30T15:29:37.977-08:00What's a defrag?If your computer seems to be running a bit slow, one of the easiest things you can do is defragment or "defrag" your hard drive. If this is something you've never done before, you might notice quite a nice performance boost when you're done. It's time consuming, but very simple, and it's something you can just set to run and walk away. Before we get into how to go about this, let's go through what fragmentation is in the first place. <br />
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When we think of our hard drives, we tend to think of them like vast, open, linear space. But your computer doesn't see it that way. Puny human brains! Windows sees your hard drive in a series of clusters, all the same size. I like to think of this series of clusters as a big bag of identical Legos. Windows will assign however many of these "Legos" to each file, depending on its size. The picture of you on a fishing trip may get one "Lego" while the video of you falling out of the boat may get 3. Now, your computer does not need these "Legos" to be kept together, it can still read them if they are separated to make room for more information. Over time, this happens a lot. You install programs and uninstall others. Add data and then delete it. Your "Legos" get moved around and separated from one another. After a while, it's about as tidy as the t-shirt table at Old Navy around closing time on Black Friday.<br />
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Now remember we said that Windows didn't need to keep all of the "Legos" from your file together to read them, but it does eventually make them slower to access. Imagine you are now trying to put the "Legos" together to read your midterm paper, and instead of being all lined up in a row, they are spread out all over your house. Even if you know exactly where they all are, it's still going to take longer for you to run around and put them together than if they were all neatly in one place. This is how a fragmented hard drive can slow your computer down over time. Like trying to recall all 50 states upon returning home from a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs" target="_blank">healthy dose of nitrous oxide at the dentists office</a>. <br />
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It's good practice to defragment your hard drive every few months or so, and Windows even has a built in utility to do so. You can access it in the Computer Management area of your Administrative Tools in the Control Panel. I'm not taking you through step by step, because I am not too jazzed with the performance of the built in utility. It reminds me of cleaning my room when I was a kid by throwing everything in the closet. It looked tidy but wasn't really thoroughly clean. Instead, I'm going to have you use a free application called <a href="http://ultradefrag.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">UltraDefrag</a>. Download it <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/ultradefrag/files/" target="_blank">here</a>, and follow the installation wizard. Open it up and click the "Analyze" button to get a break down of how fragmented your drive is. Now, click the "Defragment" button and let it do its job. Easy peasy freesy...just how I like it!MissfixIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09466037477578976921noreply@blogger.com2