Make Upload Windows Jump to Your File
If you’ve ever uploaded a picture to Facebook or tried to attach a file to an email using the “add attachments” button, you know it can be a pain using the tiny pop-up file uploader window to navigate through your folder structure to the file you want. If you’re on a Mac (and some versions of Windows) you can make this process much quicker by dragging the file to the upload window.
The next time you want to upload a file, keep the folder it is in next to your browser window (or on the desktop). When the upload window appears, simply drag the file over top of it and drop. The upload window will automagically snap to the correct folder and highlight the file. All you have to do is click the upload button.
Catch Fruitflies with Vinegar
Now that summer is almost over, you’ll probably be traveling a lot more to get in that last minute vacation time. Hopefully, you won’t leave out any fruits or vegetables while you’re gone. If you do, you’ll probably end up with fruit flies. Those little pesky bugs can stick around for weeks while you try to smash, squish, and obliterate them all. It can be become pretty frustrating.
If you want to get rid of fruit flies — and get rid of them quick — all you need is some apple cider vinegar, an empty plastic bottle, and a piece of notebook paper.
All you have to do is fill an empty plastic bottle (a 16oz bottle will do) about 1/3 of the way full with the apple cider vinegar. Then, roll the paper into a tube that has a significantly bigger opening on one end than the other. Take the smaller end and put it in the open end of the bottle and set it near the spot where the flies are circulating most. Note: You don’t need to put the paper in the vinegar. Just use it as a funnel.
The fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar and land on the large end of the notebook paper. They crawl down inside the bottle, through the smaller end, and are then stuck. They cannot fly back out of the small hole they crawled in through.
Usually the flies will all be gone overnight, but it is a good idea to leave out the vinegar an additional day or two, just to be sure.
FollowUpThen: Free, Fast and Simple Email Reminder
FollowUpThen is a boost to anyone’s productivity toolbag. If you always find yourself making notes to follow up on emails you send to friends, family members, or clients, then you should try FollowUpThen.
This easy-to-use service allows you to simply add a new recipient to any email in either the CC or BCC fields such as 1day@followupthen.com.
After the specified time has passed, you will automagically receive an email reminder to follow up to that email. You can even have reminders go to the other recipients of that email.
And best of all, FollowUpThen is a free service. To read more about FollowUpThen or read use cases, visit the website.
Create Quick Reminder Alerts with Online Timers
Ever find yourself needing to create a quick reminder but can’t justify creating an iCal or Outlook event? Quickly pop open a browser window and type a reminder right into the URL bar using online timers like TheTinyTimer.
Simply type in “thetinytimer.com/” and then an increment of time. You can type anything from 2m (for 2 minutes) to 3days2hrs20mins15sec. It is very intuitive. Just don’t include any spaces.
You can also do dates: thetinytimer.com/Nov3.
I often find myself needing to create a reminder for a short period of time to remind myself to do something. For example, I may be surfing the internet and really want some hot pockets. If I am reading something rather involved, I may forget to go check on them.
To avoid any forgetful mishaps, I type thetinytimer.com/15min into my browser window. A timer is automatically created with a visual countdown and sound alarm. When the time is up, a notification appears on the screen and an alarm sounds. You’re even presented with a fun fact or literary quote (see screenshot below).
If it is a reoccurring event, you can save the URL to your browser’s bookmarks. This will allow you to quickly access them any time you want.
Other features include the ability to customize the alarm sound and interval, change the fun fact message genre, upload your own alarm sound, and change the display of the timer. Also, you don’t have to worry about accidentally closing the window as TheTinyTimer will give you an alert message asking if you really want to close the window.
Have a tip for reminders? Leave a comment and tell everyone.
Hack Your Wallet for Note Taking
Ever find yourself out and about and need to take a quick note, but don’t want to lug around a notepad all the time? Just stick a post-it note or two to the inside of your wallet. Then you will always have the ability to jot down a quick note no matter where you are.
You can even layer post-it notes on top of each other to create a traveling post-it pad right inside your wallet.
And yes, girls, if you don’t want to carry around a purse all the time, you can do this, too.
Analysis of Google Buzz
It is about federating large amounts of information but still making it understandable in large quantities.
I think most people aren’t getting the point of Google Buzz. Yes, right now it may seem annoying because everything is just popping up. People are asking “Doesn’t _______ already do this?”
The answer is yes, but what Buzz does do that nothing else does is aggregate everything together AND allow you to pick what you see.
With Twitter and Facebook, you get everything with no filters (aside from Twitter Lists). Google Buzz learns what you like and don’t like. After a while, even though everyone’s posts are constantly updated, you only get things you find relevant. So, Twitter, RSS, and other posts are made visible to you ONLY if you actually find them relevant.
Furthermore, the innovation of Google Buzz will drive other social networks to better organize content within their platforms. I believe that it is still overwhelming right now. That’s why “non-techies” view it as a time waster. Once there is an easier way to sift through the noise, I believe social networking and content sharing will boom with other audiences.
Will Google Buzz stick around? Probably not or at least not in its current state. Will it make a difference? At the very least, we will know what NOT to do.
What are your thoughts on Google Buzz?
Easily Download YouTube Videos from the Video’s Landing Page
Download YouTube videos right from the video’s landing page just by changing the URL. All you have to do is swap the “Y” in the URL with a “3” and you are taken to a download page for that video.
Example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuPwwGEeSLo
changes to
http://www.3outube.com/watch?v=QuPwwGEeSLo
That’s all there is to it. Quick and simple.
Engage Your Customers in Social Media; It’s Important
Knowing what is going on in your market, maintaining good relationships, and making your brand look good is key in getting repeat and new business. Social Media is a great place to…
How to Properly Clean a Computer
Cleaning your computer is a simple task. Actually doing it right can increase the life of your monitor and polished shine of your case.
First, turn off the equipment you want to clean and make sure the display (i.e. screen) and bottom of the computer is cool to the touch.
Apply whatever cleaning solution you have purchased or made yourself sparingly. Too much can cause streaks and wear down your computer’s screen or protective case.
Polish the entire surface of the computer using a microfiber cloth or other soft materials. Do not use paper towels. They have rough fibers that can damage the screen of your computer.
You should wipe the computer case and screen till it is completely dry. Leaving your cleaning solution on it could damage the structural integrity or protective cover.
Tell everyone what some of the cleaning solutions you use are in the comments.
Quickly Switch Tabs in Firefox
Sometimes I have lots of tabs open all in the same Firefox window. Clicking on each one to find the right tab can take up a lot of time or be irritating if there are more tabs than there is room for on the screen.
You can navigate around Firefox tabs with the below keyboard shorcuts:
- Press Ctrl+Tab to go to the next tab (or rotate forward).
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Tab to go to the previous tab (or rotate backwards).
- Go to a specific tab by pressing Ctrl+the tab number. e.g. Ctrl+7 to go to the seventh tab.
- Press Ctrl+T to open a new tab.
- Press Ctrl+W to close the tab.
- Restore Previously Closed tab by Ctrl+Shift+T.
