Saturday, April 26, 2008
Get Better Tech Support
11:00PM Gina Trapani | Former tech support guy Brett Kelly says there are a few things you can do to get the computer help you need most efficiently over the phone. Before you call, try the obvious fixes: Reboot, consult the manual, Google, or help pages, and know how to reproduce the problem consistently. (You should know how to describe the problem thoroughly as well.) On the phone, be patient, do what your support person asks you to do, and don’t lie about how you got where you are. Along these same lines, when you post a question in an online forum or send an email to someone for help, be sure to master the art of asking. 11 Tips for Better Tech Support [The Cranking Widgets Blog] More »
BeerMenus.com Finds Beers by Bar
10:00PM Gina Trapani | Before you head out on the town tonight in New York City, find out where to get your thirsty hands on your favourite hard-to-find beer at BeerMenus.com. This menu search site just launched with over 150 beer menus, which include over 1200 beers. Browse by neighbourhood, brew, or bar to get a beer menu that lists price (by bottle and tap), alcohol content, and brewery, plus a map of the location, web site, hours, and phone number. BeerMenus.com is New York only (so far?) and isn’t yet comprehensive in its coverage there, but it’s off to a great start for beer-lovers in the Big Apple. More »
BitRipper Converts DVDs to AVIs in One Click
11:00AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Freeware application bitRipper provides no-hassle, one-click conversions from DVDs straight to AVI video files. Until recently a commercial program, bitRipper handles the decryption and encoding of the DVD video in one fell swoop, emphasising a very simple one-click process (though you can set more advanced options if you like). The on-the-fly encryption and encoding means bitRipper also works very quickly. The downside: bitRipper does not support filetypes other than AVI, which means you’ll want to stick with previously mentioned HandBrake when you’re ready to rip a DVD for your iPod. If you give it a try, let’s hear how you like it in the comments. While you’re beefing up your DVD-ripping toolbet, check out the five best DVD ripping tools. bitRipper [via FreewareGenius] More »
Fix Your Achy Body by Walking Barefoot
10:00AM Adam Pash | New York Magazine online suggests that despite your innate ability to walk, years of walking in shoes has got you doing it all wrong. The result: more aches and pains in your body than you should naturally encounter. The article as a whole is a compelling read, making the case that despite the great lengths shoe manufacturers have taken to bring comfort to your step, most shoes are doing more harm than good. The author also highlights a shoe style called Vivo Barefoot made specifically to mimic the barefoot walking experience while providing some of the modern necessities of shoes (like, um, protecting you from broken glass). The article is persuasive—enough at least to pique my interest in some barefoot shoes—but if you have experience with the barefoot lifestyle of even barefoot shoes, share your thoughts in the comments. Photo by Nicholas_T. You Walk Wrong [New York Magazine] More »
Open New Windows via Command-Tab
9:00AM Gina Trapani | As Windows user, one of the strangest things about Mac OS is a running, active application can be in focus without any actual windows open. If you use Command+Tab to switch between apps and don’t want to get stuck in no-open-window limbo, use the following key sequence to open a new window on your way there: Hold down Command+Tab, then press Option, then release Command. It doesn’t work for all applications, but it does for Safari and Terminal at least. More »
Get Instant, Up-to-Date Package Status via Email
8:00AM Adam Pash | US-centric: No doubt you already have a go-to tool for tracking your packages across the country, but weblog Digital Inspiration highlights a quick and simple tip for getting up-to-the date tracking info straight from the source: just email the shipping company. For example, send a blank-subject email with tracking numbers in the body to track@fedex.com or totaltrack@ups.com, and a few seconds later, you’ll have a response with the latest status of your package. We’ve covered several tools for tracking your packages in the past, but this technique might come in particularly handy when you’ve got the tracking number in your inbox and you want a quick status update, particularly from a cell phone. Know the Current Location of your FedEx or UPS Shipments Via Email [Digital Inspiration] More »
Do You Run Antivirus Software?
7:00AM Gina Trapani | From the looks of our recent thread on software you should never install, several Lifehacker readers have given up on running antivirus software. Maybe you’re smart enough not to open up that email attachment, or maybe you’re confident enough in your spyware protection to snag viral nasties, or maybe you’re running Mac OS X or Linux. By default Windows Security will let you know if AV isn’t enabled on your machine, so I’m curious: How many of you skip the AV software entirely, and why? Make your case in the comments. More »
FlashMount Speeds Up Software Installation
6:00AM Adam Pash | Mac OS X only: Freeware application FlashMount streamlines software installation and speeds up mounting various disk images like DMG and ISO files. Intended as a default replacement for OS X’s built-in DiskImageMounter.app—the program that traditionally mounts disk images—FlashMount forgoes the progress meter, presumably because the mount is fast enough you don’t need it. The second thing FlashMount does to speed up software installation is automatically bypass the EULA (the licence agreement) for downloaded software. That may be fine if you never read the EULAs anyway, but if you’re particular about licenses you accept, it’s probably not for you. FlashMount is freeware, Mac OS X only. More »Analyse Whether You Spend Time the Right Ways
5:00AM Gina Trapani | When it feels like there are never enough hours in the day to dedicate to all the important areas in your life, it’s time to take out the big guns and get to analsying where your day’s going. Harvard Business Online has a few recommendations on how to break down your time by role, and then correlate those totals with the reality of your to-do list. It means assigning time estimates to your tasks, and taking a big view of how much time should go to each thing (i.e., six hours a day at work, four hours a day with family, etc.)—which isn’t always easy, but can be eye-opening. Are You Spending Your Time the Right Way? [Harvard Business Online's Conversation Starter via Micro Persuasion] More »
