Windows only: Create new appointments in Outlook with plain English using freeware application Easy2Add. Similar to Google Calendar’s Quick Add feature, just invoke Easy2Add (it comes in either system tray or Vista sidebar form), enter in a simple sentence like “Meeting with Gina on Monday at 2pm,” and the application automatically translates and adds the event to your Outlook calendar. The application supports one-time events, recurring events (“every Tuesday”), and user-definable defaults for setting length of appointments if not specified. Easy2Add is freeware, Windows only.
The New York Times reports that red wine may slow the aging process, giving you one more excuse to pop the cork at dinner tonight.
The SimpleHelp weblog posts a thorough walk-through of how to create a custom Windows Vista installation disc with previously mentioned vLite. We already highlighted how to slipstream Vista Service Pack 1 with vLite, but SimpleHelp’s post focuses on stripping out all the Vista features you don’t need to lighten up your installation, similar to how we trimmed down Windows XP to the bare essentials. It may sound daunting, but the step-by-step post is extremely detailed and easy to follow. How to create a custom Windows Vista Installation DVD [SimpleHelp]
Mac OS X only: Beta application Versions provides an easy-to-use graphical interface to the version control system, Subversion. Whether you’re a developer or writer, version control with Subversion can mean the difference between days and minutes lost when something goes awry with your text files. We’ve shown you how to set up a personal Subversion server and how to access it with the Windows-only TortoiseSVN or Mac-only SCPlugin, but Versions takes a wildly different approach to Subversion by taking your repositories into an attractive and fully featured graphical interface. It’s unclear whether Versions will charge after the beta, but for now Versions beta is freeware, Mac OS X only.
All platforms: The Mozilla developers want to get the next Firefox milestone just right, so they’ve issued another release candidate for your testing pleasure. Firefox 3 RC2 includes bug fixes from RC1. If you haven’t dipped your toes into the Firefox 3 pool, the RC2 water is warm—it’s the most stable testing build they’re likely to issue before the official release, which is on schedule to drop this month. Check out our complete field guide to testing Firefox 3. Firefox 3 RC 2 is a free download for all platforms, meant for willing testers only. Download Firefox RC 2 [Mozilla]
The How-To Geek technology weblog highlights an incredibly handy Windows Vista feature that opens a command prompt in any system path through a simple shortcut: Shift-Right-click. Let’s say, for example, that you’re browsing a folder deep in the bowels of your hard drive, and you want to work with files in that folder from the command line. Instead of firing up the command prompt and manually navigating the depths of your filesystem, just Shift-Right-click the folder, click Open Command Window Here, and voilà—you’re there. The same functionality is available in XP through the previously mentioned Open Command Here powertoy, but it’s great to see it integrated directly into Vista. Open a Command Prompt From the Desktop Right-Click Menu [the How-To Geek]
Add interactive comments to your YouTube videos with the new annotation feature. To annotate to any video you’ve uploaded, just head to your uploaded videos page and click the Edit annotations button. From there you can add comment boxes, speech bubbles, and even links to other content. The catch during the beta test is that annotated video only appears on videos playing directly on YouTube and not embedded on other sites, but you can get an idea of the possibilities by checking out this annotated video. YouTube isn’t the first to introduce this sort of functionality, but you can bet you’ll see a lot more annotated video now that they have. YouTube Video Annotations [YouTube via Google Operating System]
Given some spare time and a few neglected items in the office supply closet, anyone can make their workspace more functional, create a cool tools for their home and office, and even rescue seemingly ruined stuff. Today we’ll take a look at some unexpected ways to use objects you probably have readily available. Get organised and save some money with 10 low-cost office supply hacks you can do during your lunch break.
