A few years ago, I read David Allen's "Getting Things Done" and have recently been asked about its effectiveness. Before I discuss that, let me step back and summarize my view on the genre of task/project/goal/life planning tools, books and … [Continue reading]
Understanding VOIP and lowering your phone bill with Vonage and Skype
I've written earlier about configuring Skype on your computer and how to get the best sound quality. To save money, there's actually a multi-pronged approach I recommend. First, in both of these cases you'll need a high speed Internet connection. … [Continue reading]
Splash ID is a hit! Secure sensitive data on your desktop and handheld / smartphone
I posted earlier about Splash ID - a product I was going to test out to secure my sensitive data on the desktop and sync it with my smartphone so it was available to me on the go, also in an encrypted, password protected manner. Well, I've tried … [Continue reading]
Norton Ghost Disappoints – Dantz Retrospect takes the lead
I've posted earlier of how using a tool like Norton Ghost 2003 and a Maxtor external hard drive creates a great backup solution for a drive-image style backup that retains all your settings. Well, Norton Ghost 2003 used to work well. I got it as … [Continue reading]
Desktop Search: And the winner is….Copernic
I've tried the major desktop search tools (Google, Yahoo! and Copernic) and I must say, Copernic is far superior to the rest. For those of you not familiar with it, desktop search tools are a new breed of tools trying to do for your own hard drive … [Continue reading]
Skype Upgrades and Contacts
For those of you on Skype, I've noticed that when you install on different computers, one's list of registered contacts doesn't move to the new computer the way mainstream IM clients like MSN, Yahoo! and AOL do. This is a minor inconvenience and I … [Continue reading]
Configuring your audio setup for Skype
Skype is great for calls over the Internet if you have a broadband connection. If your audio hardware is decent and your configuration of such is optimal, you should be able to enjoy excellent sound reception and transmission for all your Skype … [Continue reading]
Affordable dial-up plan as backup for broadband and travel
Do you find yourself using broadband everywhere and thus, not really needing a dial-up account? Wherever you go, there's wi-fi or an ethernet jack you can plug into, right? But what about the times that's not available, and you could use a 56K … [Continue reading]
Securing Sensitive Data on a handheld / Smartphone and Desktop
This has always been a pain with so many passwords, logins and other sensitive information to manage that you just can't keep in your head anymore. What to do? It used to be that folks stored sensitive login information in a Word document, and put … [Continue reading]
How Does Plaxo Make Money?
I was recently asked this question after a friend received a Plaxo update from me. They've got a VIP service that charges, but only a small percentage would actually sign up (in my empirical estimation). Lots in industry wonder about this. I … [Continue reading]