Link 2 Know

Find hidden space on your Mac drive

Simon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:19:34 +0000

Did you know that Apple loads multiple languages for many software applications? There is a great little program called Monolingual that will delete all languages you do not use. It’s a quick download and gives you the option of which language(s) you wish to retain. I freed almost 2.8GB. Who knew?

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Change address on your Blackberry

Simon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:12:10 +0000

Blackberry sent out a newsletter with instructions on how to change the ‘sent from‘ address so that all of your email messages match — regardless of where you are when sending them. The steps are clear but you will need to know which version of the Blackberry internet service you currently use. Blackberry newsletter instructions for changing the ’sent from’ address.

If you want to disable the auto-signature on your Blackberry, here are the instructions from Blackberry.

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Slow Gmail? chat check

Simon — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:42:14 +0000

Is your Gmail slower than usual? If you don’t use chat, be sure to turn it off. You should notice a bit more speed in your Gmail loads. To check the status of chat, look at the very bottom of your screen directly under the statistics for how much (or little) of your Gmail storage is in use. If you see Turn Off Chat, click on it. If you see Turn On Chat, the chat function is already off.

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Will I lose everything?

Simon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:40:18 +0000

Does my insurance really cover me? Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flooding, and other unexpected disasters can leave you homeless. But I’m insured you say. Many are finding that although they have insurance, they either did not have coverage or did not have adequate coverage for what happened to their homes and possessions. What to do? Here’s some help.

(more…)

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Win to Mac? Read this first!

Simon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:03:51 +0000

I switched! I recently switched my desktop from WinXP to Tiger, and later upgraded to Leopard. Although the basics are simple, there are some habits I was accustomed to in Windows that needed to be UN-learned for OS X.

The most electrifying lesson was that, unlike in Windows where dragging a folder onto another folder merges the contents, in OS X, dragging a folder onto another folder actually replaces the entire folder. This was obviously a habit that needed to be un-learned immediately. (more…)

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4 lists to reduce clutter

Simon — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:12:45 +0000

Whether you just need the space or are trying to simplify your life, these sites have tips to help.

Queen of Clean at HGTV: 15 tips to declutter
Living on a Dime: Basics of tossing
FlyLady.net: Declutter 15 minutes a day
FastFengShui.com: Coping with the emotional aspects of clutter clearing

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Gmail in motion

Simon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:09:44 +0000

I’m often asked “Why do I have to close each message and return to the list to read mesages? I want to read through open messages in Gmail. There is a shortcut which allows you to move through open messages. Open the first message, to archive the current message and move to the next message, click on the left bracket “[” key. The next message will be open. You are not returned to the list of messages.

Before archiving, use the other keyboard shortcuts to mark the message. Just press “S” to mark the message with a ’star’ if you still need to take action or follow-up later. This is the same as ‘flagging’ a message in Outlook or other email applications.

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Do your notes speak to you?

Simon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:47:20 +0000

Summarize the last seminar or class you took in three sentences. How effective is your note-taking? The Cornell method of taking notes is effective not only for classes but for meetings and conference calls. If you are unfamiliar with it, check out the link for a website which has a good explanation as well as examples that can be downloaded. I find it effective to use the Cornell method along with an outline in its ‘note-taking area.’ Whatever method you choose, make sure it works for you. Good notes allow for quick review of a lot of information.

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How to meditate & reasons to do it

Simon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:33:32 +0000

I found a brief but informative article at PickTheBrain.com: 4 Powerful Reasons to Mediate and How to Get Started. He walks the reader through the benefits of Meditation, whether it’s religious and some everyday ways to practice it. If you’ve ever wondered about it or how to do it without formal practice, this is a good starting point.

Here is an excerpt of one of my favorites is Strength Training for the Mind by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Share your resources with us.

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What’s your plan for lost files?

Simon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:07:49 +0000

Your office is flooded, your files/photographs/documents are lost, and the words come back to haunt you: “When is the last time you backed up?” Lost documents, viruses, the ‘read error’ message regarding your hard drive. And it always seems to happen right before an important project is due.Here is an option that requires virtually zero maintenance by you and better yet, it is free (up to 2GB).

(more…)

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Calling tech support? 14 steps to take

Simon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:43:56 +0000

Before you call tech support:
If you’re calling technical support for help, there are 14 basic items of information you need to know or do before you call. I suggest writing down the first four items now while everything is working. The remaining items can be listed for the immediate issue.

Desktop/laptop model name and number
Operating system and version number
Any firewall or antivirus applications that are installed
Any non-standard applications or settings you’re using
(more…)

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Should you ever rent instead of buy?

Simon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Does it ever pay to rent instead of buy a home? It turns out that sometimes the answer is yes, renting is preferable. Suze Orman has written several articles about the pros and cons. In The Buy vs Rent Decision she discusses the true cost of ownership and whether you can afford to buy.

Here are two calculators which you can use to compare the cost of renting to buying. (more…)

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