Nevermind the fact that Google’s GMail gives you nearly unlimited space, or the fact that you probably already have a Google login ID and password.  This new design and added functionality makes GMail even easier to use and gives you more of what you want, the ability to easily communicate with friends and colleagues.

Details on the Updates and Improvements

The brains at Google have put together a quick video to highlight the updates and improvements.  Watch or jump down below the video for a reader friendly version.

• Streamlined Conversations – Integrated profile pics  and a better layout for conversations make emails more like an ongoing chat.
• Automatic Sizing – Expand your browser to full screen or reduce it down.  GMail will keep up and automatically resize to match you preference
• HD Themes – Dark images behind your email look really sharp in the new design, so Google has given you a few choices of background images (courtesy of iStockPhoto) to liven up your screen.
• Smarter Navigation – Over on the left hand side, you’ll have more control over your email options, chat, contacts, etc.
• Better Search – For those who reference old emails regularly (like me) you’ll have more ways to track down messages using filters.

Switching to the New Look

The new look is rolling out for everyone slowly, but you can go ahead and make the switch now.  Here’s how.

1. Open you Gmail and look in the bottom right-hand corner
2. Click on the link that reads “Switch to the new look”

   

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to enable the new layout

Change Your Theme

In order to take full advantage of the new design and HD images, you should really change your theme.  Otherwise you might not see all of the possibilities of the new GMail.  Here’s how:

1. With your GMail open, look for the “gear” in the upper right-hand area (image below)
2. Select Themes
3. Look for the area labeled HD Themes and pick any of the existing options
   **Personally, I think the darkest images look best as a background image

Pass the word on to friends and family by sharing this article.  We’ve provided the tools below to make that easy.

I’d venture a guess that most everyone who reads this article has at least one DVR in their home.  In many cases, it might be more.  These devices are absolute genius and have completely altered TV viewing in my house.  We can now watch an hour-long program in 40 minutes and a half-hour program in about 20.  We can store up several episodes of a show and have our own mini-marathon on Saturday to get caught up.  There is only one prerequisite for all of this. We have to actually set the DVR to record the programs that we want to watch later and that can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.  What shows are on? When does the season start? What time slot are my shows in now? Are there multiple shows I want to watch airing at the same time?

WHATS ON THE DVR GUIDE

The Fall TV Guide from Entertainment Weekly (my favorite magazine of the year) landed in my mailbox this weekend.  Armed with that and websites like TVGuide.com and tv.com I set out to produce a calendar that contains all of the Fall TV shows (new and returning) with times and start dates.  The result is the 2011 Fall TV Lineup – Channel Guide, available as a PDF from the link below (next section).  Before you dive in, here are a few features of the guide:

1. Major Channels: All the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW) are listed in grid form
2. Cable Networks: Additional shows (from other networks) are highlighted below each day of the week in the Other Programs of Interest section
3. More Info: Each program title is a link to the official website of the show (so you can see what each program is and read up, to make your decision on whether to watch)
4. Start Date: The start date for each program is listed out to the side
5. Calendar Oddities: Start dates that stood out as “odd” are highlighted in yellow

Features of the DVR Guide

TAKE ME TO THE GUIDE

To get the guide, simply click on the link below to open in Adobe Acrobat.  If you don’t already have the Adobe Acrobat reader (a FREE program), you’ll need to install it first

2011 Fall TV Lineup – Channel Guide

TIPS ON USING THE GUIDE

If you are a multiple DVR owner and want to really plan out what to record and on which DVR, here are a few helpful tips.

• Print out the guide
• Highlight the shows that you want to watch, using a different color highlighter for each DVR
• Make sure you don’t have any overlap (ie. more than the number of shows you can record on each DVR)
• Set each show to record
• Verify the “priority” of the shows against the guide (so you don’t end up missing out on key recordings)

MORE ARTICLES ON TV

Cancel Your Cable/Satellite and Save Money While Adding Functionality

Buh-Bye DirecTV, Hello TiVo – How I Ditched Cable

How to Connect a Laptop to a TV (from killthecablebill.com)

Preview Pane, available as an add-on feature from Gmail Labs, should probably be a standard choice for GMail users, but adding it to your account is super easy and JumpstartMyPC has the step-by-step for anyone interested in enabling this new feature.

How-To Enable Preview Pane

• Open up your browser of choice and log in to your GMail account
• In a separate tab, navigate to GMail labs (clicking on the link to the left will open a new tab automatically)
• Search for “Preview Pane”
• Under Available Labs, click on “Enable”out to the right of Preview Pane

Preview Pane can be found in Google Labs

• Save Changes and head back to your GMail tab
• In the upper-right hand corner, look for the “Use this button to toggle….” box
  **It might be necessary to refresh your GMail page in order to see the box below

Horizontal or Vertical, It's Your Choice

• Click on the drop-down arrow out to the right and choose which split-view you want to use (horizontal or vertical)
• Your new preview pane should now be visible

I Chose Horizontal for My Preview Pane

Will you use GMail’s new Preview Pane?  Do you know someone who might benefit from this new tool?  Use the buttons below to share this blog post with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

What is a Tablet?

Since the turn of the century our sensibilities have changed. These days people are focusing on doing more with less. This much wiser new philosophy shows in our hardware design. Rather than keep trying only to make the most powerful laptop, a few new breeds have risen for the user on the go. Tablet PCs boast an intuitive touch screen interface, which has become so popular that some of them have even lost their keyboards entirely, relying solely on touch screens. However, these machines are targeted at individuals who need such an interface.  Typing without tactile response is much more difficult, so the tablet design is much more useful for creative applications like media editing software or giving presentations. Because the new interface is such a specialty and more difficult to manufacture, these PCs are often marked up very high and may not be ideal for your run of the mill utilitarian user.

Enter the Netbook

This brings me to yet another new breed of computer: the netbook. Netbook manufacturers focus not on the processing power of the PC or the interface, but rather on extreme portability and extended battery life (up to 9 hours). With some screens as small as seven inches these machines can be remarkably small and often weigh less than three pounds. However some users may be more comfortable with a ten inch model as its keyboard and screen are larger and easier to see and use. These computers often get looked over by consumers looking for clever gimmicks like touch screens and other interfaces as well as things like processing power and price tag. But with some machines priced as low as $200 it may be an option some of us can’t afford to turn down. Many of these machines use the Intel Atom processor.  This is roughly comparable to a Pentium 4 although it tends to handle newer software applications more effectively, including Windows 7 (which by the way uses fewer resources than Vista in case you were pondering an upgrade).

How to Get One

Samsung NB30+

So if you need something to write a report while traveling, or send emails, surf the web, take notes or just something you could afford to lose or break, you really ought to consider a netbook. If you don’t know where to start looking, my advice is to take a peek at the Samsung NB30+. I just got one a few weeks ago and it sure is a hardy little bugger. You can find a factory refurbished one on Ebay for about $300. At just over three pounds, this little guy makes my bike ride to class quite a bit easier. One more thing to be aware of on netbooks in general is the lack of a DVD or CD tray. This may seem like a big downside at first. But with the rise of the information age, physical media is becoming less and less common. You might still invest in an external disk drive for installing software.

Originally Posted – 10-28-2010

Earlier this year, we wrote a series of articles on the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program.  This highly successful program, designed to “promote awareness of Energy Star appliances and decrease energy consumption,” is coming back and we want to make sure that you, your friends and your family are prepared.  Don’t miss out on this chance to save energy and money.

The original appliance rebate program, which took place in April of 2010, was responsible for putting nearly $12.5 million back into the pockets of Texas residents.  This cash-for-clunkers-esque program offered rebates to residents who took the opportunity to upgrade their aging and/or energy-guzzling appliances like dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, air-conditioners and more.    Rebates ranged from $45 – $1,600 dollars (per appliance).  The program was successful, but a strict set of steps had to be followed if you wanted to take advantage of the rebates.

For those of you who missed out on the program in April or if you simply want another chance to save, a new Winter version is on the way.  $10 million of unclaimed rebate funds will be available for additional rebates.   Read on to get your checklist ready and see what you must do to be prepared.

Next Steps

Details on the Winter 2010 Appliance Rebate Program are sketchy for now.  Texaspowerfulsmart.org, the official site of the rebate program offers only a small amount of information to date.  As a consumer, it is your responsibility to be on the lookout and the state’s “official site for Powerful answers” has the tools you need.

• Website – First and foremost, bookmark the official website and check back often.  – http://www.texaspowerfulsmart.org/rebate/

• e-mail updates – Get up-to-the-minute information by signing up for e-mail alerts.  You need only enter your email address and delivery preference to get started.  No other personal information is required.

Signing up for e-mail alerts takes only a few seconds

• Twitter – For those of you who participate in the world of tweets, @PowerfulSmart has been set up for your following pleasure.  In addition to updates on the rebate program, this Twitter account also offers energy efficiency tips and information on other tax credits/incentives.

TX Powerful Smart is on Twitter

• JumpstartMyPC – be sure to follow us via the blog, Twitter and/or Facebook (all links available under FollowUsOn) for information.  If we find out anything, we’ll pass it on.

Whether or not you plan on updating those old appliances, this information might be helpful.  Think of any friends or family members who might benefit from this program and share our article with them.   From the ShareThis plugin below you can easily share this message with anyone on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, via email, text or any of the hundreds of social networking options available.   Your loved ones will appreciate you thinking of them.

UPDATE – added 12-07-10 @ 8am

The official date for the new Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program has been announced.  Starting December 20, 2010 qualifying purchases will be eligible for mail-in rebates as part of the program.  Please note that rebates will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you are debating an appliance upgrade, you won’t want to hesitate.

UPDATE - added 2-16-11 @11am

A new email from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts arrived yesterday afternoon, indicating that funds are still available for the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program.  According to the email “We’ve already approved over $12 million in rebates and funds are limited, so act soon!”

Also, a new website has popped up to help you keep an eye on the available funds.  – Appliance Rebate Status Page

Appliance Rebate Status Page - as of 2-16-2011

Well computer fans, you are in luck.  Here is a little list to get you going on this FREEzing Friday.

1. Follow-Up on Those Christmas Gifts

You know all those great electronic gadgets you got for Christmas.  Maybe it was an iPod, iPad, Laptop, PS3, XBOX or some other expensive tech-toy.  You’ve been telling yourself that you need to buy a case, a screen protector or even a warranty.  Well today is a perfect day to research, make a decision and order up.  We’ve got a few suggestions on just how to go about this in our Guide to Gift Protection, but here are a few of the highlights to get you started:

• Get a screen cover and a case to protect from scratches and drops
• Secure your device with a passcode (usually available in  the devices settings)
• Get a warranty that covers the items from accidents – online warranties are cheaper and cover more than traditional warranties

2. Get Organized

This is one of things that I constantly swear I will do when I have the time.  If you’re like me, you have a hundred organization projects on your to-do list and now you just have to figure out where to start.  Here are a few resources for your various bits of clutter:

• Your laptop/work bag is a disaster.  Get organized with a new bag and grid system from Cocoon Innovations.
• Take all those photographs you’ve been saving to your hard drive and back them up online.  You’ll reduce your risk of losing them and make them easily sharable.
• Round up your movie collection and get it organized so you can find what you are looking for.  Check out our article – Manage Your Growing Disc Collection – Tools and Tricks

3. Get Rid of Cable

Ditching cable is not a one day project, but this snow day would be a great day to start your research and figure out what to do next.  Whether you have been shackled to Comcast, DirecTV or Dish TV and their $100+ monthly bill, we’ve got the how-to on freeing yourself and lowering your monthly bill.  Anyone can do it and you’ll soon see that money isn’t the only reason to switch.

We’ve got all the details you’ll need in a multi-part blog post that starts with Cancel Your Cable/Satellite and Save Money While Adding Functionality.

4.  Speed up That Slow Computer

You’ve been threatening to do something about that slow computer for months, maybe even years.  You’ve thought about calling someone to do it for you, but who and how much is that gonna cost.  Don’t worry, just do it yourself.  It is not difficult and you can save $100 or more by doing it yourself.  To help you out, we’ve written a how-to article titled My Computer is Running Slow – Help Me Fix It.  The article is FREE, the tools are FREE and you’ve got a FREE day to work on it.  What do you have to lose?

5.  Have Some Fun

It’s not like you needed someone to tell you this, but how about some new ideas.  Instead of simply firing up the same old XBOX game or returning to your virtual farm on Facebook, try investigating some new games and experiences using your computer, smartphone or tablet.  You’ll never know what you’ve been missing out on unless you take a chance.

Here are some Addictive Games You Can Play in 5 Minutes or Under.  But don’t stop there.  One of my favorite ways to see what’s new and exciting is to look on Facebook and see what my friends are playing.  You’ll know when you see high scores and achievements popping up between baby pictures and crazy videos.

Dozens of returning shows might already be programmed into your season pass, series manager or whatever your DVR software calls it, but this year that will not be enough.  With over 20 new series scheduled to begin, and many of them looking to be solid introductions for their respective studios, an overhaul of your scheduling lineup is in order.

Web sites, TV shows, commercials, magazines and even newspaper listings have been created to help you navigate the onslaught of programming, but no single source has all the information you need in one, easy-to-use document.  That’s why I decided to take matters into my own hands this year and why I am offering you the handy-dandy, absolutely FREE Fall TV Lineup Channel Guide.

The Channel Guide has all the detailed scheduling information you will need to program your DVR for the fall season in a single-page document, including:

• Channel-by-channel listings for each day of the week (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, the CW and various others)
• Start dates for each program (new and returning)
• Links to the official web site for each program

The Kind of Detail You Can Expect from Our Fall TV Guide

Follow the link, save and/or print yourself a copy of the Fall TV Lineup Channel Guide and get your recording schedule in order before the big day is here.

All we ask in return is that you remember to share the guide with your friends and family.  We all know at least one TV junkie that is anxiously awaiting Monday evening.

Related Articles:

TV and Technology, Sitting in a Tree – setting your DVR via the web or smart-phone
Buh-Bye DirecTV, Hello TiVo – How I Ditched Cable – how you can ditch cable and save big, big money

If you have ever taken your laptop with you on a trip, you’ve had this issue.  If you’ve ever taken more than one gadget (iPod, PSP, GameBoy, Camera) to work, you’ve been frustrated by this issue.  If you’ve ever used a laptop or messenger bag to transport your tech, you’ve fought this issue.  Carrying any kind of electronic device(s) means carrying the power cable and any/all other accessories with you wherever you go.  As soon as the second item hits your bag, things get complicated.

Cables tangle, screens get scratched and everything in your bag drops straight to the bottom.  This makes finding any one item next to impossible (without dumping the contents of the entire bag) and, most likely, it is going to shorten the life and look of your gadgets and devices.  For any tech/gadget nerd, this is just not acceptable and, if you are anything like me, you want to take care of the items that you paid so much for.  There is a bit of pride in owning an iPod that is 2-years old, but looks like you just bought it.  Throw-in the fact that “no scratches” and “like new” make great tag lines for any product you want to sell on eBay, and you’ve got yourself a good set of reasons for taking care of your gear.

That is exactly where Cocoon comes in. Their line of products is available “to protect and safely transport our most precious virtual cargo as we navigate the real world.” At the heart of the Cocoon line is the GRID-IT! system, “an internal organization system that allows the user to customize and reconfigure the interior organization as their needs and cargo evolves.”

The GRID-IT! CPG8 (just one of many available)

Pure genius! This year you are carrying an iPod Classic, a PSP 2000 and a Canon PowerShot Digital Camera.  Next year, when you switch to an iPad, a GameBoy DS 3D and a Flip HD, you won’t have to go out and buy a new GRID-IT!, or any other system.  Your items will still fit and stay protected in their Cocoon, thanks to the GRID-IT! organization system – “a rubberized woven elastic object retention system for gadget organization.”  There are a limitless number of configurations you can use to store your tech toys.

The Organization System is Available in Different Colors

GRID-IT! is going to find it’s way into my shopping cart today, but that might not be the only item I’ll be ordering from Cocoon.  They carry of full line of products aimed at creating “a place where the technological extensions of our lives and work could be kept safe and organized.”  There are hundreds of products, including:

• iPad cases
• Airport friendly cases and bags
• Blackberry cases
• Messenger bags
• Slings
• Laptop cases
• Totes
• Backpacks
• Camera Bags

By the way, I was not paid or compensated in any way for my review of Cocoon and their product line.  I am simply a fan of protecting my gadgets and I thought you might share that passion.  Check them out today and share this article with anyone you know that might be interested in doing the same.

Cocoon Web Site: http://www.cocooninnovations.com/

As always, we have a couple of things to remind you about before jump into our project.  First, keep your document and files protected.  Second, this is your project.  Our articles are suggestions on how to handle this type of project, but you should definitely structure and organize your document scanning in a way that keeps things simple for you.  After all, if a project like this became too complicated or confusing, who would actually finish it?

File Naming

For each of the documents you scan onto your computer, you will be asked to provide a name.  In the spirit of saving time and frustration, I recommend that you name them as you scan them.  Playing the “I’ll take care of it later” game will only cause you more headache when you have to go back through all of the files and open them up one-by-one to properly label them.  It is important to follow a certain naming pattern when saving these files as well.  Doing so will aid you in locating these files later on.

A naming structure can be anything you like, but there are several key bits of information that you should include:

• General description of document
• Year of document creation/coverage
• Company/Entity who issued document

Example Structure: year – gen. description – company
Example: 2010 – Car Insurance _ Civic – State Farm

The benefits of naming individual files with this type of system are numerous.  Mainly, should your folder structure get overly complicated or you simply forget where you stored things, you can simply run a keyword search for the document you need.  In the case of the example above, I could look up “car insurance,” “civic,” or “State Farm” to find the policy for my car.  If I stored scans of multiple car insurance documents, the results would be very east to look through and pinpoint what I need.  Also, by putting the year of the document first, the documents will always be labeled in numerical (chronological) order, since Windows displays documents in alphabetical order by default.

Folder Structure

Equally as important, if not more, is the structure of the folders in which you store these files.  Without a well-thought-out folder setup, your files will quickly become too much to handle and you’ll find yourself lost in the madness.  Again, this structure is ultimately up to you, but here are some examples of structures that might work for you

Example 1: Simplified Top Level

• Insurance
  • Medical
  • Home
  • Car
• Legal
  • Taxes
  • Will
  • Home
• Personal
  • Identification

Example 2: More Categories

• Home
  • Insurance
  • Taxes
  • HOA Paperwork
• Car
  • Insurance
  • Title
  • Registration
• Financial
  • 401k Information
  • Taxes
• Personal
• Medical
• Legal

Storage

SECURITY first!

You want to store your documents where you can get to them easily after a disaster or simply to update them, but you don’t want them easily found by others.  Another important rule for storage is “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket!”  Store your files in multiple places, even if one of those places is not easy to get to.  You don’t want to put forth all of this effort and have it wiped out by a tornado, flood, fire, etc.  You’ll also want to make sure that any storage method you use is password protected and encrypted, if at all possible.

Here are some ideas of storage devices you can use:

• Jump drives (also known as Flash drives or USB sticks)
• CD
• DVD
• External Hard Drive (most likely overkill, but maybe you want to store all of your photos as well)
• Online backup
• Online storage (like Dropbox)
• Flash memory cards

Keep in mind that you’ll need to be able to access the information stored on any device, so using something like a flash memory card will require the proper hardware to read it.  Jump drives and CD’s are far more universal and will be easier to open later.

Related Articles

Hurricane Preparedness – Scanning and Saving Important Documents

Hurricane Preparedness – Scanning and Saving Important Documents – Part 2

Before We Get Started: Once more, I would like to warn everyone that your personal documents should be protected at all costs.  This applies to the originals and the scanned images from here on out.  Identity theft is very real and very possible with the proper information.

Hardware and Software

Multifunction Device

In order to scan in your documents (or digitize them), you’ll need a scanner or multifunction printer/fax/scanner system.  These devices are readily available and fairly inexpensive ($75 – $200).  If you don’t already have one, now might be the time to make the investment.  Compare the low-cost of this device against the time it would take to locate all of your information after a disaster and the decision is a no-brainer.

There are several factors you need to consider when picking out a scanner:

1. Flat-bed versus Sheet Fed – Being able to scan multiple document in a sheet fed scanner would be great, but you’ll pay for the difference and the repairs.  The first thing to break down on sheet fed scanners is the motor the feeds the paper.  My opinion, go with a flat-bed scanner and save yourself the money and the hassle.
2. Size – Do you have a place to store this device.  Also, will that space allow you to get in and out of the scanning area (the glass) easily.
3. Software - Depending on the manufacturer, the included software might be the decision maker.  (see below for more information)
4. Size of Scanning Area – Some devices are capable of scanning up to 11 x 17, but many are limited to LTR (8.5 x 11) or LEGAL (8.5 x 14).  Keep in mind that some of your important documents might be LEGAL size.
5. Reviews – Use the web to research any model numbers before you purchase.  Amazon.com and CNET.com are great resources for product research.

Scanning Software

Every scanner or multifunction device comes with it’s own software package.  My Lexmark came with something called Lexmark Productivity Studio.  Each company (Epson, HP, Lexmark, Canon, etc.) has it’s own ideas on what the software should do and how it should work.  The result is a wildly different experience from each of the major manufacturers.  Since you can’t really test a scanning software without a scanner, it is an almost impossible task to compare these software packages before committing to a purchase.  If you have already owned a scanner or all-in-one device, it might be best to stick with a brand name that you are already familiar with.  Otherwise, you could check with friends and family to see what they have and maybe even test drive theirs before you make a final decision.

Full versions of Adobe Acrobat and a few professional scanning software packages (which are usually very expensive) can control the scanning process of multiple devices.  If you are lucky enough to have either of these available to you, maybe on a work laptop that you can bring home, you’ll have some additional options.  I know first-hand that Acrobat makes for an easy and productive scanning session.

Scanning

Once you have the hardware and software picked out, it’s time to get to work on your documents.  Without going into a lot of detail, I will tell you that you want to keep your scanning simple.  Full color, high resolution scans of your documents will eat up tons of space and cost you more money in storage, reproduction and processing power.  Don’t go above and beyond here.

Settings

Keep it simple.  Black and White, 200 DPI scans should be sufficient.  The files produced from scans at these settings are small enough to transfer and open quickly, yet they still produce legible prints (if needed).  Also, scanning at these settings will go much faster for you and reduce the time it takes to get all of your documents scanned.

Example: My passport scan (below) was scanned at 200DPI, B&W.  The file size was 844KB.  As a test, I scanned the same exact document at 300DPI, in full-color and the final file size was 3,163KB.  That is a 374% difference.  In other words, every scan would take up 3.7 times as much space, time to transfer and time to open/close.

My Scan - With the Important Parts Covered Up

Review each document image after you have scanned it to make sure that it is legible and you captured the entire document.  If you rush through too quickly, you might find out later (when it is too late) that you cropped an important document or scanned in an all black image.  There are additional settings available in every software package (like contrast and brightness) that can help you fine-tune scans of difficult documents.  These settings require a trial-and-error approach, but are not difficult to use.  They just require some additional time.

File Types

Once you have scanned an image, your software will ask you what file type you want to save it out as.  There are varying opinions on what is best, but I personally prefer Adobe Acrobat (PDF).  Other image types can degrade over time and/or take up unwanted space.  PDF’s are fairly universal and most computers come loaded with Adobe Acrobat, which is needed to view or print the images later.

Some software packages (like my Lexmark Productivity Studio) require you to start your scanning from a separate area, if you want to produce PDF files.  Other software pacakages might not be able to save as a PDF at all.  In that case, you might want to save the files in TIF format and then convert them later, using a free PDF tool or the full version of Adobe Acrobat.   This sounds complicated, but I can assure you that saving and converting file types is very, very easy.

What Next

Due to the length of this article, I’ll pick up with the storage/filing system details next time.  For now, you can spend some time with your scanner and get a feel for how the software works and what settings are best for your scans.