It’s a new year and you need to make some changes.

You’ve started back at the gym, started eating like a rabbit and quit ________________ (fill in the blank as you see fit), but you haven’t made any changes to your computer habits.  The folks at Defence Intelligence have put together a simple set of resolutions that you can begin using today.

There isn’t really much need for explanation here – just read, rinse and repeat!

Click for Larger Version

If someone slid a piece of paper in front of you right now and said “give me a list of items you would want to unwrap this holiday season,” would you be able to do it?  Better yet, would you be able to provide a range of items and an idea of what they cost?  Honestly, Grandma is probably not going to buy you that new iPad, so you better have some other options for her to choose from.  Putting together a list like this takes more than a few minutes, and that is where an online holiday wish list comes into play.

Last November, we took an in-depth look at 5 services you could use to build your wish list.  Amazon edged out the competition with their feature-rich Universal Wishlist and I still think their tool is the best option on the web.  The features I found most impressive were:

• Add to Wish List feature (quick add button for browsers)
• Notes section for each item on your list
• Public access

This year, Amazon has improved the Wish List tool by adding more sharing features (including a unique URL that you can share however you like) and a new WishList Wish & Win Sweepstakes.

Next Steps

To get the most out of your Wish List and increase your odds in the Wish and Win Sweepstakes, you’ll need to get started right away.  Here are a few steps to help get you started:

1) Set up an account on Amazon.com

2) Get the Universal Wish List Button or Browser add-on/extension.

Wish List Button

3) Choose items that you want on your Wish List (from any website)

4) Share your list with friends and family or print it out for the less tech-savvy

Share your Wish List with Friends and Family

5) Continue to add items to your list for the next month

I have written about Dropbox repeatedly and used their product religiously since a good friend introduced me to the service.  If you haven’t already been introduced, let me the one to tell you all about it (see Introduction below).  For those of you who are already fans, this week’s news was like getting a new double-album and a FREE concert.  You veterans can jump on down to the WOW! section to see the latest from our rock stars.

Introduction

JumpstartMyPC.com was started to help PC users get the most out of their computer and no product exemplifies this idea like Dropbox! Dropbox is a file-syncing, file sharing, online backup tool that you can access from just about anywhere and you can start using it for FREE! I have written about this product many times, shared it with clients, friends and family and I use it myself, every single day. If you aren’t using it yet, you are in for a real treat.

Dropox is a storage application and service operated by Evenflow, Inc. The service enables users to store and sync files online and between computers. There are many great features to this product, but best of all IT IS FREE. Click below and watch the video (created by the folks at CommonCraft) to see for yourself.

Features

A complete feature list is available on the Dropbox web site, but we have a few highlights for you:

• File Syncing – Start with 2GB of storage for free and synchronize any file type to as many computers/devices as you want. Within seconds of adding a file to your Dropbox, it is synced to any and every computer you have installed Dropbox on.
• File Sharing – Want to share files with friends and family but aren’t sure how? If you can right-click, you can use Dropbox to send anyone a link to a file. Create a shared area for pictures, movies or even work documents.
• Online Backup – Your files are stored on the Dropbox servers, so if your computer crashes or you accidentally delete it locally, your file (and previous versions) are still available.
• Security – Without going into a lot of technical jargon, your files are secure. User names and passwords are required to access any files and all of the transmissions of your data are encrypted.

Pricing

Getting started with Dropbox is FREE and they start you off with 2GB of space. You can refer friends, family and colleagues to increase this space up to 10GB, which is adequate for most users. To give you some perspective, I use Dropbox for JumpstartMyPC every day. I’ve been storing blogs, invoices, install files, images, etc. for 7 months now and haven’t even used 30% of the 3GB provided to me.

If, or when, you feel that you need more space, you can sign up for the Pro 50 ($9.99/mth) or Pro 100 ($19.99/mth) account.  Yearly plans are also available and you can save some cash by paying for the year in advance.   Although the pricing is fair, it is my hope that pressure from similar services and an upcoming Google storage offer will cause the Dropbox folks to lower that pricing a bit.  That being said, if I fill up my 10GB of space, I won’t hesitate to pay for the Pro 50 plan.

WOW!

As if the feature set and applications already released by the folks at the recently upgraded Dropbox headquarters weren’t enough, we were presented with several fantastic bits of news this week:

1. The official Android app is here – YES!!! I can now access all of my Dropbox files on my G1.  Android users (and there are a lot of us) can now have our files with us everywhere we go.  It’s like having a tiny briefcase in our phone.
2. Dropbox has an iPad app – WHAT???  How did you do that so quickly.  I haven’t been able to get a hands-on with the iPad yet, but some great screen shots have surfaced of the new app at work and it looks great.
3. Mobile API for “Dropbox Anywhere” – Developers can now get in on the fun.  According to cnet news, Dropbox “has worked with a number of developers to integrate their apps into the new data pipeline… All of these apps are able to tap into a user’s Dropbox storage to fetch data, and save it back without needing to use any of that device’s local data.”
4. Blackberry on the Way – Only listed as “quite soon,” the imminent release of the Blackberry app for Dropbox is on the horizon.  Last time a “coming soon” was announced (Android app), it took exactly one month for Dropbox to deploy the app.

Whether you are a Dropbox user currently or not, you can see that Dropbox is starting to turn up everywhere.  For those of you who need files on the go, anywhere at anytime, the one choice in cloud storage is becoming quite obvious.  Better start populating your Dropbox now so you’ll be ready for the revolution.

Our friends at Lifehacker posted a great article about ScreenCatch this morning that introduced me to the product and I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to share it with my readers.  The author Jason Fitzpatrick wrapped up the concept of ScreenCatch perfectly: “If you’re looking for a lightweight – 193k! – and portable screen capture tool without tons of features you’ll never use, ScreenCatch is a good match.”

While the program is meant to be simple and efficient, it still packs many of the features that the average user will need:

• Handy Windows Application (doesn’t require installation!)
• Take screenshots from within the application or by double clicking the taskbar logo
• Easily crop and annotate your screenshot before uploading
• Uploads directly to their server and gives you a direct link to the screenshot online, where you can discuss the image
• Options to Save and Load images on your computer
• Images are online indefinately & are timestamped on their server. This means the upload date cannot be altered!

An Example of a ScreenCatch Image

I realize that many of you have already been exposed to Google Buzz, or at least heard the name, and that this article might seem a little untimely.  After all, Google Buzz was released about a month ago (February 9, 2010).  The reason I waited to comment on Google Buzz was two-fold: 1) The initial reaction to Google Buzz was panic! (early issues with privacy) and 2) I wasn’t sure if I would even use Buzz for personal and/or business updates.  Why would I review or recommend a product for the JumpstartMyPC.com audience if it (Buzz) wasn’t a useful tool that would help you get more out of your PC?  Well, I finally spent some time with this new application and I think I’ve wrapped my mind around it.

What Exactly is Google Buzz?

According to WikiPedia “Google Buzz is a social networking and messaging tool from Google, designed to integrate into the company’s web-based email program, Gmail. Users can share links, photos, videos, status messages and comments organized in “conversations” and visible in the user’s inbox.”  The definition is spot-on, but other than the Gmail integration, what makes Google Buzz any different from MySpace, Facebook or any of the other social networking sites out there?  I could post a bunch of screen-shots and commentary, but a quick video will explain Buzz much more effectively.

To me, Google Buzz is the Lite version of social networking.  Why?  Because you don’t have to spend an eternity setting it up, the feature set is very limited and (this is the best part) the distractions are minimal.

Setup

• If you have a Gmail account, you are already a Buzz user.  Just look for the link under your inbox.
• If you want to try Buzz and see what it’s all about, all you have to do is sign up for a FREE Gmail account.  **If you decide to stick around, you can import your old mail and contacts fromYahoo!, Hotmail, AOL or other webmail or POP3 accounts (which covers just about everyone).
• Add personal information or don’t!  This is entirely up to you.

Limited Features

• Post your own buzz-worthy links and photos.  Follow others to see what they post.  That’s it!  If you can copy and paste, you can use Buzz!
• There are no apps, so you don’t have to worry about joining the Mafia or taking care of your Farm-Town/Ville.

Distractions Gone

• Ads are limited to a tiny little bar at the top (almost forgot about it even being there).
• Again, no apps – meaning no games, clubs, groups, etc. to join or worry about.

The Verdict

Click Here

My overall opinion of Google Buzz is “wait-and-see.”  Google will not give up on Buzz any time soon and (as blogger Dan Sung put it) “it’s the refinements that will make it into something deeper and more diverse.”  Who knows what the future holds for Google Buzz?

However, I have some suggestions for those of you with different “backgrounds.”  Depending on your current setup (email), affiliations (other social networking sites) or tolerance level, you might want to give Buzz a chance.

Scenario 1: The Rookie

You have email and use it to communicate with a limited group of friends and family.  Either you don’t care about social networking or you are one of the “I don’t want to know what everyone is up to all the time and I don’t care to let others know what I am doing at any time” camp.

Suggestion

Google Buzz is perfect for you!  Just sign up for that FREE Gmail account and add ONLY the people that you already email.  Don’t give out this new address to anyone but those you already email.  Post away using the Private option and you won’t have to worry about anyone else seeing what you submit.  If you like it, hang around.  If not, delete the account and walk away.

Scenario 2: The Middle Man

You tried Facebook, but it wasn’t your thing.  Too much going on and you are too busy to check it all the time.  You post an update here and there, but don’t really “feel” like a Facebook person.  Twitter sounds like something only a bird would do or maybe you are just a little bit curious to see what’s going on in the Twitter world.

Suggestion

Google Buzz might be a good way to ease into sharing a bit more.  Using Gmail means that Buzz is literally one click away and (as we pointed out) there are limited distractions.  You can “follow” people or companies that you have an interest in and check your Buzz when you have time.  No pressure.  You don’t even have to post anything if you don’t want to.

Scenario 3: Social Guru

You are everywhere in the social networking world: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  You can’t get enough new information and you love the applications and “noise” of these sites.  You follow several blogs and/or have a blog of your own.

Suggestion

Buzz might be too little for your needs.  You would just be reinventing the wheel if you had to set up another profile.  However, a Buzz page would be a good way to increase your audience and spread the word about your online presence.  OK, maybe you should try it out anyway.

In the beginning, digital sharing was done via email.  Attachments were sent and frustrations elevated when emails were not received or “kicked back” because the attachments were too large.  Sharing methods have evolved and changed over time and we are now inundated with hundreds of ways to share information with one another.  Facebook and Twitter are by far the most popular, but many others have great feature sets and large followings.  Only one service pulls them all together seamlessly, ShareThis.  That little green button (the trademark of ShareThis) has made it’s way onto 130,000+ sites and reaches over 400 million users per month.

What makes ShareThis different?

ShareThis is different because it allows you to share information via other share sites/methods.  When you see something you like, you can click on the ShareThis icon and send a link via email, text, Facebook, Twitter and/or 40+ more social services.  The ShareThis button is already a part of many of the sites you visit every day and you can add it to your browser, so everything you see on the web can be shared in an instant.

The Most Popular ShareThis Options

Not only is ShareThis easy to get to, it is easy to use.  Set up an address book within your ShareThis account and sending a link is as easy as typing a name.  You can import your existing address book from Gmail, Hotmail or AOL email services.  By creating an account and sharing links, you can also view a history of what you have shared called My Shares.  It’s a great tool, in case you forget the name of that site that you shared a few days (or even weeks) before.

Recent Changes

Today, ShareThis introduced some new features and updated some existing components, like the ShareThis button.  The Live ShareThis Stream has been introduced, combining the content your friends are sharing with what people are saying about it, and you can now connect to ShareThis account using your Facebook,  Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account.  Take a look at the video below and/or read this article (by Nick Bertrand of ShareThis) to get a better idea of what ShareThis has to offer.

ShareThis and JumpstartMyPC.com

Regular readers of the JumpstartMyPC.com blog will notice a few changes to the layout of our articles.  We’ve been changing the sidebar (over there on the right) and we’ve recently added the ability to “Buzz this” (a Google Buzz implementation).  Today, we updated our ShareThis button, which is posted below every article we write.  We have provided the ShareThis button since our very first blog post and notify many of our readers about the latest articles by sending emails through the ShareThis tool daily.

Try ShareThis today.  Set up an account and add some of your friends and family to your Contact List.  ShareThis is FREE and has proven itself as a trusted and valuable sharing tool for all.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

¹ – Taken from the article Google Buzz Puts Sharing at the Center of the Web on ShareThis.com

Until recently, people have shared web site addresses (URL’s) via email or even verbally.  With the success of Facebook and Twitter, millions have found new ways to share information with friends and family.  And now, there are hundreds of sites that allow you to quickly share information with others on their “network.”  There is one tool however that combines all of these ideas and more.  That tool is ShareThis.

ShareThis is a web site and/or a tool you can use to share links with others.  It is very easy to use and does some incredible things.  After reading this article, you will no doubt become aware of how often you actually see the ShareThis icon.  It is available on thousands of internet sites, blogs and can even be a part of your browser (Explorer, Firefox or even Chrome).  I have tested this service for months and I cannot imagine life without it now.

Here is how it works.
Option 1: You are “surfing” the web and come across something you want to share with Aunt Mary.  You notice the ShareThis icon on the page and click it.  The handy-dandy ShareThis pop-up box opens and you select the method in which you want to share this information with Aunt Mary.  Options include email, text, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace… You know Aunt Mary is not very computer literate, but she checks her email, so you select email, type in “M” to bring up Mary from your pre-populated list of friends, enter a message and click Send.  Mary receives an email moments later.  Time to complete: 15 seconds.

ShareThis Pop-Up Box

Option 2: Just like in Option 1, you find something you want to share.  Only this time, there is no ShareThis icon on the page and you want to share it with everyone on your Facebook friends list.  No worries, you have already installed the ShareThis “button” in your browser.  You click on the button (now found at the top of your screen, near the search box) and see your standard ShareThis pop-up box.  You select Facebook (which opens a new tab or window, with your Facebook “Post to Profile” page), enter a message and click Share.  Your post is complete and your friends can now see the link you posted, along with a picture and pre-filled description of what the link is.  Time to complete: 15 seconds.

As with any other service, there are a few things you will need to do to get started.  The ShareThis web site is easy to follow and guides you through these steps perfectly.  My recommendation is that you go ahead and install the ShareThis button (takes 30 seconds) and import your contact list (time varies), after you register (1 minute).  Go ahead and try it today.  You’ll notice that we have added the ShareThis button to every page on our site, as well as each and every article we post.

ShareThis article with your friends and family.  It’ll be a great way to test the service and we would appreciate the link back to our site.