Send video mail without the hassles, or the cost

When e-mail was young (and dinosaurs ruled the earth), no doubt some IT managers swore that there was no way the people in their organization were ever going to have access to that time-waster. "Haven't we already provided them with telephones?" Same for Web browsers, which some workplaces still ban, or at least restrict severely.

I'm sure they have their reasons, but for most workers it would be difficult to deny the productivity boost these new technologies provide. Now the same restrictive IT mentality may be blocking the playback and recording of video. Yes, much corporate bandwidth is clogged with highlights of last night's Timberwolves-Raptors game (an epic matchup, no doubt), but other companies are using video to gain an edge on the competition.

Splish-splash, Chase is taking a bath
The point was driven home--literally--when we started receiving short videos via e-mail of our 9-month-old grandson Chase enjoying apricot-peach yogurt, bouncing in his play-seat contraption, and splashing in the bathtub. E-mail has never been used to better effect.

But the topper is that the service our son uses to send us the videos is free, and one that he uses in his business as a commercial real estate broker to connect with clients and associates. Eyejot has been in beta for about a year, but it couldn't be easier to use. Simply create an account by providing an e-mail address and a name, and then log into your inbox. If you've already received Eyejot videos at the e-mail address, they'll be waiting in your inbox, along with a "Welcome" video.

You can then take a snapshot to use in your profile, and which will accompany your videos, and provide other personal information, if you wish, though keep in mind that this will also be seen on your public page. However, your videos are private unless you check the "Publicly viewable" option in your inbox.

The free account limits your videos to 60 seconds, and your messages are cleared from your inbox after 30 days, though you can save the videos to your PC. For $30 a year you can upgrade to an account that allows you to send videos as long as 5 minutes, and they are never purged from your inbox. A paid account also loses the advertising that accompanies your free videos, and offers mobile access, along with a few other additional services.

After you sign up for your Eyejot account, the video mail you received is waiting in your inbox on the site.

The Flash-based service works with all operating systems and most webcams, and it follows the TrustE privacy policy. Eyejot has recently added a Site Widget that lets you add the service to your own Web site, as well as the ability to receive Eyejot messages via iTunes and RSS. There's even an Eyejot browser toolbar, though I didn't try this service, in part because on my 17-inch monitor I need all the browsing room I can get.

When you receive a video message, you simply click the image to open the video in a new browser window. As the video plays you're given the option to download it to your PC, or you can click the download link for the file in your Eyejot inbox.

View Eyejot's Flash-based videos in your browser off the company's server, or download them to your PC.

My only question is how the increased use of video mail via such services as Eyejot will affect network throughput. For many years the people who manage the Internet backbone, and the many private networks that connect to it, have warned that video would ultimate clog the networks, which were designed to handle text and other simpler data types. I have a strong feeling that the Internet will find a way to accommodate the growing demand for video, whether by migrating to such technologies as Internet2 or IPv6, or by finding ways to squeeze more bandwidth out of current methods.

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Use Office 2007's ink feature to add impact to Word doc markups

I'm a stylus user from way back, so I was really looking forward to using Vista's Tablet PC features to control apps on my touchscreen notebook. What I didn't realize was how much fun it is to mark up documents in Word 2007, and to send handwritten notes in Outlook 2007.

You can use Vista's pen features on a touchscreen laptop or tablet-equipped PC to do much more than simply mark up Word documents or write e-mail as handwritten graphics, but after many attempts I remain unconvinced of the usefulness of the OS's handwriting recognition. Even after hours of training the system made too many mistakes to be a suitable replacement for a keyboard. Still, there are times when a keyboard simply won't do, and that's where the stylus comes in handy.

Make your mark on Word 2007 documents using the program's inking feature.

It's not uncommon for someone to send you a Word file and ask you to comment on it, suggest changes in the formatting, or otherwise edit it. To make your changes stand out, click the Review tab in Word 2007 and choose Start Inking at the far right. This opens the Pens ribbon that lets you choose a pen, felt tip, or highlighter as your markup implement, and to change the markup color or thickness. You can also use the ribbon's options to select or delete some or all of your annotations.

Give your Outlook 2007 the personal touch by handwriting your notes using Office 2007's inking feature.

You may be a fan of smiley faces and other emoticons in e-mail, but they don't do anything for me except get in the way of the message. (I know, I'm no fun at all.) If I want to send a message with a personal touch, I crack out the stylus in Outlook 2007 and write it in longhand. To activate it, click in the message body, and choose Start Inking at the far right to open the Pens ribbon, which is identical to its counterpart in Word 2007.

Apart from some less-than-complimentary responses regarding my penmanship, no recipients have complained yet. You won't save any time by handwriting e-mails rather than typing them, but your messages will certainly stand out from the crowd.

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Clear unwanted apps from Windows' Startup list

One way to get Windows to load faster is by using the System Configuration utility (aka Msconfig) to disable programs that start unnecessarily when you boot the operating system. To view this list in XP, click Start>Run, type msconfig, press Enter, and click the Startup tab. In Vista, open your Startup list by pressing the Windows key, typing msconfig, pressing Enter, and clicking the Startup tab.

Be careful not to disable a program that your system needs to start properly. Paul Collins' Startup Applications List can help you determine whether a program is required, or if it can (and sometimes definitely should) be disabled. Play it safe by disabling the programs one at a time, and restarting your system to make sure everything's copacetic before disabling another and repeating the process.

After you uncheck an entry in the Startup list, it remains there, waiting for you to change your mind, I imagine. You can remove the unselected items by editing the Registry, but a simpler way is to use the free MSConfig Cleanuputility from Virtuoza. After you download and install the program, simply open it to view a list of the deselected items in your machine's Startup list. Check those you want to remove permanently and click Clean Up Selected to give the entries the boot for good.

The free MSConfig Cleanup utility removes unchecked items from Windows' Startup list.

Stop Msconfig from starting automatically
One of my Windows XP systems insisted on starting Msconfig every time it booted. I tried clicking Start>Run, typing Msconfig /auto, pressing Enter, and checking "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts," but the Selective Startup window still popped up whenever Windows opened, requiring me to click OK>Exit Without Restart.

I found a script written by Doug Knox called xp_nomsconfig.vbs that is intended to close the Selective Startup window once and for all, but it didn't work on my system, generating an error message about needing Administrator permissions to run the script. I opened the script in Notepad (right-click it and choose Open With>Notepad), and then noticed that it removed a particular Registry entry called MSConfigReminder. After opening the Registry Editor (click Start>Run, type regedit, and press Enter), I noticed that the entry wasn't located in the key referenced by the script, but was in another: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (one level up from the key the script pointed to). I deleted the key, restarted the machine, and was delighted to see it start without Selective Startup appearing. Note that before you make any changes to your Registry, create a system-restore point, just in case.

Tomorrow: Troubleshoot Ubuntu Linux wireless-adapter woes.

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Two free and easy ways to share and sync folders

Few people do all their work on a single computer. Fewer still don't occasionally need access to files on another PC, whether their own or someone else's. The free Gbridge program lets you access and synchronize files and folders on any Internet-connected PCs quickly and simply.

Gbridge uses Google Talk to create a VPN connection for the secure transfer of files between your own PCs and the machines of family, friends, and coworkers. The service requires a Gmail account, but if you'd rather not use your primary Gmail account, you can create one for free specifically for using Gbridge.

A Tale of Two Desktops
Some people store their personal data in a carefully crafted tree of folders nested as many as five or six levels deep. I go the opposite direction and throw everything onto the desktop. Then I use the free Everything file-search utility to find the specific file I need. The program can sift through my desktop folder's 2GB of files in the blink of an eye.

Now I want to take that omnifolder approach a step further by merging the desktop folders of my laptop and home-office PCs. Gbridge manages the trick, but with one limitation: the program doesn't make it easy to view the contents of the synced folders side-by-side. The aptly named FreeFileSync provides more information about the two folders before you synchronize them.

Simple syncing and sharing of folders on multiple PCs
As part of the Gbridge installation, the program creates a VPN connection for its file transfers. The Gbridge installer warns you that Windows will prompt you to allow an unsigned driver as part of the process. A command-prompt window then opens to complete the installation. The window may stay open for several minutes but will close automatically when the installation completes.

You'll then be prompted to authenticate your Gbridge account by signing into a Gmail account. If you don't already have a Gmail account, or if you want to use an account other than your primary one, a link in the Gbridge authentication window lets you sign up for new one.

Sign into your Gmail account to begin using the Gbridge service to transfer, share, or sync files and folders.

(Credit: Gbridge)

After you enter your Gmail sign-in info, Gbridge imports your Google Talk contacts, but it doesn't contact any of them. Click one of the contacts to see options for starting a chat session, allowing the person to access your computer, inviting them to use Gbridge, or removing them from the list. Select Friends at the top of the list to view links for inviting other friends, blocking everyone from sharing the PC, and allowing all friends to access the machine.

Since I'll be sharing only with myself, I didn't need to send any invitations, but I did need to install Gbridge on both the laptop and home-office PC. Then I clicked the Create SecureShare button to begin the sharing process. In the Add New SecureShare dialog, select the folder you want to share, give the share a name, and add a description, if you wish.

Select the file or folder you want to share or sync and choose people to share with (if necessary).

(Credit: Gbridge)

By default, six file types are excluded: EXE, BAT, COM, MSI, WSF, and SCR. You can remove file types or add other ones to the excluded list. You can also password-protect the SecureShare. When you're done, click OK. If you haven't selected any friends, Gbridge warns you that you won't be able to share the material. After you click Yes to the alert, the transfer begins.

Track the progress of the current sync in the list of AutoSyncs.

(Credit: Gbridge)

When the process completes, a browser window opens showing the folder contents, including thumbnails of image files.

View your shared/synced files in a browser window that shows image thumbnails and basic file info.

(Credit: Gbridge)

Click an AutoSync's description to open the two-tabbed Edit Options dialog. The Basic Options show the folder's location on the Gbridge server, the local file path of the source, the description, and a drop-down menu showing eight options for the sync frequency, including Once (Manual thereafter).

The settings on the Advanced Options tab let you decide what to do when a file is deleted from the local and remote folders or if a local file is changed. You can also set the number of file copies to keep, include or exclude specific files, or sync a single file.

Gbridge's Advanced Options let you choose whether to save old copies of deleted or changed files.

(Credit: Gbridge)

It took only 20 minutes to complete the initial upload of the laptop's 1.85GB desktop folder, but it took more than twice as long to sync the folder with the home-office desktop and just under 30 minutes to sync the 1.3GB desktop on the home-office PC with the notebook's desktop. That's not bad for a free service that completed the two-way sync without a hitch.

The desktop folders on the laptop and home-office PC sync once a day.

(Credit: Gbridge)

Gbridge is capable of much more than simply syncing folders on two different PCs. You can also use it for backup, secure chat, and — most importantly — access to the entire remote PC, not just one or more of its folders. The Gbridge DesktopShare feature is based on the UltraVNC remote-access software. I didn't test Gbridge's secure chat or remote-access features.

Free sync program takes a deliberate approach to duplicate files
Using Gbridge's AutoSync makes it easy to set up and run folder syncs, but the program doesn't let you see what you're syncing beforehand. The FreeFileSync utility provides a side-by-side comparison of any two folders. Simply enter the folder paths or click Browse and navigate to them. Then click Compare to view the contents of each folder in two scrollable lists.

FreeFileSync makes it easy to view and compare the contents of any two folders.

(Credit: FreeFileSync)

To sync the two folders, click the Synchronize button. If the program senses the sync may damage files or folders, it asks you to ignore the warning or abort the sync. It then shows you a preview of the sync, including how many files will be copied and added to each folder, as well as how many will be deleted.

Before a sync begins, FreeFileSync shows you the number of files that will be copied and added to and deleted from each folder.

(Credit: FreeFileSync)

FreeFileSync lets you copy locked files (via Windows Volume Shadow Copy service) and add commands for opening and using external applications. The program supports very long file names and works with an unlimited number of files. You can delete files before you copy them to avoid running out of disk space when syncing large folders.

One of these days, any file we want — and have a right to — will be available from anywhere at any time. Until then, fast and simple folder-sync programs such as Gbridge and FreeFileSync are reasonable substitutes.

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NOKIA E-75

 Nokia E-75 is dual mode business phone and occupies a very large brand name as it contains various software and hardwareapplications which makes this handset more user friendly.

Nokia E-75 mobile phone comes under the brand name name of NOKIA. All the models of nokia have great features and this model is one of them, cementing its unique position on the e-mail and also in communication scenario. It is a GSM/WCDMA dual mode business smart phone. Main features are find directions and locations with the integrated A-GPS and

included maps. This model is having certain characteristics like USB charging along with transferring of data.


Another big advantage of this model over others is that there is no need to boot up a PC to view e-mail experience. With this model nokia strongly holds the consumers attention in the highly competitive market.As far as its quality is concerned, it has a high quality appearance along with attractive curves and highly compact dimensions. It comprises of a set of ear plugs, USB cable, and battery charger, micro SD memory card and most important an instruction manual which gives all the detailed information regarding the uses of different components of mobile. Apart from nokia messanging service this model comes with full nokia maps and great gaming experience with N-gage available.


Please visit any mobile phone deals at www.thephoneonline.co.uk/best-deals.asp?id=nokiae75


In today’s world the costs and benefits of technology are main criteria which influence efficiency and productivity to a large extent. It has all the essentials of good security features, stable keys and input method, simultaneous data transfer etc. Availability in different colours like silver black, red, copper yellow etc. makes it more popular among youth .Its price range is also stable. It contains various applications in the form of Java, flash lite, instant chat messanging, ZIP manager, download etc. Music and audio features and its recording are also a prominent part of this handset. Nokia E-75 is a smart phone having key board called QWERTY and also having strong front key pad. It has all the essential features to become popular in world .

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Microsoft releases 'sunset edition' of Money

Microsoft Money may be headed off into the sunset, but Redmond has one last version to offer those who are still using the personal finance product.

The so-called "sunset edition" of Microsoft Money was released earlier this month. Although it has fewer features--stripping out all of the online capabilities--this new version of Microsoft Money doesn't require activation, meaning that users who need to install it on a new PC or who lose their product code won't be stuck without their data.

"The Microsoft Money Plus Sunset versions are replacements for expired versions of Microsoft Money Essentials, Deluxe, Premium, and Home and Business," Microsoft said in a statement. "They allow existing customers to use MoneyPlus to continue accessing their data."

The Web site for Microsoft's now-discontinued Money Plus software. This month the company released a final "Sunset" edition for users that want to keep using the product after support ends.

(Credit: CNET)

As first reported by CNET last June, Microsoft is discontinuing the personal finance product. Sales ended last year and support is planned only through January 2011.

The challenge is that the product required online activation on each machine running Money, even once online services are discontinued.

"Now that Money Plus is no longer available for purchase, the online activation step will eventually become unnecessary and unsupported," Microsoft said on the download page. "This Money Plus Sunset package is targeted at removing the activation dependency."

Microsoft stopped selling Money at retail stores in 2008, but continued selling it online until last year, when it announced plans to discontinue the software.

There are actually two versions of the Sunset edition--one for those running Money Premium, Deluxe, and Essentials and the other for those running Money Home and Business. While users that plan to keep using Money should eventually install Money Sunset, the company warns those still getting online updates should stick with the version they have until they no longer need--or no longer can get--those updates. That's because the Sunset version actually strips out the ability to get online quotes, online updates from banks or do online bill paying.

"If your installation of Money Plus currently has active online services, or if your installation of Money Plus is still covered by support services...we recommend that you NOT upgrade to this version of Money Plus Sunset," Microsoft warned. The company estimates all online updates will be discontinued by January 31, after which point it suggests people move to the Sunset version. The software maker also recommends that users keep their original software, their most recent activation key as well as the Sunset software. Plus, it said, for users using a Windows Live ID to authenticate the software, they should switch to using Money's built-in authentication, in case it ever pulls the plug on Live ID-based authentication for Money.

So far, Microsoft has done little to make people aware of the new version, other than posting it for download. However, the company said that will change.

"We will be promoting the Microsoft Money Plus Sunset versions in the coming weeks and will encourage consumers currently using online services to retain their current version to take advantage of the online services until they expire," the company said in a statement to CNET. "For users already without online services, we will encourage them to move over to the new versions now."

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