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Google News Alerts

Google Alerts formWould you like to get targeted news/web searches delivered to your email? Google Alerts can do that for you. Google Alerts allow you to get automated, customized news and web searches delivered to your email daily, weekly, or as breaking news alerts based on the criteria you provide. The service can be used without a Google account, but if you start using the service more, and you will, having an account will allow you to manage and tweak your alerts easier.  If you already use Google for a customized home page, email, Picasa account, Blogger account, or any of the other Google services, you can use that same account information to use and manage Google Alerts.

In order to really grasp how beneficial Google Alerts can be, you need to try it out for yourself. There are no limits to how many alerts you can create.  Here’s how:

  1. Click here to visit the Google Alerts page
  2. Type a search term or terms in the first box. Remember to spell your terms correctly and describe your search completely so your alerts are more accurate
  3. In the Type box, click and choose whether you want to get alert items from news stories only, blogs, videos, web in general (non-news), discussion groups, or comprehensive (which covers it all).
  4. Choose how often you want the emails in the third box. Your choices are daily, weekly, or as the news happens.
  5. Lastly, fill in your email and click the Create Alert button

Within a few hours, you will start to receive your email alerts. The email will be from Google Alerts with the subject Google Alert – Your Search Terms. The email will contain a list of the matches it found with the link to the story and where it is from and the first two lines of the story itself. You can delete or edit an alert at any time by going back to the Google Alerts web page and clicking the Manage your alerts link.

More Firefox 3.0 Features – Video Tip

I’ve posted some tips already demonstrating some of the power of Firefox 3.0. In today’s tip, I demonstrate how Mozilla has improved Firefox’s tabbed browsing, improved the ability to find and manage 3rd party add-ons, customize your address and search bar box lengths and more.

Take a look at the video and learn why Firefox 3.0 remains at the top of the Internet browsing mountain.

How to add the print and other buttons to Firefox toolbar – Video Tip

We love the Mozilla Firefox browser, but out-of-the-box it doesn’t show the print button. Also, some people like to have the Bookmark and History buttons available as well. This tip shows you how to add any or all of these buttons as well as others you might want.

  1. In Firefox, RIGHT click on a blank part of the toolbar (or Click View –> Toolbars –> Customize from the menus)
  2. Click and drag the buttons you want to the toolbar (you can also drag buttons you don’t need back into the customize box to delete them)
  3. Click Done

To see this tip in action, watch the short demo below!

Start programs automatically in Ubuntu – Video Tip

Windows user can use this tip to start programs automatically when they boot up their computers. This week I learned how to do the same thing with Ubuntu Linux (and its derivatives). Since my goal for this site is to impart all the knowledge I have in my brain to you, here is how to start programs on boot up in Ubuntu Linux:

1. Click System –> Preferences –> Sessions from the menus
2. Click the Add button in the Startup tab (should be already open)
3. Type the name of the program you want to start
4. Click the Browse button next to the Command box
5. Browse to the /usr/bin folder
6. Find and double-click the name of the program you want to start
7. Click OK
8. Click Close

Then next time you restart your Ubuntu machine, it will start the program you added. Of course, you can also uncheck the boxes next to programs you don’t need to start automatically just as easily.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds in writing. Watching the video below (2 minutes) will demonstrate the tip for you.

Zonbu Computers – $99 desktop and $279 laptop

Zonbu Linux Computers Today, I stumbled on a web site selling inexpensive Linux computers that I think we will see as a trend over the next few years. Zonbu sells only two computers; one laptop and one mini-desktop. They can be purchased with or without a comprehensive monthly service agreement that actually might be a good deal because of the extensive support they offer. The system’s run a customized version of Linux and advertised as “bullet proof” in terms of security.

Print Envelopes with One Click – Video Tip

Using Microsoft Word and a little customizing of the Word toolbar, this tip will get you printing envelopes easily.

If you write business letters with the recipient’s address in the body of the message, Word will pick up the address and insert it into your envelope when you use the envelope tool. Click on the Tools menu and then Envelopes and Labels. From there, you can print your envelope and set your default return address. Experiment with your printer a little to get the direction and feed of the envelope correct to make your printing easier.

Now to get the button on your toolbar for one-click access, follow these steps for Microsoft Word versions 2003 and prior (the video shows the methodology for Word 2007 and OpenOffice Writer as well):

1. Click on Tools from the menus
2. Click on Customize
3. Click on the Commands tab
4. Click on Tools in the Categories column
5. Scroll and find the Envelopes and Labels button in the Commands column
6. Click on it and drag it out to your toolbar…you can place it anywhere you want (I put mine next to the printer button)
7. Click on close

Now anytime you need to print an envelope your button is within reach.

The short video tutorial demonstrates these steps for you in pre-Word 2007 steps, Word 2007, and OpenOffice Writer.

Tip within a tip: Use these same steps to add any button you want to the toolbar.

Splashtop Instant On – Instant Off

On last week’s web show, I talked about how excited I was with a new technology called Splashtop. Adam sent me the site earlier last week, and since then my mind and ideas have been flying.

Splashtop was developed by a private company called Device VM. They work with hardware and software developers to bring their ideas to the market. Splashtop is being billed as a computer’s alter ego to the operating system (aka Windows, Linux, etc). Instead of booting all the way into your operating system (2 minutes plus), you can choose to boot to the Splashtop which, at the moment, runs a customized version of Mozilla Firefox and Skype.

When you choose to start your computer into Splashtop, you can be browsing the Internet in seconds. Everything you can do on the web is available. When you finish, hit the off button and the system shuts off instantly.

I am really excited about the possibility for Splashtop because I have been talking and writing a lot recently about the need for simpler computers. With all the computing we can do on the Internet today, there really is no need for a vast majority of computer users to deal with the complexities and cost of an operating system.

Take a look at the Splashtop web site and watch their video below and then let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Now I remember what I don’t like about Apple and Macs

Apple products are beautiful and functional. Many people brag about their iPod or Mac’s stability, but there is a good reason that Macs are so stable. Apple is very restrictive as to what others are allowed to do with their systems.

For example, if you have a iPod, you can only use iTunes if you want to sync music to it. If you have another brand of media player, it will not work with iTunes.

Most standard hardware such as keyboards, mice and printers are compatable with both Macs and PCs, but when it comes to software, Apple has some very strict standards that developers must meet and money must exchange hands to apply for Apple approval.

Busy weekend

My work week isn’t over. I have five computers/hard drives that I’m working on this weekend. My most exciting task is to setup an older XP HP machine with Ubuntu Linux. My customer had a huge XP problem and couldn’t use her restore CD’s to get it going. After some discussion of her options, costs, and time involved, she decided to give Ubuntu a try. This customer is retired, but is writing a book, uses a digital camera, is an AOL user, and emails a bunch. However, she loves here computer and has been using one for many years and has no qualms about trying something new.

Ubuntu – Day 14 – Final Report

 
Ubuntu Header graphic

I can’t believe it has been two weeks already that I’ve used Ubuntu Linux exclusively. If I had to sum up the experience in one word, that word would be “satisfying.” And my regular readers/listeners know that I can’t sum anything up in one word, so I will use this format to provide a complete synopsis of my Ubuntu thoughts.