Computer and Web Articles

1. http://tinyurl.com/yf9z5lx - Fifteen internet annoyances–and how to fix them.
2. http://tinyurl.com/yedhe5l - A blog post written by Louis Gray discussing what social media is . . . and what social media is not.
3. http://sketch.odopod.com – A fun online sketching tool for all the artists out there.
4. http://tinyurl.com/yakcgnw – “The Copenhagen Wheel quickly transforms ordinary bicycles into hybrid e-bikes that allow you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need a bit of a boost. It also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time.” What a concept!
5. http://tinyurl.com/mm5k3n - Find yourself needing to shred personal or financially sensitive documents every once in a while, but can’t justify purchasing a shredder? How about a pair of lovely low-tech shredding scissors for your office?

1. http://tinyurl.com/ykjrmhf - This fun article shows “nine awesome uses for dead tech products.” These nine (sometimes goofy) DIY project examples were pulled from a new book called 62 Projects to Make With a Dead Computer (and Other Discarded Electronics) by Randy Sarafan.
2. www.graffed.com – A simple, organized way to track changes in your body measurements over time. Weight change is more than just pounds; some men may be aiming for bigger arms while some women may be aiming for smaller thighs. Graffed.com lets you set a goal and then compare body measurements as they change over time through reports, interactive tools, and bar graphs.
3. http://earth.google.com/ocean/showcase - “Dive into the ocean and discover who lives there – from a deep sea octopus to humpback whales.” Listen to National Geographic ocean explorer, Sylvia Earle, narrate a fascinating tour through some of the best photos and videos contained within the amazing “Explore the Ocean” layer of Google Earth. While visiting Google’s Ocean Showcase you can also research underwater discoveries, dive deep down into the Great Lakes, check out popular surf spots, and even explore eerie shipwrecks. You’ll need to have the Google Earth plugin installed to experience all that the Ocean Showcase has to offer; if need be you can conveniently install it by clicking the big blue “Get the Google Earth Plugin Now” button that will be displayed in the center of the page upon your arrival.
4. www.mycelery.com – A service called Celery allows people to exchange emails (and even participate on Twitter and Facebook) without a computer or internet access. All that’s needed is a fax machine. Any fax machine. Celery automatically prints incoming emails and instantly sends outgoing pen-and-paper messages as email. Perfect for communicating with parents/grandparents who simply have no interest in learning how to use the internet or email. (And yep, there are still plenty of those out there.) Celery can even receive and print HTML-based emails as well as .jpgs, .gifs, .pngs, etc. Check out this short news segment on an 87-year old Grandma Twittering with paper-and-pen using just her fax machine: http://tinyurl.com/yaa32qu.
5. http://tinyurl.com/yzyxyw4 - Researching CRMs? Trying to determine which CRM would be the best fit for your company’s needs? Visit this link to receive a free report offering a side-by-side comparison that breaks down the top 15 CRMs in the industry. Compare pricing per user, service and support features, sales force automation features, and much more.

1. http://tinyurl.com/ybsemv6 - Personally, I think it’s fantastic that you take good care of your computer. Your maintenance efforts will surely prolong the life of your machine. Unfortunately though–just like humans–computers and software do age and, while you can slow down your computers’ aging process, you can’t avoid it altogether. Learn more by visiting this link.
2. http://tinyurl.com/32l6zq - 10 reasons why you should consider using an exercise ball as your office chair.
3. http://tinyurl.com/6yqc5r - Blog usability checklist. It may be from 2007 — but it’s one of those “oldie but goodie” posts.
4. http://tinyurl.com/ybf78pv - Do you, by any chance, happen to have a phone that’s running Android 1.6+? Yes?? Well then, by all means, check out Google Goggles!! This amazing technology actually lets you search the web *using pictures*. Yes, that’s right. Take a photo with your phone and Google Goggles will tell you what you’re looking at. Perhaps you’re on vacation staring at something that you know is … some … famous … landmark … but you can’t quite remember what it’s called. Take a photo with your phone and Google Goggles will come back and say “Oh – that big thing is called the Golden Gate Bridge.” Pretty amazing. It will definitely be fun to watch this technology develop as time goes by.
5. http://tinyurl.com/yeeh9ag - A fun post from Lifehacker on how to creatively hide all your … stuff.

1. www.macfreedom.com - Have you ever found yourself wishing, at some point or another, that you could be truly free from the temptations and distractions of the internet? MacFreedom can help you fulfill this wish; it disables networking on your Mac for up to eight hours at a time. No hopping on the Internet “you know, just for two minutes…” (But what happens if there’s an emergency, you ask? No worries — a simple reboot will get you back online.)
2. www.academicearth.org – Learn more. This fantastic site was created with the goal of giving everyone on earth access to world-class education. (Well, everyone on earth with a solid internet connection who understands English, it appears.) The website allows you to view free video lectures/courses from leading universities. There’s an amazing breadth of fascinating topics you can learn about; I highly recommend taking a look. Thanks so much to Marie Orlin for the link!
3. http://tinyurl.com/yfjr4p6 - What are the steps involved in upgrading to Windows 7? Find out right here.
4. www.vark.com - “Aardvark is a new kind of tool that lets you tap into the knowledge and experience of friends and friends-of-friends.” Use Aardvark to find recommendations, answers to questions that come up every day, answers to research questions, advice or second opinions, etc.
5. http://tinyurl.com/y8ryzes - A great blog post by Johnathan Fields explaining why, when it comes to social media, small is the new big. Love the mountain bike madness example.

QUESTION: I’m not really sure how to get the most out of my LinkedIn account. Any suggestions?
- Lynn, Breckenridge

ANSWER: Well, it depends on what, exactly, you’re trying to achieve by having a LinkedIn account in the first place. Though I’m not aware of your goals, I can still point you in the direction of a great slideshow. (Tip: It’s easier to download it and view it on your computer than it is to try and zoom in and read its content in the little slideshow viewer on the website; you’ll need to create a free account to do this, though.)

Here’s the link: http://tinyurl.com/yh7jobv.

1. www.GoI70.com - Skiers, sightseers, residents and mountain travelers of all kinds now have a new way of planning and optimizing their next trip along I-70. GoI70.com is a new site and mobile phone application dedicated to the I-70 traveler. The site allows you to view current highway speeds, get tips for the best times to travel, and search for a variety of other I-70 related topics, such as trailheads, shopping, parking, lodging, and restaurants located along the I-70 corridor.
2. www.google.com/patents - Did you know that Google lets you conduct online searches of over seven million patents? Take a look for yourself. I was able to locate my great grandfather’s patent from 1893 using the search. Pretty sweet.
3. http://tinyurl.com/yfyt6jd - Let me guess. You spend time, money, or both trying to obtain more incoming links to better your website’s search engine rankings. If so, you might like this article, entitled “Eleven Effective, Efficient Ways to Use Limited Time to Build Links.” The examples offered may not relate directly to the services or products offered by your business, but you’ll likely grab at least a couple new ideas from this list.
4. http://tinyurl.com/yaoo36a - This article, “The ABC’s of Online Networking” contains a list that includes sites, people, engines, applications, and tips on how to best research, establish and network yourself and your business online.
5. http://tinyurl.com/yaremkk - “The Known Universe” - A six and a half minute video that zooms out from Tibet all the way to the limits of the observable universe. Neat.

1. http://tinyurl.com/ybuhadq - For your learning enjoyment, here we have … the history of the Internet. Conveniently for you, though, the article wraps up the Internet’s history in a nutshell; no need to read through dozens of books to get the big picture.
2. www.cheddargetter.com – A lovely, fresh new system for those selling online subscriptions and obtaining automated recurring payments from customers. Track and bill your customers with ease; “simply plug in your merchant account credentials and CheddarGetter will begin charging your customers immediately.”
3. http://tinyurl.com/yfb26bo - Five easy-to-understand reasons why your company’s website is failing you.
4. http://tinyurl.com/3ddjjj - Mac users only: Excellent character key reference.
5. http://tinyurl.com/539ux - A great list of time-saving Internet Explorer shortcuts.

1. http://tinyurl.com/y8dsvo3 - I’m on a boat… I’m on a boat… No I’m not. This is the most biggest, most gigantic-ist, most craziest, most … um, well … you get the picture. Some will find the idea of a vacation on this boat thrilling. Others will surely find it sickening. What are your thoughts?
2. http://tinyurl.com/lylxob - Five beliefs that limit productivity – and how to overcome them.
3. http://tinyurl.com/y9dtemq - Learn how to hide your Facebook friend list.
4. www.photojojocom.com – “An insanely great newsletter on photography” with the very best photo tips, DIY projects, gear and more.
5. www.californiacoastline.org – Anyone else out there from California? You might like this site. Ken Adelman took over 10,000 aerial photos of the entire California coastline from a helicopter and put them all up in sequential order on this website for your viewing pleasure. I was able to find my friends’ home on the cliffs near Pacifica as well as some neat views of my high-school hangout spots.

1. http://tinyurl.com/y9dtemq - Learn how to hide your Facebook friends list.
2. http://tinyurl.com/5q86qh - Mac users: Work faster and more efficiently with these helpful Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts.
3. http://lifehacker.com/5205629 - And here we have Lifehacker’s “Top 10 Must-Have Firefox Extensions, 2009 Edition” post. Enjoy.
4. http://tinyurl.com/ybtmy4e - Check the ergonomic fitness of your workstation with this useful checklist.
5. http://tinyurl.com/lylxob - Five beliefs that limit productivity – and how to overcome them.