Computer and Web Articles

1. http://vimeo.com/19374769 - A two and a half minute video showing a fellow using a simple machine to make rainbow vandalism. A duality of property destruction and smile creation.
2. http://tinyurl.com/4k7ygjp - This isn’t your standard alarm clock app. The Sleep on It iPhone app was designed to help you wake up on time feeling your best. Iin addition to waking you in the morning, Sleep on It tracks how long you sleep as well as your sleep quality. It keeps track of your moods, meds, and sleep cycles so that you can ultimately locate patterns that affect your sleep and learn how much sleep you need to feel energized. Developed by MedHelp (a large online health community) in partnership with GE Healthymagination, the Sleep on It iPhone app is completely free.
3. http://tinyurl.com/5uqttf - One hundred and one computer magazine ads from the past. A fascinating, and oftentimes quite funny, visual trip down one of technology’s memory lanes.
4. http://SproutSocial.com - Does your business actively use social media? Do you find yourself wishing it was easier to manage and track your efforts? SproutSocial can help. SproutSocial allows you to find new customers, generate simple reports and analytics, monitor your brand, organize your contacts, and maintain a clear understanding of your engagements’ and efforts’ results. An easy to understand Social Media Dashboard and comprehensive (yet not overwhelming) tools can streamline and simplify your social media management. Sound enticing? Give their free thirty day trial a shot.
5. http://tinyurl.com/4v6hqgw - Eleven beautifully designed charts that shed light on a not-so-pleasant topic: the substantial imbalance of wealth in the U.S. The graphics take large numbers that are often challenging to appreciate on their own and transform them into clear visual representations of the state of our nation’s current wealth distribution.

1. http://tinyurl.com/3o4p4bq - Limited space for your laptop’s workstation? Take a look at these tiny/minimal laptop desks meant for the smallest of spaces.
2. http://tinyurl.com/3r7zgdd - The IntelliVocab app for iPhones improves your vocabulary and auto-adapts to your progress. Very nice!
3. http://strollometer.com – “Presenting the world’s first computer/speedometer designed to fit on any baby stroller.” For time-challenged mothers looking to get back into shape after having a baby, Strollometer suggests doing more of what you’re already doing: strolling (while using their tool, of course).
4. http://tinyurl.com/3cej6gb - In today’s News You Didn’t Want to Hear: research is showing that mobile use before bedtime wrecks your sleep.
5. http://tinyurl.com/3tlc9rc - The best free clock screensavers you’ve (probably) never seen. Definitely some cool ones here.

In the past we’ve discussed the importance of cleaning our keyboards. (Refresher: they become appallingly unsanitary and bacteria-infested become over time.)

Last week I chanced upon a brilliant DIY article that offered a great keyboard-cleaning alternative to the effective but time consuming, labor intensive methods we’ve (ahem—that includes you, right?) employed in the past. And this keyboard-cleaning alternative lets our dishwashers do the work for us.

Yep, that’s right: the article walks you through the comparatively quick process of safely using your dishwasher to sanitize your keyboard.

Though I’d have liked to have tested the process before sharing the article with you, I purchased a brand new keyboard less than two weeks ago and it’s still quite spotless. As keyboards don’t stay clean very long though, I’m looking forward to using this technique in the near future.

And to answer your question: It’s true, I purchased a new keyboard because I ever so gracefully spilled my drink across my old one.

Here’s the link to the step-by-step article. Happy dishwashing:
http://tinyurl.com/3db6eek

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I recently found myself reviewing articles I’d written for the Summit Daily way back in 2003. Some of them seemed extremely dated. Others are as relevant today as they were back then.
Here’s one of those still-relevant (and fun) reads…

July 20th, 2003:

In our world of emails and online chats, it’s not surprising that a plethora of abbreviations have become increasingly commonplace. That’s why today’s article may be something you cut out and tuck away in your desk drawer for those times you find yourself needing a quick abbreviation-translation.

Perhaps you already find yourself confused by the chat conversations and emails from your niece that are peppered with <g>’s and talk about her new “BF.” Well, with today’s abbreviation-translations, you’ll now know that the <g>’s are really grins and her new BF is a boyfriend, not a big frog.

Though more detailed lists exist online (just try a google search for “chat abbreviations”), I’ve compiled a list of some of the more common abbreviations out there (as well as a few silly ones thrown in for fun). Just for you. Here it is. FWIW & HTH:

<eg> - evil grin
<g> - grin (or giggle)
AAMOF – As a matter of fact
AFAIK – As far as I know
BC – because
BF – boyfriend
BFF – best friend forever
BFN – Bye for now
BTW – By the way
BION – Believe it or not
CADET – Can’t add, doesn’t even try
CULA – See you later, alligator
DK – Don’t know
DLTBBB – Don’t let the bed bugs bite
FTF – Face to face
FWIW – For what it’s worth
GF – Girlfriend
GG – Good game
HHOK – Ha ha only kidding
HSIK – How should I know?
HT – Hi there
HTH – Hope that (or this) helps
IAC – In any case
IDK – I don’t know
IMA – I might add
IMHO – In my humble opinion
IMO – In my opinion
J4F – Just for fun
JAS – Just a second
JK - just kidding
JMO – Just my opinion
K - Okay
KHYF – Know how you feel
KYFC – Keep your fingers crossed
L – laugh
LLTA – Lots and lots of thunderous applause
LOL – Laughing out loud
LMAO – Laughing my a** off
LTHTT – Laughing too hard to type
MRA – Moving right along
MYOB – Mind your own business
NP – No problem
NTIM – Not that it matters
NTW – Not to worry
OAUS – On an unrelated subject
OMG – Oh my god
OO – Over and Out (end of communication)
OTOH – On the other hand
POS – Parent over shoulder!
RL – Real life
ROTFL – Rolling on the floor, laughing
ROTFLAS Rolling on the floor, laughing and screaming
ROTFLMAO – Rolling on the floor, laughing my a** off
S – smile
SEC – Wait a second
SLM – See last mail
SOW – Speaking of which
SWIM – See what I mean?
SYS – See you soon.
TAFN – That’s all for now
TTBOMK – To the best of my knowledge
TTFN – Ta ta for now
TTYL – Talk to you later
TYCLO – Turn your Caps Lock off (Stop shouting!)
WDALYIC – Who died and left you in charge?
WDYT – What do you think?
WTH – What the hell?
WTTM – Without thinking too much
YGTBK – You’ve got to be kidding
YKWIM – You know what I mean

TTFN, everyone! Until next week…

You’re working in your Excel spreadsheet, typing text into a cell. You hit Enter to move on to the next cell and WAIT A SECOND. Your text in the last cell just turned into a long line of hashtags. (###################)

And nothing you do fixes the problem. It’s just hashtag city.

Here’s what you do: Right click the cell (or highlight all the cells in which you’re having the problem then right click on one of them). Choose Format Cells from the menu that popped open. Let me guess. The word Text is highlighted in the list you’re looking at, isn’t it? Let’s change that. Click on General, then click the OK button, and you’re all set. Easy.

Curious as to why that was happening? In Excel, cells that formatted as Text are allowed to contain up to 255 characters. Cells formatted as General are allowed to contain up to 1024 characters.

1. http://tinyurl.com/6hnomom - What do you get when you slow down a video (to half speed) of a laughing baby and a dog snapping at soap bubbles? As one astute commenter pointed out, it sounds like a evil man laughing who’s had too many cigarettes and whiskey. This video WILL make you smile, if not laugh.
2. http://tinyurl.com/3vh7vmn - Facebook-loving parents name their kid “Like”. I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t make this up.
3. http://tinyurl.com/3djz8op - QuickReminders is (yet another) tool that allows you to email reminders to yourself. Choose one-time reminders or recurring reminders, search past reminders, and manage all your reminders in one spot.
4. http://tinyurl.com/3fht3tm - Do you use a police scanner app like iScanner, PoliceStream, or 5-0 Radio Police Scanner? You might be breaking the law.
5. http://tinyurl.com/3pld2fv - If you used to play Super Mario Brothers like there was no tomorrow, this one-man performance of the game’s glorious theme will pour on the nostalgia.

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