Smart Ways to Use Gmail in Firefox

I passed along tips the other day from my Firefox buddy and expert, Mike M., from Dripping Springs TX.

Today, two tricks for using Gmail in Firefox.

Did you know you can color Gmail labels? That's perfect for highlighting incoming mail by color. You can also have a "preview bubble" that will show you a floating window when you right-click a piece of incoming mail. I love this because I don't have to "open" the email in another tab or window.

It'll take three short steps to make this work.

First, if you haven't already done it, you've got to install Greasemonkey. It's a Firefox add-on that allows the implementation of user scripts. The installation is quick and easy. Just head for the site, click Install Now to get it, and restart Firefox.

Second, to install the label colors, go to the Google Code site and click on "Label Colors" from the list on the right-hand side of the page under "Links." You'll get a pop-up asking you to confirm the install by clicking the "Install" button when it lights up. The install will happen pretty quickly -- you may not even notice that it occurred. No Firefox restart is required.

Finally, stay on the Google Code's page and in the Links section, click on "Conversation Preview." Follow the same routine as with Label Colors, and it will install quickly.

Mike said that since these scripts were written by Google they're safe. You can read Google's description of the scripts at your leisure, though some of it is pretty technical.

To color the labels, just rename them and add "color" to the name For instance, Michael is renamed Michael red; e-mail from Steve is Steve blue. Read the full description if you want to get fancier colors.

BTW, Mike said that Gmail has recently started a selective roll out a "new" interface, so not everyone has it yet. If you're using the newer version of Gmail, you can now directly color labels by clicking the gray box to the right of the label name and choosing a color. How can you tell if you're using the "new version"? If you are, there will be a link in the top right corner of the screen that says "Older version." Google temporarily left a link to let users go back to the old if they don't like the new.

Talkback
Have something to say? You can use Comments below or if you'd prefer, fire an e-mail right into my inbox.

Smart Ways to Use Firefox

My buddy Mike M., from Dripping Springs TX, wrote and started pestering me. "You're still using that pile of junk browser?" he asked, referring to Internet Explorer.

Yes and no, I told him. I'm still using Maxthon 1.0, that marvelous browser that sits on top of IE. It works fine, I said, and no, I insisted, I'm not switching to Firefox.

It didn't stop him from telling me about two add-ons to Firefox that he finds extremely useful, so I decided to pass along Mike's pearls.

The first is CoolIris, an add-on which allows you to preview a page by floating your mouse over a link. Once you're floating, a smaller, resizable preview window pops up, saving you from having to fully open another page. Mike says that's especially handy when reading news stories from Google News and reviewing search results from Google.

The other nifty add-on is PicLens. If you ever search Google Images, you'll appreciate how PicLens turns all those little thumbnail images into a full-screen slide show. And since it works within Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, and other image management tools, you'll see a real benefit when looking at people's photo collections.

Tomorrow, Mike's tips and add-ons for using Gmail in Firefox.

Jazz Performances on YouTube

I blogged about streaming music earlier in the week (read it here). I have two more super spots for you to look at.

Start with FoxyTunes, a wonderful site for digging up videos of live music performances. If you're a jazz buff, type in a favorite performer ?- I like Bill Evans--and you'll get a page of resources, including links to Flicker, Hype Machine, Rhapsody, and Last.fm. (Thanks, Bill W.)

The best part -- and the one I'm most excited about -- is the links to YouTube videos. For instance, the FoxyTunes link got me to almost 100 videos of Bill Evans performances. Sweet.

Update: I just received a note from "the.anti.stupidity" and he had some useful stuff to say about foxytunes. Here's the skinny:

"The foxy tune website is integrated with the foxy tune add on for Firefox. It's fantastic -- you can control play back of your favorite play lists from any music player without leaving the browser window."

"If you like the song, just press a button and a page from foxytune opens containing the lyrics, the group, similar groups, google search results, radio, and YouTube matches, as well as pics from many sites depending on how you configure the site. It totaly changed my music experience even though I have very little music knowledge. You can download the free foxy tunes add-on here."

I spent the good part of a day finding tons more. For instance, I found a rare performance of the Shelly Manne Quartet at the long-gone Shelly's Mannehole in Hollywood.

And this lead me to a whole world of jazz videos -- just marvelous stuff. Here's a video of the Eliane Elias Trio and an incredible video collection of over 100 jazz performances.

Talkback
Have something to say? You can use Comments below or if you'd prefer, fire an e-mail right into my inbox.

Cute Video for the Holidays

Sure, I know, it's a beer commercial (and a not-very-good beer at that). But think of it as a horse and holiday related video, and you may get a chuckle.

Happy Holidays from Steve Bass

Click here for a holiday greeting.

For more great cards, visit Jacquie Lawson

Free Streaming Music For the Holidays

I don't know about you, but I'm not working too hard today -- or probably for the rest of the week. (Oh, yeah, like you are? Please...)

So today, I'm slacking off and passing along a handful of cool, streaming music sites. (Thanks to Bill W., Alex E., Jack K., Sandy C., and Allison F.)

If you want to listen to some good music while you're wrapping gifts, try Kunst der Fuge. There are a lot of MIDI files, but look for the WMA files, which are actual recordings. The WMA recordings are not as "hi-fi" as MP3, but are okay if you're not in an audio aficionado mood.

Just click on the "WMA" and your Windows Media Player should start. You can save them to your hard disk, too.

Then take a second and watch the Indiana University men's A Cappella Choir. It's a comedic version of The Twelve Days of Christmas performed at the Musical Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana.

I have more. A PR flack sent along a blurb about, well, who knows what. But what caught my eye were the links to three neat-o Slacker Radio stations. Holiday Hits, Holiday Classics, and my fav, Holiday Jazz.

And if you haven't had enough, here's an amazing resource. Music Discovery list what looks like a hundred places for you to pick up new tunes.

Friday Roundup of Weird Stuff

You know what day it is, right? Friday, the time I roundup all of the weird sites, games, and videos -- and hope that my editor doesn't read the blog.

Watch this French TV channel commercial saying that to really enjoy a movie, you have to see it. They use a spoof of the trailer for "The March of the Penguins" movie to plug the idea -- and it's hilarious.

A holiday greeting from a law office: Happy Chrismschanukwanzikah!
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the recipient of said wish.

By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Time Killers for Christmas: There's still plenty of time for you to decorate your PC, or just waste some time, with these Christmas diversions. The 12 Day$ of Chri$tma$ will give you the some idea what the 12 days of gifts will run you. On the other hand, Respect Soft Christmas Tree gives you a way to plaster a Christmas countdown clock onto your desktop.

Not enough, you say? How about another bunch of assorted holiday screen savers and other time-wasting nonsense. Our downloads collection is right here.

Land Your Plane in...: Think you have terrific geography skills? Take your Lufthansa for a quick trip and see if you can land in the right country. (Careful, it's addictive.)

Free Rice: It's a game -- and believe it or not, it's real. They really do donate rice to the United Nations World Food Program. [Thanks, Ken C.]

Sign Here: When I buy something with my credit card, my scrawl on the electronic dotted-line is illegible. I've recently added little doodles and an occasional happy face. (That's in retaliation for the clerk who insist on wishing I'd haveaniceday, usually slurred into a one-syllable word.) Apparently I'm not the only scribbler. Check out the Credit Card Prank site for the story of a super-scrawler...

Grab a Paintbrush: Remember the last time you saw a Jackson Pollock painting and you said, "hey, I can do that!"? You can, by moving your cursor on the screen, clicking your left mouse button to change colors, and if you're disappointed, pressing the space bar to clear your drawing. [Thanks, Matt!]

Check out some revealing facts about your zip code -- at the ZipSkinny site. [Thanks, Truman.]

Don't give your son the keys to the car. No really, don't do it! You do, and this might happen.

Here's a nifty way to write your name in the snow. (How cool is this!) Check mine out. [Thanks, Gus.]

Feeling stressed? Play Jet Slalom and get wigged out. If that didn't get your adrenaline going, try a game of Curveball.

Three More Tips for Better, Faster Computing

You probably heard that my editor, Kim, wants more tips. I gave her some for the last few blogs (check here and here). But unlike my salary, her demands keep increasing, so here are another three ways for you to make your computing life more enjoyable. [Note to Editor: Take tomorrow off, willya? Thanks.]

The Problem With Microsoft Keyboards
Getting the Function keys to behave on some Microsoft keyboards is a monumental task. The problem is that these keys operate in two ways: as normal function keys, the ones we've come to know and love; and as special application keys that perform special tasks in Microsoft apps. I, for one, can't stand this, because the keyboard defaults to the application keys rather than function keys when the system boots.

Want the function keys back to "normal"? You need to hit the special "F Lock key" to make the function keys work, well, like function keys. But there's an easier way, a free utility called F Lock Key that toggles the keys back to special functions.

Desktop Icons Go Zonkers
It happens to every desktop. One day the icons are just where you want them, then maybe you play a game and your monitor's resolution is temporarily changed--and the position of your icons are zapped.

If the icons are helter-skelter and you want to restore them to their original location, use SaveMyDesktop. This freebie saves the location of your icons and restores them to their places after you've tweaked your desktop.

Tweaks with Tweakomatic
Are you feeling geeky? The you'll like Microsoft's Tweakomatic. The utility is like Microsoft's TweakUI, the fabulous, free took for messing with XP, but for geeks. And I do mean it: The tool (essentially Windows Management Instrumentation scripts) is for really advanced users. However, even if you're a novice, or a wannabe geek, you might want to check out the lengthy (and extremely funny) explanation, then download the tool here.

Download Release Candidate of SP3 for Windows XP

Microsoft's about to release SP3. Hold off on the trumpets -- it's nothing to get rattled over. And keep in mind that this is the Release Candidate version, also known as RC1; you might want to wait for the final product that should be available in the next day or so.

What's the Big Deal?
Windows XP SP3 is a cumulative update and here's how Microsoft describes it:

Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for [all 32-bit versions of XP]. This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customers? experience with the operating system.

You can get more details in our Business Center report: Microsoft Lets Everyone Try Windows XP SP3.

Do You need SP3? It Can't Hurt...
If you've been keeping current using Windows Update, there's no need to download and install SP3. However, if you think you'll ever reinstall Windows, SP3 belongs on a CD. That's because you can install it on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2 instead of waiting for Windows Update to download the updates in bits and pieces. BTW, the file's 320MBs, so don't even consider downloading it if you're on dialup.

You can read about SP3 -- or download the RC1 directly from Microsoft's Windows Update site.

For those of you feeling cautious -- not a bad idea -- below is the direct link to the Windows Update site. (It's broken into three lines, so it won't act like a link; you'll need to copy and paste it into your broswer.)

http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-
19990518/cabpool/windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-
enu_a2ca583dedcd86837796111a632efa29a23f4cc0.exe

Burning an SP3 CD
Once you've downloaded SP3, the best bet is to burn it onto a CD. If you're unsure how, read Slipstreaming Service Pack 2 on an Old Windows XP CD -- and substitute SP3. The article also explains how to burn a bootable Windows CD and recommends the best software to use. [A special thanks to Rod Ream for the SP3 lead.]

Talkback
Have something to say? You can use Comments below or if you'd prefer, fire an e-mail right into my inbox.

Two More Tips for Better, Faster Computing

Three Free Microsoft App Viewers: You ever get a PowerPoint file that you can't read? I don't want you to miss anything, so pick up Microsoft's free viewers for PowerPoint -- as well as Excel and Word.

Now try out the PowerPoint viewer by downloading this funny presentation of a plane that's just landed and the announcement you've heard a hundred times: "Please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete stop." The emphasis here is on complete stop.

You like that one? Here's another: It's the Automated Salary Review a PowerPoint presentation and it'll help prepare you for asking for a raise.

Get Back Online -- Fast! Computers are persnickety -- especially, it seems, the connection you have to the Internet. You've experienced it: everything's running along smoothly and then you uninstall an application or maybe let your anti-spyware tool quarantine some adware. When you try to access the Internet -- kapow -- no connection.

You can try closing the browser, rebooting, or whistling a merry tune, but you're locked out of the Internet. It's probably because a couple of Winsock settings have been hosed. The tool I use is WinSock XP Fix, a freebie that fixes corrupted or incorrect Winsock settings. Just run WinSock XP Fix, reboot, and you're back in business. Keep a copy of the program in your utilities folder just in case.

Get back online fast with WinSock XP Fix

TwoTips for Better, Faster Computing

My editor, Kim, the one who oversees my newsletters, started kvetching the other day. "More tips," she said, "that's what users want to read." I can't argue (and even if I did, it wouldn't do any good). So today, two tips that could make your computing life more productive.

Get Uninstalled: I use MyUninstaller, a freebie that replaces Microsoft's meager Add/Remove applet in Windows XP. I've used it for years and it's pinned it to my Start menu (right-click any item in your Start menu and choose "Pin to Start Menu"). MyUninstaller lets me see the location of the program I want to uninstall, when I originally installed it, and the name and location of the uninstall routine (which is helpful for troubleshooting). Grab a copy.

Stop Start Menu's Drag and Drop: When I travel, I make sure to bring a mouse so I can avoid the dopey touchpad on my notebook. That's because whenever I use the touchpad to access the Start menu, I screw something up in All Programs. You know how it is -- the touchpad always seems to hold onto an item and you end up dragging and dropping it into another menu.

Here's the fix: Right-click any empty spot on the taskbar, then elect the Start Menu tab, click Customize, and then go to the Advanced tab. In the "Start menu items" window, scroll to "Enable dragging and dropping" and remove its check mark.

Free: NOAA Weather Radio

Here's a good reference for those of you who will be on the road during the holidays.

Click on NOAA Weather Radio, select from 130 cities, and listen to real-time NOAA Weather Radio stations to get the latest forecasts and related information near your route.

Class Action Suit: Seagate May Owe You Some Money

My buddy MikeyD, from Southfield, Michigan, dropped a minor bombshell on me. He said Seagate was the target of a class action lawsuit. The claim: They mislead the public concerning the capacity of their hard drives.

He said, "It turns out they're offering either a cash refund or a free backup/restore software package to anyone who bought a Seagate hard drive from March 22, 2001 to December 31, 2005 (or the software only for purchases from January 1, 2006 to September, 26, 2007)."

Mikey told me he bought two Seagate drives during the qualifying period, registered both at the Seagate site, and was astonished at how little publicity there has been about it the class action suite. "I never received a word about this proposed settlement from them," he railed.

The suit involves the long-standing confusion concerning the number of bytes in a kilobyte, megabyte, and gigabyte. According to the suit's language, Seagate stated that purchasers of their drives would receive more usable storage capacity than they actually received. Seagate used the decimal definition of the term "gigabyte" (as 1 billion bytes) and that mislead consumers because computer operating systems report hard drive capacity using a binary definition of gigabyte (as 1,073,741,824). And if you insist on really understanding the numbers, go to SmartFTP's knowledgebase where you can get a bits, bytes, mega, giga, and terar explanation. Otherwise, just read the entire Seagate settlement agreement.

Legal Eagles: Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe
I think it's a bogus lawsuit -- the size difference, seven percent, isn't enormous -- and it doesn't warrant Seagate laying out what could be a bundle in fees. Consumers get five percent of the net amount you paid for the drive (the average, I'm guessing, will be about $10or maybe $15). The attorneys, bless their hearts, will pick up a little under two million (1,792,000, to be exact).

You can get the details on the Settlement website and fill in the online claims form here.

Alleged image of 1950s 5MB drive heading back
to the factory for reformatting

No Strings Freebie: DivX Pro

DivX is a codec you need to view many videos you've downloaded from the Net. Likely you already have the codec and maybe the DivX viewer. (Not sure what I'm talking about? Read the DivX Wiki.)

For a short time, you can get the $20 Pro version at no cost, directly from the company. The Pro version gives you a way to create your own DivX videos and convert other videos into DivX. Not all of you need the pro version, but if you do, it's a neat deal. Download it here.

Download This: Two Free Chanukah Screen Savers

One of my editors, bless her heart, really likes holiday screen savers -- Christmas, Chanukah (and Hanukkah), Kwanzaa, and who knows what else. Me, I wouldn't have one on any of my PCs. I like a plain, secular blue.

However, out of respect to my editor (and because she insisted), here are two Chanukah (and Hanukkah) screen savers. The Festival of Lights Screensaver is a freebie; the other -- 3D Dancing Hanukah Teddy Bears -- is free to try, but will cost you $10 if you find it as adorable as my editor did.

Networking Secrets Revealed, Part II

Yesterday I talked about creating a home or business network. Today, optimization and troubleshooting.

Optimizing Your Wi-Fi Network
If you know the secret, you can give your wireless router a kick in the pants and boosts its speed and range. Read how in Optimize Wi-Fi for VoIP, Video, and Gaming. Want more? Can do. Read How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Network's Performance.

Gadgets -- cameras, cell phones, Web radios -- can be difficult to connect to your wireless network. Check out Wi-Fi Extends to Gadgets for some helpful ideas. If you want to print wirelessly, scroll to Liberate Your Printer. And if you're curious about what's coming in Wi-Fi in 2008, browse around The Technology Coming to a Gadget Near You.

You might already have a network and have a need for utilities for your toolkit. Easy: Try Techie Tools for the Internet and for Home Networks.

Network Troubleshooting
Trouble with your network? Your first stop's got to be Never Call Tech Support Again! It's a thorough article that tackles some of the common networking hassles.

I have another gem: Carey Holzman, a crackerjack network consultant, and co-host of the Computer America radio show pieced together a guide that'll help you fix a troubled network. Read Diagnose and Repair SOHO Networks. In fact, Carey's working on a new networking book and is looking for networking annoyances. For the cost of an e-mail, he'll work with you on any networking program you're struggling with. Details here.

If your network looks like this, don't call Carey (or me)...

Networking Secrets Revealed

I got the message: Networking -- either wireless, wired, or through your home's power lines, is a hot topic. It must be because I got a stack of e-mails (okay, a dozen) and the page views were sky high.

Most of the messages wanted details about how to put together a network and how to troubleshoot a faulty network, or they asked questions about networking's future. So I rounded up a bunch of articles from PC World as well as links to other useful sites.

Use Your Electric Lines to Network
Last week I talked about Actiontec's MegaPlug AV 200 Mbps Ethernet Adapter Kit. (See Go Wireless -- Without WiFi.) If you're not sure about the technology, I have two articles that'll bring you up to speed First, try Powerline Adapters: Home Networking Without Rewiring and then follow up with Home Networking Technologies Vie for Position.

Setting Up a Home Network
If you're just starting out, there are a bunch of articles to look over. The first is How to Buy Home Networking Products. Then look at the How to Set Up a Wi-Fi Network video. If you're looking for a new wireless router, one product that disappointed our networking expert was Belkin's N1 Vision Wireless Router. Read the review here. At the same time, she was dazzled by Ruckus's ZoneFlex, a high-end Wi-Fi rig designed for small businesses. The review's here.

What your network shouldn't look like

Tomorrow: Optimizing your Wi-Fi network and network troubleshooting.

Friday Roundup: Time Killers

On Fridays I give you my weekly roundup of things that you can do while sitting at a staff meeting, pretending to be taking notes on your laptop, or just waiting for five o'clock to roll around.

Jet-Man -- The Incredible Flying Man: The Jetson's have nothing on this guy. No, really -- he straps on a jet, jumps out of a plane, and flies. Way cool.

Holiday Word Search: Every year I put together a word puzzle for our holiday dinner. I figure if I have to have a bunch of relatives over, they need to work for it (or at least spend some time kvetching when I hand them the puzzle). One of the tools I use is the Holiday Word Search tool. It's a freebie that gives me a way to print word search puzzles with built-in holiday word lists. Give it a try.

Happy Chanukah: I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good ham 'n' cheese sandwich at my Chanukah party...

Bembo's Zoo: You'll have fun with this cool alphabet display, even if you don't have kids.

As the Crow Flies: Ever wonder exactly how far it is from, say, East Yahchupitz, New York and PC World's world headquarters? The Crow Flight Calculator can figure it out -- to the inch. Check it out here.

Visual Thesaurus from ThinkMap: You have to try it. Type a word into the field (try the word change or process). A JAVA box opens with the word and all its connections. Click on any of the words to change the emphasis of the lookup. It's a fascinating way to look up words -- and of course, listen to your deadline whooshing by.

OfficeMax's Elves and Scrooge: They have two cool sites to let you dress yourself up as an elf or, if the cane fits, Scrooge. All you need is to follow the wizard -- upload a mug shot and the elf or Scrooge looks like you. For added excitement, call the toll-free number and plug in your own voice message. Here's me as Scrooge and an elf (with Lindsey and Paris, my pair of elfette assistants). [Thanks to the dozens of you who sent links to their elves...]

Hoax: What Side is Your Gas Tank On?

Okay, I fell for it. Me, the guy who always uses Snopes for a double check.

It started yesterday when I received a note from a friend.

Your instrument panel will tell you! Is this the world's best kept auto secret?

I followed the link, did a minimal amount of digging, and before forwarding the message, checked my two cars (both with gas fillers on opposite sides -- and no, I never remember which is which). Woo-hoo, I thought, my cars followed the pattern.

What's the Secret?
Apparently the auto industry, unable to give us vehicles that get great mileage, were able to give us an easy way to remember which side of the car has the gas tank filler cap. (Of course they decided not to tell us, hence, the secret.) According to the story, if the gas gauge on the car's instrument panel is on the left, so's the gas tank filler cap. If the gauge is on the right, well, you get the idea.

This all sounded right-on-target until Snopes put the kibosh on what could've been something very handy, especially with rental cars. Essentially, they said it's not true -- there's no consistent relationship between the location of the gas gauge and the gas filler nozzle.

A buddy of mine, Paul D. from Chatsworth, CA, is an automotive writer and he said:

Ford was the first one to put a triangle icon next to the gauge, sometimes with the tag: "Fuel Door." That was in the early '90s and other manufacturers picked it up as a great idea later in the decade. Now almost all domestic and imported vehicles have it.

If you're driving a car you're not familiar with, or go from car to car because you have several in the family, one way to check is to use the remote gas door opener. Then, look in the side view mirrors to see which side has popped open.

In the Snopes piece, they say manufacturers tend to put the filler pipe on the curb side of the car. Just remember that for Japanese manufacturers, the curb side is the left side, not the right. [Editor -- Hmmm... My Subaru Legacy has the filler pipe on the right.]

In the meantime, I'm going to crank out a "gas tank here" label for my card's dashboard on my Dymo LabelManager printer (about $90).

Go Wireless -- Without WiFi (Think Power Lines)

Want to network your home office or business? Your first thought is wireless, and it's definitely an option. On the other hand, if you have the courage, you can crawl under the floorboards and drag wires from room to room, or pull the cable through the ceiling.

There's a third alternative: Use your electrical wiring. The idea, known as HomePlug AV, is that you use power lines to move anything you'd normally transfer through a network -- data files, movies, TV and HDTV, music -- whatever. (You can learn about networks over power lines at the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.)

Actiontec's MegaPlug AV 200 Ethernet

What's Cool About HomePlug AV
The advantage over traditional Ethernet cabling is, of course, that HomePlug AV is easier to install (well, duh), and with a throughput speed of the 200 Mega bits per second, faster than Ethernet's 100 Mbps. The other problems you can avoid are the inherent WiFi hassles of range and dead spots.

I tried Actiontec's recently released MegaPlug AV 200 Mbps Ethernet Adapter Kit. Each PC, notebook, or other device you're planning to network needs a single adapter. The adapter is 2.25 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall, and about 2 inches thick. You can add up to 16 devices, way more than I'd ever need at Bass World headquarters. The kit comes with two MegaPlug Ethernet adapters, two Ethernet cables, and CDs with drivers. It costs a little over $130 on PC World's Product Finder.

The adapters plug right into an electric outlet

I Have a Concern
The first thing I worried about was if it'd work with my existing network. The answer is yes -- you can add an adapter to any wired or wireless broadband router on a system using Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. By the way, the HomePlug standard has a 128-bit AES security to prevent neighbors (not you, Harry) from plugging into your bandwidth.

The other concern I had was how the MegaPlug gear would work in my office that's loaded with uninterruptible power supplies and filtered power strips. I worried that these devices -- or any device emitting an RF signal -- would have an impact on the MegaPlug units. It turns out that nothing seemed to bother the MegaPlug device. However, according to the Actiontec engineers, it's best if the MegaPlug devices are connected to wall outlets. Nonetheless, they can be plugged into a heavy-duty extension cord that's connected to the wall outlet; essentially, they'll work everywhere except in isolated, filtered, or suppressed outlets.

Overall, I was able to add two MegaPlug adapters to my existing wired network in about 20 minutes and it worked as expected.

Talkback
I'm curious -- if you don't already have a network, would you consider a HomePlug device -- or add one to a wired or wireless setup? You can use Comments below or if you'd prefer, fire an e-mail right into my inbox.

Free Disposable Phone Number

Here's a way to play it safe when you put your phone number into a Craigslist ad or give it out to a salesperson. Grab a free, temporary, disposable, and entirely anonymous phone number that forwards calls to your real cell or landline. If you start getting calls from the pesky salesperson or are inundated with spamming telemarketers, just disable the number.

The Web service is provided by Numbr (catchy, no?), and so far, there's no charge to use the number.

Numbr gives you lots of options. For instance, you can set the expiration time for the number for an hour, day, week, or month; extended the number's expiration date even longer is a simple matter of changing the expiry date on the site. You can manually expire the number at any time by pressing "0" when you receive an incoming call. And it's good to know that the number isn't reused even after you stop using it.

The screening features are terrific, too: You can send all callers to voice mail, screen callers (the caller records a brief greeting that you listen to), and set Numbr to reject telemarketing calls. And if you live in one of over 23 metropolitan cites, Numbr will supply you with a local number.

Set up options in Numbr

Talkback
Have something to say? You can use Comments below or if you'd prefer, fire an e-mail right into my inbox.

Hello Google Calendar... Goodbye Outlook

This is going to sound dopey, but the only reason I load Microsoft Outlook is to use the calendar. You heard right: I don't use Outlook for e-mail. I don't like about Outlook's e-mail feature--opening a separate window for each message I'm replying to defies logic and I've always found Outlook's Contacts cumbersome.

Google's Calendar A few weeks ago I started playing with Google's online calendar. For my minimal scheduling needs, it's a handy tool. I can do many of the same things I do in Outlook: quickly add events, change views (day, week, month, next four days), get appointment reminders (e-mail or pop-ups), share the calendar (public or private), and add recurring events. And I could get SMS notifications if my phone supported it.

In a few keystrokes, I was able to add a calendar button to the Google toolbar in my browser. (Do it from the toolbar's Options.)

One last neat plus: I absolutely love the idea of getting to my calendar from any PC with Internet access. For lots more details, take a look at Google's help page.

Import Outlook's Events to Google's Calendar Importing Outlook's events into Google's calendar is painless. Google has step-by-step instructions and there's only one tricky part. Step five says:

In Google Calendar, ensure that you've created the calendar that you'd like to migrate events to. Then, at the top of the calendar list on the left, click the "Add" down-arrow button and select "Import Calendar."

I struggled and took ten minutes until I finally found the spot they were talking about. Check my screen capture that shows you the location.

When importing, here's where to go

Fun and Games With Google's Calendar My colleague, Lincoln Spector, stumbled on a Google Calendar bug. Start by creating an appointment in Google calendar for an event happening at your own home. In the Where field, type "Here" and then set up an e-mail reminder. When you receive the reminder, open it and click on the map link. You'll discover that "Here" is in Duingt, France.

Free Versions of SnagIt and Camtasia

I like something for nothing and here's a nifty deal: TechSmith, the creators of SnagIt, the terrific screen capture tool, and Camtasia, the application for creating screencasts, are giving away copies for the price of a download.

I use SnagIt to take and edit all my screen captures, and you can read my review of the free version in SnagIt -- The $40 Screen Capture Winner.

The Catch There's a catch, but it's something I'll bet you can live with. The freebies are one version behind the current ones. Slightly older for free is smart for you and the company because you might upgrade (which is 50-percent off the regular price).

How to Register First, download and install the demo version of SnagIt 7.2.5 or Camtasia 3.1.3.

Then register to get a registration code that turns the demo version into a fully-functional version. Get the SnagIt registration code and Camtasia registration code. When you install the program, a window will open. Select "I have a Software Key."