Stu's Techno Geek page

End Goals VS Mean Goals

2005-08-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

Are you heading towards the wrong goal? People sometimes loose track as Steve Paulina points out in this article about End Goals VS Mean Goals.

"A common goal-setting mistake (in my opinion) is to confuse end goals with means goals. End goals define outcomes where you’re unwilling to compromise — they describe exactly what you want. Means goals, on the other hand, define one of many paths to reach your end goals."

Erika Jackson over at Lifetrekinc has a Goal Setting 101 to check out also.

G5 Extension from Apple

2005-08-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

Apple has extended the warranty period for all first-generation G5 iMac desktops.

The warranty extension, which provides for the free-of-charge repair of faulty kit, only applies to iMac G5s that have experienced "scrambled or distorted video", or no video at all. Machines that won't start up due to an apparent lack of power are covered by the extension too.

The extension covers machines sold worldwide. The serial numbers of machines that may be susceptible to the problem are:

W8435xxxxxx - W8522xxxxxx
QP435xxxxxx - QP522xxxxxx
CK435xxxxxx - CK522xxxxxx
YD435xxxxxx - YD522xxxxxx
All these systems were sold between September 2004 and June 2005. See the Apple Support site for more details.

Use your Calendar to stop your Worries

2005-08-23T11:35:00.001-05:00

We can all feel overwhelmed at times. Peter Flaschner over at To Done has some thoughts on how wo love your schedule.

"I’ve got about twenty projects on the go at any one time. Some are long term, some are on hold pending outside responses, some are at the proposal stage, and some are at the wrap up stage. I’ve tried every method under the sun to stay on top of my work. But they have all failed in one important way: they never stopped my mind from wondering “What should I be working on now?”

Use your Calendar to stop your Worries

2005-08-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

We can all feel overwhelmed at times. Peter Flaschner over at To Done has some thoughts on how wo love your schedule.

"I’ve got about twenty projects on the go at any one time. Some are long term, some are on hold pending outside responses, some are at the proposal stage, and some are at the wrap up stage. I’ve tried every method under the sun to stay on top of my work. But they have all failed in one important way: they never stopped my mind from wondering “What should I be working on now?”

Welcome to the Mothership

2005-08-23T11:34:00.000-05:00

Do you use a USB FLashdrive for your travels? A new line of USB flash-memory devices from Xmultiple called Flashpoint Sharedrives, can transfer files to and from other flash drives and memory devices equipped with a USB connector without requiring a connection to a computer.

When alone they work just like your regular drive AND they can act as a USB hub. When you are not at a PC, a small lithium in battery lets you transfer files from either the Sharedrive or from another USB drive that is plugged into it.

Cool Huh?

If you have to recover data from a flash drive, check out this nifty utility for doing just that.

2005-08-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

Avoiding the pitfalls of new employee problems Bert Webb over at Open loops has some suggestions. Along with those Christine over at The Monster Blog says:

"Many companies don't train their workers properly -- or at all, in some cases -- and then wonder why they can't perform all their job tasks or otherwise don't meet expectations. Granted, a worker's personality, experience and talentcome into the mix, but every workplace is different. Having done a specific job at one company doesn't guarantee you know how to do it somewhere else."

In her article "For best Results, Teach your workers Well". Read what can happen to your productivity otherwise.

There's no crying in baseball....uh...at work

2005-08-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

Taboo or not it does happen. What you can do for your workers (or yourself) is the key. An article from WomensMedia.com called There is No Crying in Business give some insight and tips on what to do. Here is a report on the management side of the coin and Real World Training sites a New York Times article called Don't Cry Now.

Just the FAQ's Ma'am

2005-08-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Voice over IP is becomming fast and faster more than just a Buzzword. Ben Cheney at ZDNet has a article that demystifies the ins and outs of VIOP.

"As the popularity of voice over Internet Protocol surges, and lawmakers put more pressure on Net phone providers to fully support 911 services, many consumers are asking what exactly they need to know about the technology."

Driven to Distraction

2005-08-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

Ina Fried at ZDNet News has a great article on how to handle the current rise in the technology of the office and the problems it can create. Maybe you or someone you know is Driven to Distraction.

The typical office worker is interrupted every three minutes by a phone call, e-mail, instant message or other distraction. The problem is that it takes about eight uninterrupted minutes for our brains to get into a really creative state.

Veritas Vulnerability announced

2005-08-12T16:01:00.000-05:00

Exploit For Unpatched Veritas Backup Bug Circulates.

"An exploit targeting a previously undisclosed flaw affecting Veritas Backup Exec Agent has been released to the public by the Metasploit Foundation," Symantec's Friday alert read.

Find the entire alert here.

No need for Hot pokers

2005-08-12T15:55:00.000-05:00

Management is getting the job done through people. Bert Webb over at Open Loops has a great article about How to improve you ability to motivate others.

In short, people are motivated by someone who cares for them and trusts them. They are motivated by those who respect their professionalism and expertise.

Data Disposal: A Crushing Problem?

2005-08-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

Debora Ashbrand at Desktop Pipeline has a good article about the options and concerns in regards to getting rid of old Data supplies.

"While the security hazards of disposing of old storage media grow, so do the options for safe disposal of old computer disks and equipment."

Your Online Backpack

2005-08-08T23:29:00.000-05:00

Organize your Photos, GTD lists, notes, self reminders and even files online. Call it "Online Project managament" for personal and business use. They can be accessed from just about any internet connection and even shared between the world and just some. Content can be uploaded via e-mail, direct login, or

Sites like

backpackit.com, for all of
the above (free/subscribe)
tadalist.com, for quick lists (free/subscribe)
usetasks.com
for tasks management on your own (software/subscribe)

help you keep track of what you need to do...and what you've already done.

10 Steps To Better Meetings

2005-08-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

To Done has a great article on how to make your meetings a better way of doing business.

Throughout my professional life I think meetings have been one of the biggest sources of frustration. I’m one of those people who really likes to work at work and while I do find some meetings very useful, and the occasional meeting totally necessary, I think the majority of meetings I’ve attended over the years could be done away with.

Security out of top-5 IT priorities

2005-08-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

Chris Jablonski over at ZD Net has posted the latest rankings.

"August's IT priorities data reveals a reshuffling of the most important projects as reported by IT pros. Security dropped from the fourth position down to six, opening the door for the first time for both Web technology and IT management to secure spots in the top-5 list. "

Does Multitasking Actually Get Anything Done?

2005-08-04T06:31:00.000-05:00

Entrepreneur magazine has a great write up of a of a challenge to a Productivity expert that is a quick and easy read. "Just take your time"

Secret Word Processing

2005-08-04T06:20:00.000-05:00

Techweb has an article on an Add-on for Microsoft word that can "Black out" sections of a document. The add-on can be downloaded here.

Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe or is it just plain Ketchup

2005-07-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

There is a quick testover at Blogthings.com that will show you a breakdown of your American Dialect. Here are my results

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

New input innovations for the brave and willing

2005-07-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Tired of the same old mouse and keyboard? Want something new? Bill O'brien over at Desktop Pipeline has an article just for you.

Supercharge Your Pointing, Clicking, And Tapping

"Keyboards and mice are SO last year. There are a ton of new, cool, innovative devices for delivering input to your PC."

Be the first on your block to have one.

Getting Things Done With Blinksale!

2005-07-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

To-done has a great article about a simple Invoicing App. Getting Things Done With Blinksale!:

"Blinksale is perfect for anyone who needs to invoice customers and clients for services or products sold. As a design company, we created Blinksale with professional service industries in mind. Additionally, with time-billing invoices and product invoices, Blinksale is an excellent choice for attorneys, accountants, IT professionals, software developers, journalists, contractors, engineers, architects, videographers, and more. Basically, if you need to send invoices, Blinksale can work for you."

Working With The Smart Office Jerk, Or The Nice Office Dunce?

2005-07-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

Working With The Smart Office Jerk, Or The Nice Office Dunce?: "Apparently, a new study has found that most people would much rather work with a likable, but less-skilled co-worker than a smart and competent jerk. " Techdirt had conducted thier own unscientific study also.

Virtual Desktop Managers for PC and MAC

2005-07-25T09:55:00.000-05:00

There are now some cool Powertoys for both the PC and the MAC.

The Virtual Desktop Manager for Windows creates 4 desktops you can run different programs on and switch between. It comes in Microsoft's Power Toys for WinXP.

Rich Wareham has developed on for the MAC OS 10.3 or greater. Download it here.

Catch up on Productivity, The 43 Folder Shortlist

2005-07-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

The creator of 43 Folders has put together a shortlist of posts from his site from over the last 10 months on Productivity. So now you can read the ones you have put down on your GTD list and cross it off.

43 Folders: Productivity tarbabies and dark nights of the geek soul

Google Earth, Google Cool

2005-07-14T14:23:00.000-05:00

Stop Reding this post and Download this NOW. Google Earth is for those of us who are directionally impared. This is the coolest free app for mapping that you will see. It not only shows you your route but you can pan and tilt to see how it would look if you were going down the road. Some large cities even have 3D buildings so you can go by landmarks.

Becareful of doing this at work, you just might play with it for hours zooming around the world.

WinXP Backup utility hack to use recordable optical media

2005-07-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

Greg Shultz over at TechRepublic has posted a great workaround to the limitation of Windows XP's Backup Utility.
Get Windows XP's Backup utility to use recordable optical media:

"Learn a workaround that will allow you to indirectly make Windows XP's Backup utility use recordable optical media as a backup destination. Be sure to notice that the author points out that you need to ensure your backup file fits on one CD. "

Firefox Tip: Saving Multimedia Files from the Web

2005-07-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Check out Bret Taylor's Inner Geek article about saving just about ANY multimedia file to your local machine. The exception are files that are streamed. Very Cool.

Quick Tip: Create a new Tab in Firefox

2005-07-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Here it is down and dirty, three ways of opening a new browsing tab in Firefox:

1. Select "File" - "New Tab".
2. Press CONTROL-T.
3. Double-click an empty area in the tab bar.

Couldn't get any easier huh? For more Tips using Firefox Click here for Mozilla's offical Tip and Trick page

IM In The Enterprise

2005-07-09T14:21:00.000-05:00

Mike DeMaria's Desktop Pipeline article Securing Your IM Systems shows how to keep your network secure, whether your IM usage is public or private. Which is important because of the recent trend of IM in the corporate field. Antone Gonsalves's article Free IM Is Hard To Beat In The Enterprise shows that

"Instant messaging, which has taken the enterprise by storm in North America, is growing steadily in the rest of world, with 80 percent of companies worldwide expected to use either public or private IM networks by 2008, a market-research firm said Friday."

If you haven't prepared yet, now is the time.

Fair Evaluations

2005-07-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

Bert Web's has an excellent article about Job Evaluaitons over at Open Loops That takes both sides of the Eval into account.

Quote:"Every year, most employees go through some sort of evaluation process. For the employer, this involves going through the files to retrieve all the notes, memos, meeting notes, and other anecdotal information on which to base the evaluation. Unfortunately, in the heat of the daily battles, most employers find it difficult to keep the files up-to-date with accurate information about what workers are doing. "

Excel is extremely helpful with this as the "tracking form" he mentions in the article. Another method that can be a bit more complex but if used right very informative is Outlook Tasks. Assigning the task to the individual gives both sides an open line of comminicating and updating progress if FTF contact is not possible for lengths of time. It also lets the subordinate update without feeling micro managed.

E-mail Space, The Reality

2005-07-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Its 9 o’clock on a Monday morning and you need to reply to an important e-mail from your boss and you see an e-mail from “System Administrator” telling you that you are over your mailbox limit. You try to reply and you can’t. Panic comes over you as you realize that this will effect your review AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Alright, so it’s a bit over dramatic. Here’s reality. You only have so much room on the servers for e-mail. Your IT staff also realizes that our business requires you to keep detailed records of correspondence with clients and vendors. We understand, really we do. At my company we allow each user to be able to keep an incredible amount of e-mail both on the server and off. A search on the internet shows that most companies allow between 10 and 50 MB of data on the servers. We allow 400 MB on the server AND allow space on the network shares for the archive folders to grow to approximately 250MB before they are asked to have it placed on CD.

Now for some IT math. Don’t worry there won’t be any tests. An average e-mail without an attachment is approximately 5kb. There are 1000 kb to a megabyte (MB). That means that there are 200 e-mails per MB. Most users then would be able to have between 2,000 and 10,000 e-mails (At 400 MB of space you have the ability to have approximately 80,000 e-mails) inside your mailbox. That is a lot of mail for the most hardcore addict.

I know, I know. You don’t have that many e-mails and you are still out of space. Well there is another factor. Attachments. These files are counted in your use of space. So if you have 10 emails that have 10 MB worth of attachments, guess what, you just used 100 MB of space with only 10 e-mails.

“What can I do?” Ah yes, what can you do……………

1. Delete, Delete, Delete. If you don’t need it, get rid of it. Be honest with yourself. You don’t really need that joke that was sent by your mom from last Christmas. Go through ALL of your folders. This includes Sent Items. Do this on a weekly basis. If you do it regularly you will be surprised how much easier it is to keep the size down.

2. Duplicates are Redundant. Instead of copying everybody on your team and each of you keeping a copy, just have one copy besides the one in your sent items. Copy your team e-mail address instead of individual users if it really needs to be kept for the whole team.

3. Attachments KILL. We all get ‘em, we all need ‘em, what do we do with ‘em? Here is what you do. Save the attachment to a team shared drive and remove it from the e-mail. You shouldn’t work from the attachment while in Outlook anyway.

4. CD’s aren’t just for Breakfast anymore. More and more machines are coming with a CDRW as standard equipment. Break down your Auto-archive folder or Personal Folders (.pst file) into logical time periods as different files and burn the old data to CD. Use more than one file at a time if you need to, they don’t cost anything. Now that your data is in a logical time order, let ‘em burn baby, let ‘em burn. You can always pull it back off of CD if you need to get to it.

With a little diligence you will never have to worry about those nasty warnings again.

Your moment of ZEN: The Beginner’s Mind

2005-07-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

Douglas Johnston over at "A million monkeys typing" has an intersting approach to organization and GTD.

The Beginner’s Mind:

"Often we must come full circle –to return to the very beginning– in the efforts to renew ourselves. To do this, the years of rubbish accumulating in our minds need to be emptied periodically, lest we find ourselves with little room to move and breathe."

Quick and Easy: Unzipping what's a .ZIP file

2005-07-07T22:14:00.000-05:00

Malektips.com has a quick and easy to understand explination of what exactly what the .zip file extension is.

ZIP File Format - File Extensions

Zip archives defined, including how they are created and unpacked.

Here are some of the most common "archiving" applications.

Info-Zip, a freeware ZIP/UNZIP software package that works on multiple platforms.

PKWARE, the creator of the ZIP file format.

WinZip, about the most popular application for Windows.

Malektips also has some WinZip tips thatcan be found here.

Does OS matter anymore for Web security?

2005-07-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

Does OS matter anymore for security? by ZDNet's George Ou

Whenever I've touched on the sensitive topic of Linux vs. Windows or Apache vs. Microsoft IIS security, I expected the usual flame treatment and nasty name calling to fly. It's usually taken as gospel in many IT circles to assume that Windows Security is an oxymoron; anyone who dares to suggest using Microsoft IIS 6.0 for a [...]

"...At the end of the zone-h report for 2003-2004, the author concludes...that the argument about which OS is more secure is totally irrelevant since most modern exploits are against applications and not the operating system hosting them."

Pew Internet & American Life Project Report: Spyware Report

2005-07-07T02:20:00.000-05:00

Pew Internet & American Life Project Report: Spyware Report: "Spyware and the threat of unwanted programs being secretly loaded onto computers are becoming serious threats online. Nine out of ten internet users say they have adjusted their online behavior out of fear of falling victim to software intrusions. Unfortunately, many internet users’ fears are grounded in experience - 43% of internet users, or about 59 million American adults, say they have had spyware or adware on their home computer. Although most do not know the source of their woes, 68% of home internet users, or about 93 million American adults, have experienced at least one computer problem in the past year that are consistent with problems caused by spyware or viruses."

Whole report in PDF Here

How To Get Back On Track After Time Off

2005-07-07T01:32:00.000-05:00

Here are some great tips about taking time off and what to do when you get back. Especially "Do not check your e-mail or take work related calls while away unless you absolutely have to."

Must Remember, Must Remember, Must remember, I know I'll send myself an e-mail :)

Organizing that first morning back is the key. Make a quick priority list and stick to it.

How To Get Back On Track After Time Off

Thanks Keith

Two Utiliies for the Keyboard Minded

2005-07-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

Check out these two utilities that enable you to work smarter by launching everything from Apps to Websites from a floating Textbox on your desktop.

In this corner wearing the red trunks is Bayden Systems - SlickRun.
Tommy Williams has posted some interesting benefits of Slick Run.

And wearing the Blue trunks is ActiveWord Systems, Inc's Active Words
Marjolein Hoekstra has some Active words tips

Update: Check out this site dedicated to Active Words

And the winner is.........

Stereotyping Your Office

2005-07-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

Bert Webb over at OpenLoops recently posted about a Psychology Today article from two Texas researchers regarding what your desk says about you to your co-workers called Stereotyping Your Office. Check it out and see what YOU are saying.

An ounce of prevention

2005-07-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

PCPitstop is an internet based "PC Health" and Spyware service. It has an online system checker that is free to use. The site also lists the Top 25 Spyware and Adware infectors in thier Spyware Information Center .

Remember Ben's wise words,

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Attack Of The PDF Clones

2005-07-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

Adobe's PDF's are becomming more and more common. Just about all desktops have the Acrobat Reader installed but creating PDF files are another story. Steve Schwartz over at Desktop Pipeline has a review of cost effective alternitives to Adobe Acrobat for creating PDF files. Desktop Pipeline | Review: Attack Of The PDF Clones

Spam - Not in the Can

2005-07-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

We all get it, we all hate it , what can we do to stop it? Short answer: You can't stop it all, and be acessable to your customers. There are some precautions that you can take. Webmail.us is a web based e-mail provider and they have some tips for reducing the amount of spam you recieve in the article Spam Prevention Tips for Small Businesses. BusinessKnowledgeSource.com posted
"If you are buried in SPAM then you're not alone. It's been suggested
that as much as 50% to 75% of the e-mail traffic on any given day is
SPAM. Reading through SPAM is a waste of your time and it subjects you
to potential viruses, trojan horses, and sexual material which can be
quite offensive. Here are some tips on how to win the SPAM war:"
Eight Quick Tips For Stopping SPAM: Technology Info

Novice Series - Address Spoofing

2005-07-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

This is the second installment in a series of articles for the more novice of users.

Address Spoofing

Internet viruses are usually spread through e-mail, as we have all seen.

How does it know where to go? One of the things recent viruses have been written to do is use the infected person’s Contact list or Personal Address Book to perpetuate itself. It will go through the list and e-mail itself out “as another person”. It puts the e-mail address found in the Contact List as the sender address. This is called “spoofing”.

The result of this lovely practice is that someone who was not infected is being used to erroneously spread a virus. The infected person may not even know that they have been infected because their address was never used.

On the other hand, the real victim is the person whose address was spoofed. They get a slew of rejection notices, Virus alerts, System Administrator Nasty-grams. Here’s the sad part. There really isn’t a way to find out who was infected. Think of all the people you have in your Contact List. How many people have you? The only thing we can hope for is that the pre-adolescents that are writing these things get grounded from computer use for a while so we can all have a break.

Here is a little story (Think grade school filmstrip):

Bob is a user. Bob doesn’t update his anti-virus software frequently. Bob also does not look very closely at who sends him e-mail and opens everything he gets without paying attention.

Bob opens an e-mail attachment from someone he doesn’t know.

He now has a virus. Poor Bob.

Mr. Virus goes through Bob’s contact list and Finds Julie’s name.

Mr. Virus takes Julie’s address and sends out e-mails as Julie.

Oh, No.

Julie checks her e-mail and has 200 messages saying that she has sent out a virus. Julie is confused, she doesn’t know these people.

Poor Julie.

If only Bob had paid attention to the warning send out by Help Desk.

Receiving those rejected message e-mails doesn't necessarily mean that YOU are infected, so don't despair. Just delete them.

Novice Series - What is Alert.TXT and why is attached to this e-mail???

2005-07-01T23:50:00.000-05:00

This is a very common question that has been asked time and time again. Well, here’s the answer.

As you know, viruses are rampant on the internet. Most viruses are spread through the use of e-mail and attachments. Most people currently have anti-virus software on all of the desktops, File Servers and on their Exchange Server (E-mail Server). ALL files going into or out through e-mail get scanned. If the anti-virus software detects a virus or a file type that has been used for spreading viruses you “block” it from going out or in. This blocking includes a quarantine area where you can isolate potentially harmful files.

When an attachment gets quarantined, the software will replace the attachment that was originally there with a text message (ALERT.TXT) that contains a reference number. This reference number is referred to as a “Ticket Number”. It is a reference to where the attachment was quarantined. In this way, administrators can quickly locate the original attachment.

If the attachment is legitimate, you can use this number to get the file from the E-mail administrator or Help desk and forward it to the proper person.

ALERT.TXT FILES ARE NOT VIRUSES. They originate from an Exchange Server or an outside Mail Server letting you know WHAT was removed, WHY it was removed.

Addicted to E-Mail? You're Not Alone

2005-07-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

Like most businesses e-mail has become one of the most important aspects in even the smallest business. Internetnews's article
Addicted to E-Mail? You're Not Alone: "America Online and Opinion Research Corporation surveyed 4,012
respondents in 20 U.S. cities to gauge the degree to which Americans obsess over e-mail. According to the results of the E-Mail Addiction survey, released today, e-mail users depend on e-mail as much as the phone for communication."

Not to mention, "As many as 77 percent of respondents to the survey said they have more than one e-mail account. For 41 percent, morning coffee can wait, but not e-mail; accessing e-mail is the first thing they do in the morning." Source: Cnet

The top 10 markets that can't live without their e-mail:

1. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
2. San Francisco
3. Philadelphia
4. New York
5. Houston
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Boston
8. Dallas-Ft. Worth
9. Chicago
10. Los Angeles

Source: AOL

Mapping the Mind for Reviews

2005-07-01T17:43:00.000-05:00

Writting reviews can be one long and labor intensive task even with the smallest number of employees. Dwayne Malencon over at GenuineCuriosity has an interesting idea on how to organize your thoughts to map the process out for your employees. He uses a template and MindManager software to get the job done.

Humor is good for the Soul

2005-07-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

This is a great link. You have to check it out if you or someone you know is pummeled by Chain-o-gram e-mails. I have always wondered about how or why. Now I have the reassurance needed to delete them without looking.
Chain e-mail Support Group meeting
I got this from Marc's Outlook on Productivity during some research I am doing.
Thanks Marc !!!

Ergonomics 101

2005-07-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder why your eyes hurt if you are at your PC for a long time? How about your neck? The ergonomics of sitting at your Pc have a lot to do with it. I found a great series of articles from Darrell Norton called Ergonomics 101 Most are quick reads. Sometimes it's the little things that help.

New Site

2005-07-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new site for IT and small business news, ideas and other neat stuff.

Stay tuned for more..........