Tag: TECH TIPS

If you're like us, then your Netflix queue has expanded to the point where its gravitational pull sucks in every film in its vicinity. A strained metaphor, perhaps, but it's easy to find your queue so overstuffed that it becomes utterly unmanageable and daunting. We've got a few essential organizational tips that will make the life of any cinema junkie exponentially easier. The simplest way to ...

Share Whenever Facebook rolls out a new feature or tweaks its layout, it usually faces an uproar of criticism from users who had grown oh-so-accustomed to its previous format. The notable exception to this rule, however, is the social network's new profile page layout. Unveiled earlier this month, the new profile pages haven't stirred a whole lot of controversy among Facebook's loyal users ...

A new year is just around the corner, which means it's time to go through the timeless annual rite of Facebook cleansing. After all, it's been a long year, and you've made a lot of new friends. That's certainly great news for your social life, but this newfound friendship has probably complicated your Facebook life too. Random acquaintances, long-forgotten crushes, anonymous former colleagues -- ...

Alright, guys, this is it. You've got your contacts combined, synced, Facebook-free, and cleaned out. You're feeling good, and your address book is looking pretty. Or, so you think. But, Padawan, why stop now? We've already come so far, so why not really whip your contacts into shape, and treat yourself to some serious organization in the form of labels and groups. Practically any ...

All of the major TV networks currently broadcast HD video over the air and in better quality than what you likely receive from your cable/satellite company. And despite any techno-babble you may read, you can receive HD television signals over the air using a regular old TV antenna (as long as your HDTV has a built-in tuner, which most do). To figure out what channels are available in your area, ...

Rather than opening your Palm Pre's Card View function to sort through all of your open apps, you can simply swipe back and forth between running apps. Go to the Launcher and select Screen & Lock. Under the heading 'Advanced Gestures,' slide the Switch Applications option from Off to On. Now, when you have several apps open, you can swipe left across the length of the gesture area to ...

Keep all of your photo, video, audio, and data files up-to-date between your laptop and desktop by using syncing software. If you have a Windows PC, SyncBack is a freeware backup utility that lets you merge or overwrite data between two sources. Mac users who are comfortable using the Terminal may enjoy the free rsync utility, but the rest of us will prefer ChronoSync, a $40 app that lets you ...

Believe it or not, you can take the pain-in-the-ass out of PDFs. Though most PDFs can't be edited, there is one freebie workaround if you're in a pinch. Go to pdftoword.com, upload your PDF, and enter the format to which you'd like it converted. Within an hour or two, you'll get an e-mail containing a regular old Word or RTF file that you can fully edit. If you're in a hurry, the site offers a ...

Earn the gratitude of pine forests and beleaguered postal carriers the world over by signing up to receive electronic catalogs instead of paper ones. CatalogChoice.org is a godsend in that you can quickly and easily sign up. When you enter the customer data from the address labels of catalogs you receive, you'll get the option of either signing up for an iCatalog or just canceling delivery ...

Other than adding as much RAM as possible, a quick, relatively cheap way to gain noticeably better performance from your aging PC is to upgrade the hard drive to a faster model. The faster a hard drive spins (measured in revolutions per minute or rpm), the more quickly it can access data and pass it back and forth to the processor. For desktop computers, you should get at least a 7,200 rpm ...

Rather than sell or recycle your old cell phone (or throw away, God forbid!), consider donating it to one of the many charitable organizations that put them to good use. Hit charityguide.org for a list and description of places that accept used cell phones. And as always, make sure to delete all personal information from your phone before putting it in the mail (including the memory card). ...

If you need the content of a Web page but can't be bothered to cut and paste text, or want to memorialize your amazing word stack on Bananagrams, use your iPhone's built-in ability to take screenshots. Hold down the Home button, and then press and release the Sleep button (on top). Once you hear the familiar shutter sound effect, you'll be able to access your new snaps in your Photos collection. ...

If you aren't willing to donate old electronics to a non-profit organization, and don't feel like going through the hassle of haggling with buyers on eBay, try one of these services: Gazelle.com (formerly Second Rotation) lets you input the condition of and details about your electronics. Then, based on current auction market prices, it makes you an offer. If you accept, administrators will ...

Instantly jump to the top of almost any scrollable iPhone app by tapping the status bar at the top of the screen (where the clock is). It's especially handy for when you scroll 195 messages deep into your e-mail inbox and want to go to your newest message again. It works in virtually every Apple-branded app (and some third-party ones, as well), and works in contacts, Safari Web pages, and ...

Share Impress your less tech-savvy friends by rebooting their seemingly "bricked," or frozen, iPod. For older, click-wheel versions: Toggle the Hold switch from on to off, then press and hold the Menu and Center buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears. For iPod Touches and iPhones, simultaneously press the Sleep button (on top) and Home button until the Apple logo appears. (Ignore ...