Useful Web Gems

Customize address title in Google Maps

2009-01-12T09:31:00.001-08:00

When you search for an address in Google Maps, the result will be displayed with just the address. However, you can add a title to the location by including information in parentheses with your address:

10700 104 avenue nw, edmonton, ab (Where Trevor sweats and toils)

The result is a map with my own customized title:

<br><small><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;" href="http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=10700+104+avenue+nw,+edmonton,+ab+%28Where+Trevor+sweats+and+toils%29&sll=53.548404,-113.504648&sspn=0.002869,0.023282&g=10700+104+avenue+nw,+edmonton,+ab&ie=UTF8&ll=53.552802,-113.500528&spn=0.011473,0.093126&z=14&iwloc=addr">View Larger Map</a></small>

Convert most files easily

2009-01-01T09:50:00.001-08:00

I'm a big supporter of using PDFs over Microsoft documents when passing on documents - it ensures I'm not passing on viruses and I can be confident that people will see my document exactly as I created it regardless of their operating system.

Zamzar (numerous documents, images, music/sound, video and compressed files from one format to another. You can upload files from your computer or from the web and choose any number of formats to convert it to. New updates to the service allow you to convert files found on a web page, including YouTube videos, with just a click of a button. Although the paid version offers the benefit of priorizing your request
in the job que and larger file size uploads, the free version will
probably meet most users needs.

This is a great service for those odd files that you may run across but can't read. Watch the video and see how Zamzar can help you.

Keep files synced between machines

2008-12-23T12:40:00.001-08:00

DropBox (https://www.getdropbox.com/) is a great tool to keep files stored between numerous computers. I'm planning a cruise soon, so I keep all my documents in my DropBox folder on my work machine, and it automatically uploads the files to the server, and then downloads the files to my work machine.

The free version provides 2 Gigs of storage, which is plenty for limited number of files I want to have synced. Note for 1Password users: you can use this to ensure your passwords are automatically synced between all your machines. Check it out the story in Lifehacker.

Free Screensharing Means Easy Troubleshooting

2008-12-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for an easy way to help troubleshoot people's computers or to do online teaching. A new tool that will allow you to do that is dimdim (http://www.dimdim.com).

With your free account, dimdim allows you to host a meeting with up to 20 participants. Like many other similar services, you can easily share your screen, upload documents and work with a shared white board while providing video and audio streams. A nice feature is the ability to add up to 3 other users who can also share the microphone with you. This is great if the presentation calls for a discussion between 4 presenters.

Free Screensharing Means Easy Troubleshooting

2008-12-16T07:28:00.001-08:00

Free Screensharing Means Easy Troubleshooting

2008-12-16T07:25:00.001-08:00

Online Documents Done Right

2008-11-21T22:47:00.001-08:00

Ever try to get a group of people to work on a single document? It involves a lot of e-mailing back and forth, and if they're not familiar with collaboration tools (such as the ones built into MS Word) it can become a confusing mess.

Google Documents (http://www.google.com/docs) is a fantastic way to create documents that you or others can access anywhere from the internet. Although not as powerful as a stand alone application, Google Documents can do most of the work. The collaboration tools easily allow you and others to work on the same document - without emailing it back and forth (check out this YouTube video which shows how over 200 students collaborated on a single document - start at the 1 minute mark). It automatically saves versions of the document as you and others work on them. And when you're done, you can save them in commonly used formats (PDF, Microsoft, etc) or just view it online.

Presently there are three types of documents your can create: wordprocess, spreadsheet and presentation (think Word, Excel and PowerPoint). Although not as powerful as the Microsoft software, there's lots here to get things done. You can even upload Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and work with them as Google Docs.

To get started, just create a Google account. Although you can do so using your existing e-mail account, I would suggest creating a Gmail account first (which you can forward to your regular e-mail account) which will give you access to Google Documents and other Google apps.

Organize your party with Evite

2008-11-21T22:44:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a way to manage a social event from a games night to a wedding (like I did), Evite (http://www.evite.com) can provide you with the tools to keep track of who's coming and what they're bringing.

After you've created your free account, you create an event and Evite will provide you with invitation designs to choose from that will be used for the web site and e-mailed invitation for your event. As people reply to your invitation, Evite will keep track of their responses so you'll know exactly who's coming, how many people they're bringning and what they're bringing. Because it's keeping track of responses, you can easily send a message to anyone who hasn't responded or a follow up message to those who were able to attend.

Whether it's for drinks after work or a games night, Evite is an exteremely handy organizational tool!

Use BCC when sending a group e-mails

2008-11-21T22:39:00.001-08:00

Every receive a joke where you have to scroll through a bunch of e-mail
addresses just to see the joke? If they had sent the joke using blind carbon copy (BCC) they could have avoided all that.

When
you send a message, there are three fields that can be used to enter
e-mail addresses: To, CC and BCC. The To field is pretty straight
forward - who do I want to send the message to. Carbon Copy (CC) is for
people I want to know that I sent the message. For example, I send a
message to my co-worker and CC my boss so he knows I sent the message.
Anyone in the To and CC can see who received the message.

BCC
sends a copy of the message, but no one else knows I sent it. In the
example above, I could send a BCC to my wife to show her what my
response was; she can see everyone in the To and CC fields, but they
don't know I send it to her.

When sending out messages to large
groups, use the BCC. Not only will this reduce the amoung of scrolling
your reader will have to do before getting to the actual message, but
it prevents you from inadvertently sharing e-mail addresses with others
(including spambots).

Easily mark emergency contacts in cell phone

2008-11-21T22:37:00.001-08:00

The ICE (In Case of Emergency) campaign has been making the rounds for awhile now. Basically, you enter emergency contact names prefaced with ICE (eg: ICE-Bob) in your cell phone. Should you become involved in an accident or other situation, emergency services personel and hospital staff could quickly contact the right person.

The idea was started by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with the patients, but they didn't know which number to call.

In addition to ICE entries, I also create entries that will show up at the top of my phone list; these are prefaced with aa-Emergency (ig: aa-Emergency-Bob, aa-Emergency-Carol). The "aa" ensures the phone numbers are at the top of the list and "Emergency" gives the user a pretty good idea what this number is for.

Video service with comments

2008-11-21T22:29:00.001-08:00

If you're looking to ensure your video is available to the largest audience possible, you're probably going to use YouTube. However, if you want a way to quickly add comments into your video without doing any editting, Viddler (http://www.viddler.com/) is a quick and simple service.

Just upload your video and as it plays you (and others) can add comments to the video. You can even record directly to the site.

See the sample below:

Instant messaging anywhere!

2008-11-21T22:27:00.001-08:00

Like many users, when I'm working on my own computer, I have a number of instant messaging applications open to allow me to communicate with people. Unfortunately, if I'm on the road, it's hard to find a computer that has all the applications installed I need.

Enter Meebo (http://www.meebo.com). Meebo provides online versions of all the different messaging services in one location: GoogleTalk, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ and Jabber. Although you can just login to any of the services creating an account with Meebo provides some great advantages. First, with a single login, you are automatically logged on to all your accounts. Secondly, if you have your own website, Meebo can provide you code to put on your site that will allow visitors to communicate with you, just like one of those live chat services you see on so many sites.

Check it out - you may even decide to ditch all your applications and use Meebo full time!

Quick and easy online graphics editor

2008-11-21T22:18:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a quick way to make some basic edits to a photo, and the computer you're using doesn't have a graphics program, Picnik (http://www.picnik.com/) is a great resource.

By either uploading a photo from your computer, providing a URL or accessing a photo you already have stored online (Flickr, Google Picassa, Facebook, etc), the site will then provide you options to enhance, rotate, crop, resize and adjust your image (including sharpening) or many other effects. You can then save it to your computer or online accout or or e-mail it to someone else.

The paid for service provides you extra features, but for most users the free version will work fine. Ideal for mom and dad, there's little to stress about and it's easy to understand.

Reduce e-mail intake - don't say "Thank You"!

2008-11-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

One of the most annoying things about e-mail is everyone's need to say "Thank you". Instead of sending a message just for that purpose, include your thank you in the original request:

Could you please send me a copy of the letter that went out yesterday.

In advance, thanks!

Help take back control of our in-boxes!

Shorten those URLs with TinyURL

2008-11-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

Every tried to read a really long URL to someone over the phone? Or when you send it, the e-mail client breaks up the long path over two lines so the link doesn't work anymore?

Check out TinyURL.com (http://www.tinyurl.com), a handy site that provides you with a short URL that you can hand out that will still get your visitors to the right place. As the site says:

By entering in a URL in the text field below, we will create a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.

At its simplest form, you can cut and paste a URL and they will provide you with shorter version (example: http://tinyurl.com/2lfmcy will take you to my contact page). However, if you add the special TinyURL link to your browser's toolbar, clicking on it will generate a short URL for the page you're presently viewing.

Free Online Faxing

2008-11-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

For a lot of people, faxing documents has been replaced by e-mail. However, there are some companies that still require documents to be faxed (usually this involves sending signed documents).

With Faxzero (http://www.faxzero.com), you can upload a MS Word document or a PDF and have it faxed anywhere in Canada or United States. The free service is limited to two documents a day, maximum 3 pages and includes advertising on the cover page, but for the number of times I ever need to fax anything, this is a small inconvenience.

Tip: Scan your signature so you can easily import it into your document. That way you can send a signed letter from your computer.

Lose your iPod? Here's a way to get it back.

2008-11-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had your iPod engraved with your name, here's an easy way to put your information on your iPod.

First, you need to create your own commercial with your name and contact information (there are lot's of sound editors available you can download). Once you've created your piece, save it as _Please return my iPod. Create a new playlist also called _Please return my iPod. Once you've uploaded this song to your iPod, it will appear as the first song in the song list and it will be the first thing listed in the playlist.

You can also create images with your contact information on them and upload them. Again, make sure the images start with the underscore ( _ ) to ensure it is listed at the top of the photos.

Use e-mail to create appointments and reminders

2008-11-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

For many people, e-mail is our primary method of communication. Wouldn't it be great if we could use e-mail to create appointments and reminders in our calendar?

Sandy (http://iwantsandy.com/) is billed as your personal electronic assistant and can do just that. Although the site provides a web based calendar that you can access, Sandy's power is that by sending her an e-mail with the details of a meeting, she'll automatically enter the information in your calendar and provide you with reminders through e-mail, instant messaging, Twitter or your cell phone. If you want, every morning Sandy will send you a message with your day's activities. You can even access Sandy while using Google Calendar.

Tip: I'll often use Sandy just for quick reminders that I don't necessarily want to enter in my calendar. For example, if I send Sandy the following message "Remind me to pickup milk today at 5:00 p.m." she'll send me a text message to my phone at 5 p.m.

When your e-mail's subject line is your message.

2008-11-21T19:43:00.001-08:00

When scanning the inbox of your e-mail, subject lines allow you to quickly prioritize message - which ones to delete and which ones to open. Sometimes though, all you need to say is contained in the message itself. To save your reader the need to open the message (only to repeat what the subject says) add EOM (End of Message) to the subject line:

Subject: Going out for drinks after work - EOM

Keep track of news and stories with Google Alerts

2008-11-21T10:02:00.001-08:00

Back in August 2007, my family and I had were at a stopover in Seattle where we found out flights had been delayed because an individual had called in a bomb threat in order to hold up a flight so he could get on it.

Thanks to Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) anytime the individual's name appears on a news site Google has access to, I receive an e-mail with a link to the story (I can also subscribe to an RSS feed of the info). Google Alerts is a great way to stay on top of information as it becomes posted, whether it's news, blogs, videos or anywhere on the web.

Add Phone Number to Instant Messaging Name

2008-11-21T10:00:00.001-08:00

I use Adium as an instant messaging client to communicate with both friends and colleagues. Sometimes the conversation gets to the point where messaging just isn't effective and its time to pickup the phone. Rather than having to go to my address book, I have included individuals' phone number along side their name (many clients allow you to create a different alias for their accounts). Now my IM buddy list of work colleagues would look something like this:

Bill - 2348
John - 8849

(Thanks to Shelagh for this tip).

Easily schedule a meeting or event

2008-11-21T09:48:00.001-08:00

With individuals using different calendaring and personal information manager (PIM) software, trying to find out who's available when for a meeting can be difficult.

Enter Doodle (http://www.doodle.ch/). Doodle is a simple, online tool that allows users to indicate their availability. As the organizer, you choose the dates you have in mind and send a link by email. The recipients then indicate their choices or availability online.

When dealing with large groups, the hand counter at the bottom of the table makes it easy to see which is the best choice. When you're done, you can quickly delete the event or export it to Excel.

The most important tool on the web - RSS

2008-10-31T07:32:00.001-07:00

For many people, the morning starts off by visiting a number of web sites to catch up on the latest news or blog postings. Wouldn't it be easier if we only had to go to one place to see which sites have been updated and what's been added?

Really Simple Syndication or RSS let's you do just that. RSS is a method of sending information to you; as new content is added to a site, you'll see the information updated in your news reader. This technology is used to publish frequently updated content such as news headlines, blog entries or podcasts.

Although there are applications you can download (including many web browsers) to take advantage of RSS feeds, I highly recommend using an online newsreader like Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader). Being online means you can access the information anywhere and it remembers what stories you've read as you move from your work computer to your home computer.

Tip: with Google Reader, just paste the URL of the page you want and if there's a RSS feed, it will automatically add it.

Grab and store info from the web with Google Notebook

2008-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

With so much information available on the internet, it's becoming harder to gather that information and organize it so you can start writing. Printing off each web page you visit becomes a huge waste of paper and difficult to organize.

Enter Google Notebook - an free online tool that allows you to capture selected pieces of information from a web page and organize all your information. As a kid, I used to write information I had collected (either by photocopying or writing it out) onto pieces of yellow paper. I would then organize the pieces in the order I wanted and glue them down onto a sheet of white paper. Now that I have everything in the right order, I would begin to write my assignment.

Google Notebook provides the same functionality but as an online tool. After installing a browser extension, I can highlight information on a page that I'm interested in and paste it into one of my many online notebooks. Not only does this tool provide me the opportunity to add notes to each capture, it also records the URL of the page it came from, so I can source my information.

If you're doing any online research, Google Notebook is an essential research tool.

See the video

Live chat for your web site

2008-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ever seen those sites that offer you to chat with a live operator? Well, now you can have that too with Google Talk.

Google Talk is Google's messaging service (think MSN Messenger). It allows for typical messaging controls between users as well as voice (Windows only). Google Talk messaging service is available as a stand alone app (Windows only), a widget (which can be posted on any site) and is built into GMail. Now, you can get a Google Talk Badge (http://www.google.com/talk/service/badge/New) which allows visitors to contact you from your site without the need for them to login to Google (or even have an account).

Welcome

2008-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Useful Web Gems is an informal site intended to provide you with neat and handy resources that you can find online. It's not intended for the uber web user, but for the everyday user. Through this forum, you'll discover handy sites that will help make your life a little less complicated.

Enjoy!

Contact Trevor

2008-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

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