More stories from

By

Windows Vista is filled with a lot of customization, user interface, administration and security options. If you’re wrestling with running Vista in an optimized way, or if you’re deploying it in a workgroup, there are a number of great resources online that can offer help. In […] Read more »

By

Do you spend a lot of time in Microsoft Word? I’m in it all day, and I’ve found several very useful add-in programs that can enhance every Word user’s experience. In this post, I’ll round up five of them that can start making you more efficient […] Read more »

By

Many web workers already can’t live without their Wi-Fi technology, and want to extend the benefits they get from going untethered. Others are in need of simple, inexpensive ways to deploy and secure their wireless networking. Meanwhile, a new, much faster and more robust proposed Wi-Fi […] Read more »

loading external resource

By

If you work alone or with a small group, you may very well have no IT person to turn to when you need help. Fortunately, the web is a good, although not perfect, medium for getting technical support. You can do so for free, and in […] Read more »

By

Consider the lowly mouse. Even its name conjures up a small thing to be shooed away. In the early 1980′s, when people were mostly satisfied with their command lines, many pundits predicted that the mouse would only be a very temporary part of computing user interfaces. […] Read more »

By

Throughout the years I’ve covered software, I’ve noticed a quirk that has to do with Microsoft Excel. Specifically, many people use Excel for tasks that don’t fall into classic spreadsheet usage patterns. I know countless people who like the neat-and-tidy, row-and-column format in Excel for managing […] Read more »

By

A few weeks ago, I did a post on how to control a remote computer for free. I was pleased to see that among the comments that came back from readers, quite a few agreed with me that LogMeIn Free provides the best no-cost service. “I’m […] Read more »

By

Few applications are more of a time sink for web workers than e-mail. If you’re like me, a lot of your time is spent in GMail, which has quite a few unusual hidden features. In this post, I’ll round up some of the GMail tips and […] Read more »

By

Better, faster, stronger. These are among the things we web workers aspire to be. If the heart of a tinkerer beats in you, and you want to make the systems and applications you use all day better, faster and stronger, then TweakGuides.com probably has some choice […] Read more »

By

Widgets, mini applications that usually sit on your desktop for on-the-fly tasks, are all the rage among Mac users, but I’m constantly surprised that more Windows users don’t use them. If you’re a Windows-based web worker, you can quickly download a bunch of really useful examples […] Read more »

loading external resource

By

Many a web worker gets things done in a home office, and if you spend a lot of time in one, this post is for you. I’m going to run through an inventory of ultra-cool items you can get for the ultimate home office—for under $2,500. […] Read more »

By

Are you in the market for a new laptop? Choosing the portable computer that is right for you is, in many ways, tougher than selecting a desktop system. It’s very common for laptop shoppers to overlook very important issues such as weight, display size, and more. […] Read more »

By

Market researchers generally peg the market share of the Mozilla Firefox browser at around 10 to 15 percent, but among web workers, I’m positive that the share is much higher. The more you know about how the web works, the more you appreciate the security–and more […] Read more »

By

If you have yet to set up a Wi-Fi network in your home, and you have multiple computers and printers around the house, there are few tech upgrades you can do that will give you more satisfaction. Putting one in is a good project for this […] Read more »

By

If you live in Microsoft Word all day, as I do, then time-saving tips and tricks within the application can make a big difference for you. In this post, I’m collecting some Word tips that I think will be especially useful for bloggers, writers, editors and […] Read more »

By

Despite a lot of disagreement about the value of moving web applications offline, I’m starting to believe that there will be a big future for offline apps. Web Worker Daily has hosted some interesting discussions on the topic, with very good input from the readers. One […] Read more »

By

A few months back, I was at an event held by Microsoft Research where some of the company’s eggheads were discussing the implications for technology users of rapidly increasing storage capacities for rapidly decreasing costs. Apparently, at Microsoft Research, a favorite concept is that as it […] Read more »

By

The main applications that many web workers live in all day may often come from big software houses, but there are a lot of very good system utilities online that you can get for free. Some of them do simple things like keeping your system startups […] Read more »

By

If you’re like most users of Microsoft applications–whether you use the applications by choice or by mandate from your IT department—you’re also unlikely to be using some very powerful, free tools available to you: templates. Microsoft has a huge library of useful templates online. Users at […] Read more »

By

Computer use involves a lot of repetition, and I’ve found that some simple automation tools can save lots of time and hassle. In this post, I’ll discuss some of the easiest low-cost and free ways to automate workaday tasks on a Windows system. One of my […] Read more »

By

In a recent post, I rounded up several useful sites for eliminating hassles during business trips. Especially if you’re a frequent road warrior, though, you may find that much of the hassle surrounding travel comes during the planning stage. To make things much easier when planning […] Read more »

By

If you’ve been running Windows Vista as either your primary operating system or even just noodling with it on a second PC, you’re probably running into a lot of interface changes from previous versions, and components that you would like to optimize. I’ve been working with […] Read more »

By

Whether you’re already immersed in the fast-growing world of web video content, or you need to do a little studying first, free—and nearly free–video capture and conversion utilities can quickly give you a lot of flexibility. I archive and publish video online, and many bloggers and […] Read more »

By

You’re all set up in your hotel room to review the presentation you’ll be giving tomorrow, but when you go looking for the slides you created, you realize the file is back on your office computer. Or, maybe you simply need to take control of a […] Read more »

By

If you print a lot of documents, and especially if you support a number of color printers, you’re aware of the staggering costs of ink and toner. The printer business works on the classic razors and razor blades business model, where the central device costs next […] Read more »

By

In my previous post on the topic of how users of public Wi-Fi services can keep their sessions secure, I mentioned a couple of VPN (virtual private network) offerings that cost from $30 to about $100 a year. There are also a number of good free […] Read more »

By

In a previous post, I collected a few Microsoft Outlook tips that can help Outlook users get around hassles. Some of them were surprises for a few readers. In this post, I want to collect a few additional tips for Outlook, mainly focused on using Inbox-related […] Read more »

By

Many users of public Wi-Fi networks run into security problems for the same reason that technology users at large do: apathy. They often just don’t want the hassle of setting up appropriate levels of security. In this post, and in a couple of upcoming ones, I’m […] Read more »

By

From copywriters, to marketers, to journalists and bloggers, there are many web workers who can benefit from learning how to write headlines that attract readers. Sometimes, the web seems like a sea of headlines, all competing for which one people will actually click on. Also, it’s […] Read more »

By

If you’re like many a web worker, you often juggle graphics—viewing, editing and converting files. Muscular programs like Photoshop can be great to use for these tasks, but for on-the-fly tasks on a Windows PC, I prefer a freeware graphics program called IrfanView. You can download […] Read more »

By

Do you have a small business, or an idea for one? Do you know how to incorporate it? Maybe you’re thinking of building out a new type of e-commerce site, but you’re wondering whether your idea defies copyright laws and might earn you some jail time. […] Read more »

By

Searching through a large e-mail inbox file in an application like Microsoft Outlook, or searching for files scattered across your hard drive can consume lots of time. If you want to perform these tasks much more efficiently, and you’re on a Windows PC, try out Copernic […] Read more »

By

Apple’s iPhone has generated more buzz than any other technology product this year, and reviews from users and the press alike have generally been very positive. However, part of the real promise of the iPhone is that it will become a platform upon which users can […] Read more »

By

YouTube has wrangled with lawsuits and criticism for the past several months, but there’s no stopping the growth in usage of the video sharing site. By virtue of the sheer critical mass of grassroots videos that YouTube houses, you can find unexpectedly good content if you […] Read more »

By

Google is nearly universally popular as a search tool, but there are a lot of under-the-hood features and extensions that people don’t make use of. In this post, I’ll explain some unusual features and extensions that Google offers, which can help you work more efficiently. Use […] Read more »

By

Online resources that make trips easier for tech-savvy travelers abound, but they vary in quality and even in reliability of their information. Here, I’ll collect three of my absolute favorite, dependable sites for easing the hassle of traveling. Do you have a hit-or-miss approach to getting […] Read more »

By

Many of us writerly types spend a lot of time in Microsoft Word, and I even know a few Web designers who like to use it and Microsoft Excel for doing simple site prototyping work. Whether you’re sentenced to use Word all day by a dictatorial […] Read more »

By

If you’re running a version of Windows and you spend much of your day in the Mozilla Firefox browser, you can very easily tweak it for appreciable speed and efficiency boosts. And the good news is you don’t have to be a hacker or spend any […] Read more »

By

Back in high school, I took serious weekly music lessons from a great teacher. Once, he gave me the seemingly goofy assignment to stand up and dance, rather than sit, while practicing my tunes. That’s right, dance. He made the point that if I wanted to […] Read more »

By

How much of your day is spent on e-mail? A study done by the ePolicy Institute found that the average worker spends a whopping one hour and 47 minutes a day on e-mail, but web workers often spend far more time than that on it. That’s […] Read more »

1…101112page 12 of 12