Save your GMail to Google Docs

How many times have you wanted to turn your email into a document, letter, or invoice?  Probably enough times to warrant turning on the “Create a Document” “Labs” feature in your GMail account.

Here is how…in glorious Technocolor pictures.

Scroll down to find “Create a Document,” which for me was near the bottom.

Very important, be sure to scroll down further to save changes.

Now when you read your email, to the right of the message will be the following option.

 

If you have used Google Docs in the past, the new document based on your email will be opened right up.  If you have not used Google Docs, there will be a couple more steps to enable this ability.

Although I will not use this on a daily basis, a quick way to generate a new document, or preserve an email as a .doc can come in handy.

LiveCD problems with new Acer Aspire

My employer recently purchased some new (refurbished) computers. Among them was an Acer Aspire M1641. My goal was to swap out the very large hard drive with a smaller one. So in order to format the new drive, I grabbed my trusty Linux Boot CDs. No go. They refused to boot into a usable state. So I tried my Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win). This time all I could get was BSOD saying there are problems with my hard drive. I knew this was not true as it was brand new. As a last ditch, I snagged Puppy Linux, which is a great, very quick, liveCD operating system. On standard boot, I again got a stubborn "Failed to Boot" message. I was now prepared to send the system back to the retailers.

My solution came from dumb luck with the Puppy CD. I chose "puppy acpi=off" option at boot. I have used this command when running Puppy in a Virtual Machine with success. It now booted without any problems. I was able to run GParted off the Puppy CD. Now I won't have to have Acer nightmares over my Thanksgiving nap.

Windows SteadyState Introduction

In this series of posts I will discuss a my pains and successes related to the deployment of Windows SteadyState.  SteadyState is designed to lock down shared computers, shielding them from some or all changes made during normal use.  This way if the guy who used the computer before you goes on a ad-clicking rampage, you can be confident that his internet germs have not passed on to you.  Lysol on the keyboard and mouse can help with the other type.

In the past, I have used DeepFreeze from Faronics with great success, until Vista came along.  Our budget does not allow for us to upgrade to the new DeepFreeze version, so the FREE SteadyState has become my new project.

First impressions of SteadyState reveal a longing for DeepFreeze for its ease of use.  In DeepFreeze you create a profile, you deploy it as a regular install on a configured system, reboot, and your set.  Every reboot wipes out any changes to the system.

SteadyState provides more options, but takes longer to get going.  I will go over that in my next post.

Get the FREE 411

Announcement:  Google is great for helping you find a pub, mechanic, even a theater.

Very insightful, I know.  What I mean is using your regular telephone, not your computer to get business information for a consumer.  That's right, instead of dialing 411 and getting charged by your money eating telephone giant, you can get the same information free from Google.

1-800-GOOG-411 will take you to a voice operated search for businesses.  It will even connect your call.  If you have a web-enabled smart phone, it will even map it for you.

You may or may not be asking "Why would Google do this for free when the telecoms charge?"  The rumor is that Google is working on voice recognition software to integrate into other projects.  In order to make it great, they need tons of data to compare different voices in similar patterns, like "I want pizza."

Here is a video from Google about the 411 service.  A word of warning, it is a bit looney.

MAC Address for Non-Windows

As a follow-up to my last post on finding your MAC Address (for Windows), I now present without any fanfare:

How to find your MAC if using OS X

Choose "System Preferences..." from the Apple menu. Then select "Network." Double-click on "Airport" or "Built-in Ethernet" depending on how you access the Internet or your network.

Notice that your MAC Address is called an Airport ID or Ethernet ID.

How to find your MAC if using Linux

If you are using Linux, you already know how, because well...you are using Linux and therefore possess all computing knowledge.  Okay maybe not, but for the newbie, launch Terminal and type ifconfig for wired network cards or iwconfig for wireless.

MAC with Ease

To find your MAC address with ease, follow the instructions below.

Launch a Command Prompt. Sounds scary huh? Just hold the…

Windows Key and hit the R key

(which launches the Run command seen below)

and as you can see from the picture type "cmd" in the box and hit ENTER or just click "OK"

Behold Command Prompt!

Now type ipconfig /all and hit ENTER you now have a lot of writing that doesn't make much sense, but it is so very important.

Now you have it. In all its hexadecimal glory, six beautiful pairs for your networking fun.

What is a MAC?

I am not talking about the one from that fruity company. Your MAC address is the identifying agent for your computer's network card. It is a critical component for proper routing of network traffic. It gets what you want, and sometimes don't want, from your computer to the network or internet and back.

Do you need to know your MAC address? Most of the time...no. If you connect from inside a secured network, behind a corporate firewall or content filter, then the answer may be yes. Truth is, just as the MAC address allows your content to travel, it allows for some of that content to be monitored and tracked to your computer.

Chances are that if you work for a middle to large company or attend a school, your internet activity is being monitored. WHAT?! But isn't this a violation of my Civil Rights as an American Citizen? No offense to those from other countries, but I am American after all and I have no knowledge of your civil rights…or lack thereof.

Your rights are not being violated...usually. Courts have ruled time and again that the internet connection provided by a company or school is their property. They have responsibility to protect it and their patrons. Most businesses and institutions require that you sign an "Acceptable Use Policy" with stipulation on the use or abuse of the computer network.

In the next installment I will show you how to get your MAC address.

New Year

Getting ready for the new school year presents new problems.  My job is to solve those solutions with technology.  This month I will feature a few tips on making the start of the school year smoother with some FREE tools.  The first one will feature Portable Applications using your USB drive.