just an asterisk

In the Part 1 of this series, I wrote about searching better. This article will be on using Gmail for productivity – we’ll call it remember better. Just for kicks, let me point out that this article was written from Istanbul. :)

Whether you use Gmail for work or play, it’s always good to have a technique for reminding yourself what to do and which email that started you on that path in the first place. As usual, Gmail does not let us down. Here are three thoughts to get things moving: Read more »

I’ve been asked the difference between an email application like Outlook and a web-based service like Gmail. The answer is simple: Outlook is a thick client and Gmail is a thin client. Not enough information? It’s understandable. Despite our daily interactions with both types of clients, few people outside of the IT world or related industries have a complete understanding of the situation. As always, Just an Asterisk is here to provide some insight (through thick and thin – ha). Read more »

My father can tell you, off the top of his head, how to build a set of shelves. As I grew up, wooden shelves, TV stands, beds and more were carefully designed, built and finished with a very similar reddish brown lacquer in the garage. Unfortunately, this natural ability wasn’t passed on. Instead, I’ve had to develop a knack for reading instructions. As luck would have it, the internet is a great place to find guides for your DIY adventures… You just have to know where to look. Read more »

How big is your email quota? If you know, you’ve probably exceeded it at least once (or gotten really close). Perhaps it was a work account and you were scolded by the IT trolls, setting off a frantic attachment deletion campaign? Or maybe it was just your Gmail account, clogged by the ginormous (sp?) photos your parents sent after a family trip. Maybe the problem was compounded by your sent mail folder, where emails you sent to others were counted against your meager space allowance. The reply-all emails with attachments resulted in 100 copies of the same file. What a waste!

The good news, my brothers and sisters, is that there are other ways to send files. These services will reduce the scoldings while even providing some additional services that you probably hadn’t considered. Read more »

If Just an Asterisk had an Iphone app...

So you got an iphone…(I am very jealous!). Everyone you know has a bunch of cool apps on their phone – apps for finding movies, food or parties, apps for connecting with friends, checking bank balances, or posting to blogs. The question now is simple: which apps do you choose? There are simply too many good apps out there and despite the fact that you (or someone who loves you) splurged and got the 16gb version, it’s probably not reasonable to download all the apps… (There are 10,000 + in the store now). Also, to put it as classily as possible: some of these suckers are expensive. You have some tough decisions to make, but as always, we’re here to help. What follows is a roadmap for getting yourself up and running. It is not a list of important apps – that would be out of date… now. Instead this is a resource list that will hopefully allow you to be ahead of the curve.

Read more »

Teeny note: This wasn’t supposed to be a multi-part article, but while brainstorming, it was clear that there was simply too much to cover in one post. Look for parts 2-4 in the coming weeks.

According to Wikipedia, “Gmail launched on 1 April 2004 as an invitation-only beta release and became available to the general public on 7 February 2007″ (source). I have used Gmail since 11/2005 (not to toot my own horn or anything) and I’ve consistently been amazed with all of the features (often unheralded) from Google. Google has their own page devoted to why you can use Gmail (here), and others have written good reviews (joke), but as always, I’m going to try to provide you with ways to use Gmail better! Read more »

This one is for my wife, who never seems to understand exactly what I find so fascinating about blogs and the web. My theory? She just hasn’t found her blog-addiction yet. So like the socially responsible drug pusher of technology that I often (always) am, here are some blogs for the lady friends…
~ab
Perez Hilton: Celebrity gossip and other “news”.
Corporette: For the overachieving business woman in the workplace (even has fashion tips and sale scoops).
Confessions of a pioneer woman: A rather silly (and yet humorous blog) about farm life.
Cute Overload: A blog designed to make women go awwwwwww and men keel over vomiting…
Post Secret: A blog where people post their secrets and, in true voyeuristic glory, we read them and chuckle.
Passive Aggressive Notes: Exactly what it sounds like…