Registering Your Domain Name

The first step in registering a domain name is to find one that is available. This article is the second in a series about setting up email and web hosting for a business. The first article explains terminology like domain names and domain registrars. This article provides you with some guidance on researching the availability of a desired domain name and registering it. Read More from “Registering Your Domain Name”

Setting Up Email And Web Hosting For A New Small Business

Are you setting up a business and need to know how to set up email and web hosting?  Are you confused about terms like domain name and DNS records? This article is the first of a series that will guide you through the process of setting up email and web hosting as well as explain terms you’re likely to encounter along the way. This article gives you an overview of the entire process and defines important terms. Each of these steps will be explored in detail in future articles in this series. Here’s the overview: Read More from “Setting Up Email And Web Hosting For A New Small Business”

Solar, Backlit, Ergonomic and Compact Mac Keyboards

Do you dislike the keyboard that came with your Mac? For the past few years, Apple’s primary keyboard has been the Apple Wireless Keyboard. It’s a good keyboard, but it’s not perfect for everybody. Some people lament the lack of a keypad. Others dislike having to replace the batteries that power the keyboard. Some folks don’t like the very flat nature of the keyboard and limited up-down movement of the keys. Last week’s tip listed ways to add a keypad. This week I describe some alternative keyboards. Read More from “Solar, Backlit, Ergonomic and Compact Mac Keyboards”

Adding a Numeric Keypad to your Mac

Do you wish your Mac had a 10-key numeric keypad? Yes, some people actually use them! For the past couple of years, Apple’s primary keyboard has been the Apple Wireless Keyboard. It’s a very nice keyboard, but it’s not perfect for everybody. Some people lament the lack of a numeric keypad. Others dislike having to replace the batteries that power the keyboard. Some folks don’t like the very flat nature of the keyboard and limited up-down movement of the keys. In a series of tech tips, I’ll offer products that address these criticisms. Read More from “Adding a Numeric Keypad to your Mac”

Quickly File Documents Using Spring-Loaded Folders

Spring-loaded folders is one of the Mac’s best features since it’s convenient and it can save you time when you’re putting files into folders. Interestingly, this feature is not widely known or used. Clients are always amazed when I show them. Below are some simple written instructions on how to use spring-loaded folders. Read More from “Quickly File Documents Using Spring-Loaded Folders”

MapQuest – A Great Turn-By-Turn GPS App for the iPhone

Would you like your iPhone to give you audible driving directions? If so, you should check out MapQuest. It is a free, turn-by-turn GPS navigation app for the iPhone and iPad. MacWorld wrote an extensive review of GPS apps in 2011. After reading the article, I purchased Navigon.  [Note May 2019: Navigon is no longer available in the US for iOS] I used Navigon for a few months and liked it,but found the interface cumbersome. After a client praised it for its easy-to-use design, I tried MapQuest. It had also been highly rated in MacWorld’s review of GPS apps. While MapQuest doesn’t have all of the features offered by Navigon, I prefer it for its relative ease of use.

Here’s a quick overview of  how I use MapQuest and why I like it. Read More from “MapQuest – A Great Turn-By-Turn GPS App for the iPhone”

How To Organize iPhone and iPad Apps Into Folders

Do you have a lot of apps on your iPhone? Do you find it difficult to locate the one you need? By grouping related apps into folders you can find your apps more easily. By setting up folders you can reduce the number of screens that you have to flip through to locate your apps. For example, the iPhone can typically display 36 apps on two screens. I have 90 apps on my iPhone, and they fill less than 2 screens. Read More from “How To Organize iPhone and iPad Apps Into Folders”

How To Convert 35mm Slides To Digital Images

Do you have a box of 35mm slides you’d like to convert to digital photos? You have two ways you could proceed. You could either buy a scanner that is capable of scanning film (both positives or negatives) or you could farm out the work. GT Recording, HomeDVD and iMemories are 3 such companies which offer slide scanning services. iMemories offers photo, negative and slide scanning. Read More from “How To Convert 35mm Slides To Digital Images”

Create Unique Business Cards using Moo

Create a great first impression with unique business cards made by Moo. Moo lets you design your own business card on their web site. That’s not so unusual. What is unusual is that you can place a unique image, photo, quote, math question or coupon code on each card. This flexibility is a great way for a photographer to highlight their portfolio, or a great way for a math tutor to highlight what she can teach you or a great way for a company to promote a product at a trade show. You have to watch Moo’s video about their Printfinity service to fully understand. Read More from “Create Unique Business Cards using Moo”

How To Convert VHS Tapes To DVD

In a previous Tech Tip I listed three companies that offer video tape to DVD services. In each case, it cost about $25 per tape. Do you have a box full of tapes that you want to convert? If so, it might be more economical for you to do the conversion yourself. A colleague, Tim Lusk, wrote the following about his experience using a Sony DVDirect to convert VHS tapes to DVD: Read More from “How To Convert VHS Tapes To DVD”

Shorten Web Page Links Using TinyURL

Do you send links to web pages in emails? Are you surprised at the length of some web page addresses? If so, you can use TinyURL to create shorter web page addresses. The technical term for a web page address is URL (Uniform Resource Locator). I’ll use this term throughout the remainder of this article. TinyURL is a free service that lets you enter a long URL and get a shorter URL that you can use in its place. Read More from “Shorten Web Page Links Using TinyURL”