Is your email inbox overflowing? There IS something you can do about it. Here are 2 ways to handle it:

1. Create rules within your email program. You may already have your spam filter enabled. This is simply a rule built into your email program, which sends messages identified as spam to a specific folder.

You can set rules for other messages as well, which bypass your inbox and send the messages directly to a designated folder or to the trash.

For example:

• If you subscribe to listservs or other email lists, you can have them automatically sent to one folder, or a separate folder for each list.
  
  
• On the lists you subscribe to, if there are people who continually post annoying or offensive messages, you can set your email program to delete messages from those people before they even appear in your inbox.
  
  
• Tired of those stupid jokes forwarded by Aunt Betty, but don't have the heart (or the guts) to ask her to stop sending them? Create a rule that will send all messages from Aunt Betty to the trash. OR, you can specify that only certain messages from her go to the trash - such as those with FW: in the subject line (or however your email program displays forwarded messages.)

For specific instructions on how to create rules, click on the Help section of your email program,


2. Subscribe to newsletters, ezines, email lists and website updates on the web.

The most convenient way to read these is via RSS feeds (RSS stands for "really simple syndication.") Here's how they work:

A website or blog owner sets up their content to be distributed as a "feed" to the web. You can pick up feeds from dozens - or hundreds - of sources and read them all on one page in your web browser.

You'll need an RSS reader, which you can set up for free. Try Google Reader, Netvibes or Bloglines.

Whenever you come across web content that you would like to subscribe to, look for the little orange RSS symbol like you see in the upper right corner of this page, and click on the link that says "subscribe."

Next time you open your RSS reader, all the updated content will be there for you. If you were getting updates via email, you can cancel them - thus making your inbox all that much lighter.

Not all email list services offer RSS feeds, unfortunately. But most of them do have web interfaces, where you can read the messages at the list archives page, rather than in your email.

Even though this is not as convenient as RSS (because you need to go to a separate web page for each list that you subscribe to) there is an advantage over downloading list messages to your inbox. If you read the messages online, you can access them from any computer that is connected to the Internet.


Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

New Google search options

Most people don't know that Google has some pretty cool advanced search tools. Here's a screenshot of what you'll see if you click on "Advanced search" next to the Google Search box:



Now, many of those functions can be accessed right on the search results page, by clicking "Show options" at the top of your search results, as circled in red below. (Since this is only an image, not an actual search page, the link won't work here.)


To get an idea of what these search options can do for you, watch this video:



Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Think big, with mind mapping

Do you sometimes get "big" ideas that don't get implemented? Maybe it's because they need to be fleshed out with details and tasks.

To help organize your thoughts, you can diagram them on paper, with ideas and sub-ideas branching out in different directions. But this gets quite messy looking, especially if you decide to move things around or add lots of detail.

Mind-mapping software helps control the clutter. It also enables you to share your ideas and brainstorm with others.

Mind mapping can be used for:

• Writing projects - keep track of ideas for books, theses, reports, etc.
  
• Business development - organize goals, assignments and tasks
  
• Event planning - coordinate preparations for weddings, parties, vacations, and other events
  
• Weighing alternatives - compare different scenarios and what-ifs
• Organizing collections of documents or web links

Here are some free sources to check out:

Mind-mapping software to download to your computer:

Freemind - Open-source softwarre with lots of features, but aimed at the single user, rather than for group brainstorming. At the freemind website you'll find screenshots, tutorials and discussion groups.

XMind - Free and paid versions of mind mapping software. The paid version has more features, of course, including customization and the ability to export your mind map to other formats.


Online mind mapping tools that work in your web browser (thus accessible from any computer connected to the Internet):

Mind42 - Comprehensive tool that allows sharing and embedding into websites

Bubbl.us - Easy to use, laid out in colored shapes. Allows sharing and embedding into websites

Gliffy - Create your own flow charts, using a selection of shapes, images and arrows.

Want to learn more about mind mapping? Visit mind-mapping.org and mindmapsearch.org.


Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Fun illusions

Here are a few illusions you might enjoy. They occur because of the way our brains process information. Have your speakers turned on for the videos.

First some optical illusions - even when you know how they work, your brain still fools your eyes!



Get more information and explanations of how illusions work at Professor Michael Bach's website.


Now here are some auditory illusions.



Several of the above illusions are explained here.


And now here's one that you're fooled only with your eyes open:




Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Check weather, road conditions and traffic cams

I just got back from a 400-mile car trip with my daughter Janis. We drove through some fairly bad weather and snow-covered roads, but thanks to the Internet we were well prepared.

Prior to leaving we looked up hourly weather reports and road conditions. And along the way, using Janis's web-enabled cellphone, we checked traffic cams for real-time pictures of where we were headed.

These helped us decide which route to take. (BTW, nothing looked good, so we chose the road less traveled...)

If you want to check weather and road conditions for your next trip, here are some ways to do it:

1. Google search - use search terms such as:
[town or city] weather - e.g., Denver weather
[geographical area] road conditions - e.g. western New York road conditions
[location] traffic cam - e.g. Florida turnpike traffic cam


2. For up-to-the-minute road conditions and construction zones, check your state or provincial department of transportation.

Here's a link to those in the USA

. . . and in Canada

Both USA and Canada

If you're in another country, search your federal or regional government's website for road and traffic information.


3. See maps and charts of developing weather conditions at weather.com and Weather Underground.

Both of these have applications for your mobile phone

Keep in mind that weather is not totally predictable, and that conditions could be better or worse than expected.

Thus, be prepared. These brochures will give you some guidelines:
Ohio Dept of Public Safety: Winter Driving Tips
Alaska Dept of Public Safety: What's So Different About Winter Driving?
Have a safe and happy holiday season!


Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Homemade gifts are back in style

50 years ago the term "homemade" implied inferior. Back then, mass production made more uniform (and therefore more 'perfect') items.

But homemade is making a comeback. As the world becomes more automated and impersonal, home-made is a welcome reminder of the human touch. And YOUR homemade gifts are a part of YOU - they represent your individuality, your personality and your love.

. . . Something to think about in this gift-giving season.

Here are some ideas for home-made gifts:


Cookies: How many chocolate chip cookie recipes do you really need? How about 50 all on one website? There you'll find recipes for Amish cookies, low-fat, slice-and-bake and more and more chocolate chip cookies. Fill a glass jar or mixing bowl with the cookies and wrap a ribbon around it.

Bread mixes: Commercial mixes for homemade bread are expensive. You put together such mixes yourself for just pennies - and make a wide variety that cannot be found in stores. Cookingbread.com has great photos with step-by-step instructions that even novices can follow.

To make a gift, simply mix the dry ingredients and put them in a self-sealing bag. Include instructions for adding liquids (for both bread machines and regular oven baking) and put everything in a loaf pan or a basket.

Other food gifts: Spiced nuts, granola mixes, your favorite brownie or muffin mix. If you don't have a favorite recipe, you can find good ones by one of these search strategies:
1. Add the word "winners" to your search - you're apt to get recipes that came out on top in contests.
2. Use a clustering search engine such as clusty.com, which will yield a list of sub-categories for your search.
3. Search the Yahoo Directory (not search engine) for recipes. You'll get links to main recipe hubs.

Of course, there is more to home-made than food. You can make soap, candles, sachets, photo calendars, and more. Here are some websites to give you ideas:

Familyfun.com shows a handy list of categories - last-minute gifts, gifts for pets, for kids, and for teachers. They also have some interesting ideas for wrapping your gifts.

HowStuffWorks.com has lots of gifts that kids can make.

Make-Stuff.com is a goldmine of ideas - not just for gifts, but for cleaning and personal care products, as well as recycling old items. (Did you know there are over 20 things you can do with old CDs?)

Don't have time to make gifts? Think again. For just one afternoon you would have spent shopping, you could whip up several one-of-a-kind presents that cannot be found in stores.

But if you really don't have time, or if you really don't enjoy making things, you can still give something hand-made. Try Etsy.com or TenThousandVillages.com, where you'll find craft items from all over the world.


Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Save money with "daily deals"

If you want your money to stretch further this holiday season, check out some of the "daily deal" websites. Some post only one item per day; others offer a list.  

If you don't find anything today, and don't want to keep checking back, most of these websites offer email alerts or RSS feeds (where you can view deals from several websites through a single RSS reader such as Google reader.)

Note: Unlike traditional stores, the return policies at these deals sites are quite restrictive - So it's best to be familiar with the product before clicking to buy.

Here are a few sites to get you started:

Woot - Their motto is one deal, one day. Highly popular, with lots of community interaction. Worth a visit just to read the product descriptions.

 

Yahoo Shopping - has partnered with Woot, offering a different deal of the day.

DailySteals - Similar to Woot.  Also, you can post their affiliate link on your own website, and get a commission if someone buys after clicking to DailySteals.

DailyDollarDeal - Lists items from eBay and Amazon that have not sold - all under a dollar. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with them; the items may have been misspelled or miscategorized in the original listing.

If you want to save time in your deal hunting, visit one of the deal-of-the-day aggregators that show deals from several websites all at once:

DealSucker - checks for new deals every 20 seconds.

Deal of the Day Tracker - Also includes a list of links from sites they don't track, but which some people may be interested in.

Dealque - A social networking site, where bargains are posted by site users.

Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

Sharing documents online

Sharing documents with others has never been easier. And you have lots of options:

1. Send as an attachment in email.

If all you want to do is to send a document in its final form to just to one person or a small group, email attachment is the simplest. However, there are limitations:

• Many Internet service providers limit the size of the attachment - so if your file size exceeds the limit, you won't be able to send it this way.
• Even if you are able to send large files, they may clog the recipients' inboxes - either by hogging space (and potentially filling up the allotted capacity) or by slowing message retrieval time.
• If you are requesting suggestions from several people for changes to the document, the back-and-forth emailing can become quite complicated and confusing.

2. Use a file upload/storage/transmission service.

Upload your file to yousendit.com, megaupload.com, sendthisfile.com or similar free file transfer services. You can specify a recipient, who gets an email with a private link to download your file. Or, you can copy the link yourself and post it in your email or on your webiste.

Note: For the free versions of many of these services, the file that you uploaded is destroyed after a few days. To keep it accessible indefinitely, you must sign up for a paid account.

Another option is to simply get a free files storage account at box.net or skydrive. Upload your files, create shared folders and send people the link.

The above services solve the file-size issue, but they are not meant to be used for online collaboration.


3. Share files directly online.

If you want others to edit a document as well as view it, use a document collaboration service. Everyone with password-protected access sees the same updated version of the file, and can make changes.

There are many commercial services that provide secure workspace for group projects, but for your purposes the free options may suffice:

Google Docs has provided this service for a few years. Now Microsoft has come up with their own online file storage/collaboration product Office Live Workspace. Here's a feature-by-feature comparison of the two.

A third option worth looking at is Zoho.

Pauline
teachmeinternet.com

My Favorite Audio Podcasts

I love audio podcasts. They are easy to load into my mp3 player, and I can listen on the go. No need to be tethered to my computer as with Youtube videos. (I know - newer iPods and other players can show videos - but my aging eyes do not enjoy those teensy screens.)

There are thousands and thousands of podcasts to choose from. Here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order):

From NPR:

• This American Life - Ira Glass's award-winning series in a class by itself.

• Fresh Air with Terry Gross - You'd think that Terry is sitting right there with her guest experts discussing their books, their films or their music - but she's never met most of them in person. They converse from different studios in different parts of the world.
  

• Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me - A news quiz show with a humorous twist (comedienne Paula Poundstone is a frequent guest.)
  
  
• Story Corps - Everyday people interviewing one another about their lives. Heartwarming and poignant.
  
  
• Here's a list of all NPR podcasts
  

From Scientific American:

• 60-Second Science - Amazing how much information can be packed into one minute. Learn about the latest scientific research, and how it impacts our lives. Before you dismiss this podcast as dry and boring, have a listen. The reports are timely, interesting, and easy to digest (especially the segments reported by Karen Hopkin, like this one)
  
  
• 60-Second Psych - Reports research on the mind and brain, in a conversational style similar to 60-second Science.
  

Comedy:

• The Onion Radio News - One-minute "fake news" that's more fake than Jon Stewart's Daily Show. Each "news" item is a spoof that pokes fun at our culture.

• HBO - Standup Comedy, Bill Maher and other entertainers

Stories:

• The Moth Podcast - Entertaining true stories, 15-20 minutes long, performed at The Moth, a story-telling venue that sells out within 48 hours of program announcements.
  
  
• New Yorker Fiction - short stories by John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov, and less well-known authors. Also, discussions of novels and short stories.

These are just a few of the many, many podcasts available for free.

To find podcasts that match your taste and interests, you can search from within iTunes (you need to have the iTunes program on your computer. Get it here.)

Or you can search one of the popular podcast directories:
Podcastdirectgory.com
Podcast Alley
Podscope.com
Podcast411

With most podcasts you can listen online or download to your computer - and later transfer to your personal music player.

If you subscribe to podcasts, you'll get updates every time you open up your podcast reader - either an RSS reader like Google Reader or iTunes.

You can subscribe from the website of the podcast you're interested in - simply look for the link to subscribe (like the one at the top of this page.) Or you can subscribe from within the iTunes store.

Pauline
teachmeinternet.com