Joopz ...

Have you ever been sitting at your computer and need to send a text message to someone? What if you could send the message from your computer instead of your phone? Let's face it, a full-size keyboard and large screen is easier and faster to use than a phone's keyboard and screen, especially if you are already at your computer. Hop over to Joopz and sign-up for a free account and see if you agree.

Father's Day ...

There's an English proverb that goes: "One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters." Thanks, Dad!

Personal History ...

Have you started to write your Personal History? If not, here is why we should start:

"That which I do not in some way record will be lost at my death, and that which I do not pass on to my posterity, they will never have. The work of gathering and sharing eternal family keepsakes is a personal responsibility. It cannot be passed off or given to another."

Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander

WorldWide Telescope ...

The next time you feel like watching a movie, snuggle up to your computer instead and take a look at the WorldWide Telescope. You will be inspired and perhaps even spiritually moved to see what our Father in Heaven has created!

Google Analytics ...

Thanks to one of my loyal readers, Shan, I have discovered a wonderful new tool, Google Analytics. If you have a blog - or any type of web site - Google Analytics can tell you who is looking at your site, when the look, and from where. Take a look: www.google.com/analytics. And, thanks again, Shan!

Why use Gmail? Reason #5 ...

#5. Google it! - Never forget that you’re using a Google-based program, not just a service provided by the company. Want to find something easily? Google it! It’s in your email somewhere. This is one of the best things about Gmail. Let’s say I sent you a password to my website about muffins, but you can’t remember when I sent it so the thought of scanning through all of your emails is daunting (especially since you don’t delete them anymore). Well, try searching in your email for “password” and “muffins” and hit enter. Chances are, the exact email you are looking for will be sitting there waiting for you. If not, add/remove keywords until it does. I can’t stress to you enough how great this feature is until you experience it yourself. In fact, this is the reason why folders are irrelevant now. Why search through folders if you’re going to search all of them at once every time?

Why use Gmail? Reason #4 ...

#4. Labels - Another paradigm shift that Gmail will (happily) force you to make is getting rid of the “everything needs a folder” mentality. Outlook-based email, AOL, Hotmail, and the rest have always forced us to create all these folders for our email, arrange them just so, and otherwise add steps that we don’t really need. There are no folders, really, in Gmail. I mean, they call them the inbox folder and the spam folder just so people know what they’re referring to, but there is not actual folder. So, how do you keep everything straight? Labels! Add a label called “business” that is blue and one called “financial” that is green, or whatever you can come up with. They’re flexible and you can rename them, so you’re bound to come up with plenty of uses for them. But be careful that you don’t overuse them. After all, Gmail is about simplicity, and part of the simplicity is being able to search for an email rather than search through folders, labels, etc. And speaking of search…