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Acknowledgments xxiii Introduction xxv Chapter 1 Control Your 1 Hack 1: Empty Your Inbox (and Keep It Empty) 3 Why an Empty Inbox? 4 Set Up the Trusted Trio of Folders 4 The Archive Folder 5 The Follow Up Folder 5 The Hold Folder 6 Process Your Messages 6 Keep It Empty 7 Your First Time 7 The Catch 7 Hack 2: Decrease Your Response Time 8 Process Messages in Batches 9 The One-Minute Rule 9 Respond to Task Requests — Before the Task Is Done 9 COPYRIGHTEDDon’t Leave It in Your Inbox MATERIAL 10 Hack 3: Craft Effective Messages 10 Composing a New Message 11 Determine Your Purpose 11 Use an Informative Subject Line 11 Be Succinct 12 Put Your Messages on a Diet 12 Facilitate a Complete Response 13

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Make It Clear Why Everyone Got the Message 14 Don’t Forget the Attachment 14 Replying to a Message 14 Respond to Individual Points Inline 15 Task Requests 15 Lead by Example 16 Don’t Respond in Real Time 16 Get Outside the Inbox 16 Know When Not to Say a Thing 17 Hack 4: Highlight Messages Sent Directly to You 17 Microsoft Outlook: Color Me Blue 18 All Other Email Programs: Create a Not-to-Me Filter 18 Hack 5: Use Disposable Email Addresses 19 Web-Based Public Email Addresses 19 Multi-Domain Email Addresses 19 Hack 6: Master Message Search 20 Search Criteria 20 Saved Search Folders 23 Hack 7: Future-Proof Your Email Address 25 Don’ts 25 Do’s 25 Bottom Line 26 Hack 8: Consolidate Multiple Email Addresses with Gmail 27 Receive Messages for Other Addresses in Your Gmail Inbox 27 Option 1: Set Up Gmail’s POP Mail Fetcher 27 Option 2: Forward Messages to Gmail Automatically 29 Write Messages from Non-Gmail Addresses 30 Hack 9: Script Repetitive Responses 32 Hack 10: Filter Low-Priority Messages (“Bacn”) 35 Filter Bacn 35 Filter CCed Messages 36 References 38 Chapter 2 Organize Your Data 39 Hack 11: Organize Your Documents Folder 41 How to Change the Windows XP Default Home Directory 43 Beyond the Big Six 44 Hack 12: Instantly Retrieve Files Stored on Your Computer 44 Built-in Desktop File Search Features 45 Google Desktop Installation 46 Google Desktop Configuration 46 Files that Google Desktop Indexes 47 Refining Your Search 48 Hack 13: Overhaul Your Filing Cabinet 50 Give Your Paperwork a Spacious Place to Live 50 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xi

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Limit One File Folder per Hanging Folder 50 Choose a Simple, Logical Naming Scheme 51 Use a Label Maker 51 Purge and Archive 51 Hack 14: Instantly Recall Any Number of Different Passwords 52 Don’t Use the Same Password for Everything 52 Remember 100 Different Passwords with One Rule Set 52 Hack 15: Securely Track Your Passwords 54 One Master Password to Rule All 54 Find and Use Your Passwords with KeePass 58 Hack 16: Tag Your Bookmarks 59 Getting Started with del.icio.us 60 Add a Bookmark 60 Tags, Not Folders 60 Navigating del.icio.us by URL 61 Other del.icio.us Features 62 Hack 17: Organize Your Digital Photos 63 Import Your Photos into Picasa 63 Organize and Label Your Collection 64 Captions 64 Albums 65 Stars 66 Search Your Photos 66 Other Picasa Features 67 Hack 18: Create Saved Search Folders 67 Search Folders in Windows Vista 68 Saved Search Folders in Mac OS 70 Hack 19: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your PC 70 Set up the Encrypted Volume Location 71 Store and Retrieve Files from the Encrypted Volume 73 Hack 20: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your Mac 74 Create a New Encrypted Disk Image 75 Access Your Password-Protected Disk 76 Hack 21: Design Your Own Planner 76 Why Build Your Own Planner? 77 How to Assemble Your D*I*Y Planner 77 D*I*Y Planner Templates and Sizes 78 References 78 Chapter 3 Trick Yourself into Getting Done 79 Hack 22: Make Your To-Do List Doable 80 You Are the Boss of You 81 How to Order Yourself Around 81 Only Put Items on the List that You’re Definitely Doing 81 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xii

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Break It Down 81 Focus Only on the Next Action 82 Use Specific, Active Verbs 83 Include as Much Information as Possible 83 Keep Your List Short 83 Prioritize Your Tasks 84 Keep Your List Moving 84 Purge and Update Your List Weekly 84 Log Your Completed Tasks 85 Practice Makes Perfect 85 Hack 23: Set up a Morning Dash 85 Get One Thing Done First 86 Park on a Downward Slope 86 Hack 24: Map Your Time 87 Your Ideal Time Map 87 Submaps 88 Your Actual Time Map 89 Hack 25: Quick-Log Your Workday 89 Paper 90 Notepad .LOG File (Windows Only) 90 Quick-Log in a Plain-Text File (Windows Only) 91 QuickLogger 2 Logs Your Time in a Spreadsheet or Text File (Windows) 94 Hack 26: Dash through Tasks with a Timer 96 Do Your First Dash 96 Adjust Your Dash 96 Why Time Constraints Work 97 Timer Software Applications 97 Hack 27: Form New Habits with Jerry Seinfeld’s Chain 99 Hack 28: Control Your Workday 101 Identify and Cut Back on Extra Work 101 Stop Your Time Sinks 102 Make Post-Work Appointments 103 Set Wrap-Up Alerts 103 Hack 29: Turn Tasks into Game Play 103 Make It to the Next Level 104 Collaborate, Compete, and Reward 104 Bribe Yourself 104 Time Yourself 105 References 105 Chapter 4 Clear Your Mind 107 Hack 30: Send Reminders to Your Future Self 108 Hack 31: Build Your Personal 112 What You Need 112 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xiii

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Set Up MediaWiki 112 Test-Drive Your Wiki 115 Brief Wikitext Primer 116 Hack 32: Develop Your (Digital) Photographic Memory 117 Tag Your Photos on Flickr 117 Upload Photos to Flickr from Your Camera Phone 118 Your Photo Reference 119 Hack 33: Take Great Notes 121 Method 1: Symbolize Next Actions 121 Method 2: Split Your Page into Quadrants 121 Method 3: Record and Summarize 122 Print Custom Note Paper 123 Hack 34: Organize Your Life with Remember the Milk 124 Managing Tasks 124 Prioritizing Tasks 125 Completing Tasks 125 Managing Lists and Tags 126 Setting Task Reminders 127 Searching Tasks 128 Advanced Search Operators 129 Save Searches in Smart Lists 130 Get Your RTM Tasks Offline 130 More RTM Techniques 131 The Weekly Planner 131 Add Tasks via Email 131 Keyboard Shortcuts 132 View Your RTM Tasks on Your Calendar or Homepage 132 Hack 35: Organize Your Life in Text Files 132 Why Plain Text? 133 Using an Editor to Manage Your Text Files 133 Allocate One Task Per Line 134 Sorting Items 134 Transfer Tasks from One File to Another 135 Using the Command Line to Manage Text Files 135 Introducing todo.sh 136 References 136 Chapter 5 Firewall Your Attention 139 Hack 36: Limit Visits to Time-Wasting Web Sites 140 Install and Configure LeechBlock 141 Visiting a Blocked Site 142 Adding Sites to the Block List 143 Make It Difficult to Disable LeechBlock 143 Hack 37: Permanently Block Time-Wasting Web Sites 144 Windows 145 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xiv

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Mac OS X 145 The Result 146 Hack 38: Reduce Email Interruptions 146 Shut Down Your Email Program 147 Set Your Email Program to Check for Messages Once an Hour 147 Hack 39: Split Your Work Among Multiple Desktops 148 Windows Vista and XP 149 Windows XP 150 Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) 150 Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) 152 Hack 40: Build a No-Fly Zone 153 Set Yourself Up to Get into the Zone 153 Make Yourself Inaccessible 154 Work at Quieter Times and in Zoned-Off Spaces 154 Hack 41: Clear Your Desktop 155 Windows 155 Mac OS X 156 Hack 42: Make Your House a Usable Home 157 Create a Place for Incoming Stuff 157 Put Items You Need to Remember in Your Path 158 Stow Away Stuff You Don’t Use; Put Stuff You Do Within Easy Reach 158 Strategically Place Items to Make Tasks Easy 158 Make Task-Based Centers 159 Leave Writing Material Everywhere 159 Set Up an Inbox 159 Collaborate with Housemates 159 Hack 43: Sentence Stuff to Death Row 160 Hack 44: Drown out Distracting Sounds with Pink Noise 161 ChatterBlocker (Windows and Mac) 161 Noise (Mac OS X Only) 162 References 162 Chapter 6 Streamline Common Tasks 163 Hack 45: Search the Web in Three Keystrokes 164 Run a Search with Keyboard Shortcuts 165 Hack 46: Command Your Windows PC from the Keyboard 167 Built-in Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 168 Launch Documents and Applications from Vista’s Search Box 169 Quickly Run Programs and Open Files with Launchy 170 Hack 47: Command Your Mac from the Keyboard 171 Basic File and Application Launching with Quicksilver 171 Advanced Quicksilver Actions 172 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xv

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Hack 48: Reduce Repetitive Typing with Texter for Windows 174 Set Up Texter Hotstrings 174 Adding Hotstrings 174 Choosing the Right Hotstring Trigger 176 Configuring Bundles 176 More Texter Features 177 Hack 49: Reduce Repetitive Typing with TextExpander for Mac 178 Configure TextExpander Snippets 178 Adding New Snippets 178 Set the Text Expansion Delimiter 179 Managing Snippet Groups 181 Advanced TextExpander Usage 181 Hack 50: Text-Message Efficiently 182 What You Can Do with SMS 183 Quick-Start Guide for SMS Beginners 183 Save Your Thumbs 184 SMS from Your Computer 184 Hack 51: Batch-Resize Photos 185 Hack 52: Send and Receive Money on Your Cell Phone 186 PayPal Mobile 187 Send Money to an Email Address 188 PayPal Alternative 189 Hack 53: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot 189 Hack 54: Speed Up Web Pages on a Slow Connection 191 Configure Your for a Slow Connection 191 Block and Disable Bandwidth Hogs 193 Use Tabs to Load Pages While You Work 194 Work Offline Whenever Possible 194 Hack 55: Securely Save Web Site Passwords 195 Hack 56: Become a Scheduling Black Belt with Google Calendar 197 Quickly Capture Events 198 Subscribe to Shared Calendars 198 Share a Custom Calendar 198 Book Conference Room B 199 Receive Your Daily Agenda via Email Automatically 199 See This Week’s Weather Forecast on Your Calendar 199 Invite Your Friends to Events via GCal 200 Get Your Schedule Details via Text Message 200 Master GCal’s Keyboard Shortcuts 200 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xvi

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Hack 57: Scan Text to PDF with Your Camera Phone 201 Take Photos that Produce the Best Scan Results 202 Sending Images to Qipit 203 Working with Qipit Scans 204 Hack 58: Poll Groups of People with Doodle 204 References 207 Chapter 7 Automate Repetitive Tasks 209 Hack 59: Automatically Back Up Your Files to an External Hard Drive (PC) 210 What You’ll Need 211 Configure the Backup System 211 Hack 60: Automatically Back Up Your Files to an External Hard Drive (Mac) 216 Enable Time Machine Backups 217 What Time Machine Does 217 Switch Disks or Exclude Folders from Time Machine’s Backup 218 Restore Deleted or Overwritten Files 218 Hack 61: Automatically Back Up Your Files Online 220 Set Up Mozy Online Backups 220 What Mozy Does 221 Restore Files Backed Up with Mozy 222 Hack 62: Automatically Empty Your Digital Junk Drawer (PC) 223 Hack 63: Automatically Clean Up Your Mac 228 Empty Your Downloads Folder with Hazel 228 Take Out the Trash with Hazel 229 More Automatic File Processing 230 Hack 64: Automatically Reboot and Launch Applications 230 Automatically Reboot Your Computer 230 Automatically Launch Software or Documents 231 Automatically Start a Web-Browsing Session 232 Hack 65: Make Google Search Results Automatically Come to You 233 Hack 66: Automatically Download Music, Movies, and More 234 Install and Run wget 234 Mirror an Entire Web Site 235 Resume Partial Downloads on an Intermittent Connection 236 Automatically Download New Music from the Web 237 Automate wget Downloads on Windows 237 Hack 67: Automatically Email Yourself File Backups 238 Set Up the Email Script 238 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xvii

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Why Not Just Save Files to Flash Drives or a CD? 240 More on Emailing Yourself Backups 240 Email Backup Filtering 240 Scheduling 241 File Size and Type Limitations 241 Troubleshooting 241 Hack 68: Automatically Update a Spreadsheet 242 Reference 244 Chapter 8 Get Your Data to Go 245 Hack 69: Manage Your Documents in a Web-Based Office Suite 246 Why Move from Desktop Software to Web Applications 247 Web Application Alternatives to Desktop Office Software 250 What You Can Do in an Online Office Suite 250 Hack 70: Replace Your Laptop with a Portable Drive 252 Uses for MojoPac 253 Install MojoPac 253 MojoPac’s Pros, Cons, and Notes 257 Hack 71: Carry Your Life on a Flash Drive 257 Portable Applications 258 Carry a System-Recovery Toolkit on Your Flash Drive 260 Useful Data to Store on Your Thumb Drive 260 Secure Your Drive 261 Lock Sensitive Text Files 261 Encrypt Your Data 261 Make Your Drive Returnable 262 Using Your Thumb Drive 262 Hack 72: Access Web Apps and Search via Text Message 263 Web Search via Text Message 263 Get Help 266 Test-Drive SMS Search on the Web 266 Preschedule Search-Result SMS Alerts 266 Web Applications via Text Message 267 Calendar 267 Twitter Universal SMS Interface 267 Instant Reminders 268 To-Do List 268 Money 268 Gas Mileage 269 Hack 73: Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Hamachi 269 What’s Hamachi VPN? 270 Set Up Hamachi 270 Download and Install Hamachi 270 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xviii

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Create Your Hamachi Network 271 Invite Others to Join Your Hamachi Network 272 What You Can Do Over Hamachi VPN 273 Hack 74: Run a Home Web Server 273 Step 1: Disable Other Servers or Firewall Software 274 Step 2: Install Apache HTTP Server 274 Complete the Installation 275 Common Problem 275 Step 3: Configure Apache to Share Documents 276 Step 4: Password-Protect Your Web Site Documents 277 Hack 75: Remotely Control Your Home Computer 279 Step 1: Install the VNC Server 281 Windows 281 Mac 282 About the Server 283 Step 2: Install the VNC Client 283 More VNC Considerations 283 Hack 76: Give Your Home Computer a Web Address 284 Step 1: Set Up Your DynDNS Account 285 Step 2: Set up Your Computer to Update DynDNS 285 Step 3: Give Your New Domain a Spin 286 DynDNS Options 286 Hack 77: Optimize Your Laptop 287 Extend Your Battery Life 287 Save Your Keyboard and Screen 288 Keep It Cool 288 Set Yourself Up to Work Offline 289 Secure Your Data 289 Carry with Care 290 Back Up 290 Pack Helpful Extras 290 Find a Hotspot 290 Hack 78: Back Up Data to Your iPod 291 Turn Your iPod into a Hard Drive 291 Encrypt Your Data 293 Mac OS X 293 Windows 293 Take Your Software with You on the iPod 293 Hack 79: Turn Your Cell Phone into a Modem 293 What You Need 294 Configure Your Cell Phone as a Modem 294 Keep an Eye on the Meter 295 Hack 80: Use Gmail as an Internet Hard Drive 296 Windows: GMail Drive Extension 297 Mac OS X: gDisk 298 References 299 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xix

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Chapter 9 Master the Web 301 Hack 81: Google Like a Pro 302 Exact Phrase with Quotations 303 Include and Exclude Words Using + and – 304 Search Within a Site 304 Search Certain Types of Files 304 Calculations 305 Synonyms 305 Combine Criteria and Operators 306 Hack 82: Subscribe to Web Sites with RSS 307 How to Subscribe to Web Site Feeds 307 Other Popular Feedreaders 309 Search and Track Dynamic Information with Feeds 310 Hack 83: Add Engines to Your Browser’s Search Box 311 Adding Search Plugins 311 Search-Box Basics 312 Get to the Search Box by Keyboard 313 Hack 84: Quick Search from the URL Bar 314 Download the Bookmark Set 315 Lifehacker Quick Searches 316 Hack 85: Extend Your Web Browser 317 How to Install a Extension 317 Recommended Firefox Extensions 318 Hack 86: Supercharge Your Firefox Downloads with DownThemAll! 320 Download Individual Files with DownThemAll! 321 Batch-Download Files with Filters 321 Customize a Filter to Download All the MP3s on a Web Page 322 One-Click Access to dTa Settings 325 Hack 87: Get 10 Useful Bookmarklets 325 Hack 88: Find Reusable Media Online 327 What’s Reusable Media? 328 Six Reusable-Media Search Engines and Sources 328 Hack 89: Get Your Data on a Map 330 Hack 90: Set Multiple Sites as Your Home Page 332 Multitab Homepage 332 Firefox 333 7 333 Bookmark Sets of Tabs 334 Open a Set of Tabs 334 Hack 91: Access Unavailable Web Sites via Google 335 Hack 92: Take Your Browser Configuration with You 336 Hack 93: Find Out About a Web Site 338 View Site Traffic and Related Information with Alexa 338 See What Others Are Saying about a Site on Technorati 339 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xx

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View Past Versions of a Site in the Internet Archive 339 See What Sites Link to a Site with Google and Yahoo! 340 Get 25 Meta Lookups for a Web Page with the About This Site Firefox Extension 340 Hack 94: Have a Say in What Google Says About You 340 But I Already Have a Web Site 341 Get Your Domain 341 Author Your Nameplate 342 Find a Web Host 343 Link Up Your Name Site 343 Hack 95: Capture Web Clippings with Google Notebook 344 Hack 96: Clear Your Web Browsing Tracks 345 Internet Explorer 6 (Windows XP) 346 Internet Explorer 7 (Windows Vista) 347 Mozilla Firefox 347 Reference 348 Chapter 10 Hone Your Computer Survival Skills 349 Hack 97: Rescue Your PC from Malware 350 Symptoms 351 Malware-Removal and -Prevention Tools 351 How to Clean an Infected System 352 Virus Protection 354 Web-Browser Hijacking 355 Hack 98: Clean Up Your Startup 355 Start Menu (Easy) 356 System Configuration Utility (Medium) 357 Autoruns (Advanced) 358 Hack 99: Undo System Configuration Changes 359 Create or Restore a Saved Point with System Restore 360 When System Restore Takes Snapshots 361 Limit System Restore’s Disk Usage 362 Hack 100: Truly Delete Data from Your Hard Drive 362 Windows 363 Mac OS X 364 Hack 101: Compare and Merge Files and Folders with WinMerge 365 Compare and Merge Folders 365 Diff and Merge Text Files 366 Compare and Merge Office Documents 367 Hack 102: Firewall Your PC 368 Does Your Computer Need a Firewall? 368 ZoneAlarm Software Firewall 369 Control What Programs Can Connect to the Internet 369 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xxi

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Hack 103: Firewall Your Mac 371 Choose Your Firewall Setting 372 Allow All Incoming Connections 373 Allow Only Essential Services 373 Set Access For Specific Services And Applications 373 Get Stealthy 373 Hack 104: Speed Up Windows Vista with a Thumb Drive 374 Enable ReadyBoost for a Flash Drive 374 Allocate How Much Space ReadyBoost Uses 375 Hack 105: Free Up Hard-Drive Space 376 Visualize Disk Hogs 376 WinDirStat (Windows) 376 JDiskReport (Windows or Mac) 376 Clean Your Entire System with CCleaner 378 Hack 106: Resurrect Deleted Files 378 Hack 107: Hot Image Your PC for Instant Restoration 380 Create a New System Image 380 Raw Mode 381 Split Large Files 382 Compressed 382 Hot Imaging Strategy 382 Restore Your System Image 383 Browse and Restore Individual Files 384 Perform a Complete System Restore (Advanced) 384 Hack 108: Recover Files from an Unbootable PC 386 What You Need 386 Prepare Your KNOPPIX Disk 387 Set Your Computer to Boot from the CD or DVD Drive 387 Start KNOPPIX 388 Rescue Your Data 388 Reference 390 Chapter 11 Manage Multiple Computers 391 Hack 109: Share Windows Files 392 Share a Folder 393 Determine Your Computer Name 394 Access the Shared Folder from Another PC 395 Access the Shared Folder from a Mac 395 Troubleshooting Tips 396 Hack 110: Share Mac Files 397 Share a Folder 397 Access the Shared Folder from Another Mac 398 Access the Shared Folder from a PC 399 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xxii

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Hack 111: Synchronize Folders Between Computers 400 Sync Files Between PCs on a Local Network with SyncToy 400 Set SyncToy Action Options 401 Dry-Run Your SyncToy Action 402 Sync Files Between Macs and PCs over the Internet with FolderShare 403 Hack 112: Synchronize Your Browser Bookmarks Between Computers 405 Set Up Foxmarks 406 Access Your Foxmarks Bookmarks on the Web 408 Hack 113: Share a Single Printer Between Computers 408 Share the Printer 408 Connect to the Shared Printer from Windows 410 Connect to the Shared Printer from a Mac 411 Hack 114: Have Your Mac and Windows, Too, with Boot Camp 412 What You Need 412 Set Up Boot Camp 413 Step 1: Launch the Boot Camp Assistant 413 Step 2: Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive 413 Step 3: Start the Windows Installation 415 Step 4. Install the Windows Drivers for Your Mac’s Hardware 415 You Choose 416 Using a Mac Keyboard in Windows 417 Hack 115: Optimize Your Dual Monitors 417 The Basics 418 Get Your Dual-Monitor Wallpaper On 419 Extend Your Taskbar Across Monitors 420 Managing Windows 421 Desktop Pinups and Overlays 422 Hack 116: Control Multiple Computers with a Single Keyboard and Mouse 423 Set Up the Synergy Server 423 Configure Multiple Synergy Screens 424 Link the Screens 424 Set Up the Synergy Client 426 Reference 426 Index 427