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If you’re using Microsoft Outlook as your email client and you engage in email communication a lot then you may wake up one day and find that Outlook is performing very S-L-O-W-L-Y. This is especially true if you do not split your emails into different PST files.

Think of PST files as ‘file cabinets’. Sure, you can use folders to separate your email messages, calendar events,  notes and so on but those folders still belong to, say, one file cabinet, and if the cabinet gets too full, Outlook performs slowly. And not only that; Outlook may crash and you lose all your important messages (and their attachments!).

The simplest thing to do to protect your email messages in Outlook is to store them in different ‘file cabinets’ (PST files). Here are the steps to do just that.

Note: The following steps are done using Outlook 2007. Steps may vary slightly depending on the Outlook version you’re using. You may also want to backup your existing PST file first before you attempt the steps below.

1. Open Outlook. Click the File menu and then click Outlook Data File.



2. Select Office Outlook Personal Folders File and then click OK.
3. Decide where you want to the new file to be located (e.g., My Documents) and then on the File name field type a name for the new PST file.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Create Microsoft Personal Folders menu, type a Name for the new PST file and then click OK. (At this point, you can even apply a password to the PST file so that no one can access it by you. Good option to have if you’re not the only one using your PC.)

After you create this new PST file, it will be placed under All Mail Items below your current Inbox. Just start dragging email messages (or whole message folders) into this new ‘file cabinet’ and you’re done!

Junk mail is the bane of any household, particularly catalogs from companies hawking products for which you have zero interest. Many of us, when arriving home from work, hate the daily ritual of filtering unwanted junk from the mail that we’re actually interested in reading.

Initially unveiled as just a beta, Catalog Choice is now an official registry that allows you to cut down on the clutter filling up your mailbox.

It’s completely free and easy to use, supported by more than 1,000 merchants complying with the requests made through this service.

After the registration process has been completed, you can browse their directory for any catalogs that have found their way to your mailbox. You can either put a halt to their delivery altogether or make it so the frequency with which they’re sent to your residence diminishes considerably. Once your choices have been made, Catalog Choice will contact the companies and inform them of your preference.

Be forewarned: It can take up to 12 weeks before you notice your changes.

If you’re like me, you look forward to a mailbox containing only that which is relevant, absent the unnecessary solicitations. For those of you who tire of finding your mailbox invaded by catalogs you almost immediately toss in the garbage bin, this service is a perfect means of putting an end to the unwanted junk.

Visit Catalog Choice here

As you’re probably well aware, Haiti just suffered a catastrophic earthquake, leaving their country in ruins and possibly thousands dead. Beyond extending them your thoughts of concern, you can also donate to any number of charitable organizations that are urgently addressing the need arising from this grave situation.

When dealing with charities, it’s best to pay attention to just whom you’re donating to, remaining mindful of their legitimacy. While there are a lot of charitable sources that would appreciate your help,  this tragedy has also unearthed unscrupulous sorts who would take advantage of kind hearts. Below, you’ll find sites to which your donations are welcome, and some information on possible scams you should avoid:

• The American Red Cross is a well known organization that addresses need the world over. They’re now in Haiti, assisting the victims of this devastating event. You can donate money, volunteer your time, and provide other forms of support.
• UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders are also there, lending their hand.
• If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of charities to which you can donate, The Daily Beast has compiled a list of non-governmental organizations lending a hand to the cause, with additional information about what each service provides.
• Reddit.com, that source to which you can post all kinds of news, has set up their own donation site. Every dollar you donate to Reddit will go directly to Haiti, with none of the money used for any other purpose.

If you really want to help, it’s advisable to send just money – not stuff. Right now, money is critical, with that financial assistance going towards the replenishment of much needed supplies. If you experiencing some ambivalence over donating funds to organizations you’re not sure about, these resources should allay some of your fears:

• Charity Navigator assesses organizations and rates them accordingly, listing those services that have received three or four star ratings from their studies (such ratings denote trustworthiness and competency).
• The Foundation Center is helpful resource that unveils the tax filing and non-profit status of an organization.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. As more sites become available, we will update you on the best way to donate to the entities now addressing this tragic ordeal.

Google has proven to be a tremendous resource that many people reference for all kinds of information –  from the budding chef looking for the latest recipe, to a research assistant comparing their findings with an already published study.  Offering a myriad number of links, there’s nothing that Google  will not uncover, the extraordinary depth of its offerings the main reason it stands alone atop the peak of search engines.

While performing research, running multiple searches is a common task, one that can become frustrating when transitioning between multiple tabs. Alleviating you of that headache is a site called googlegooglegooglegoogle.com.

As the name of the website suggests, it affords users the opportunity to perform four Google searches simultaneously, splitting the screen into 4 separate Google windows.  Acting independent of each other, each screen serves as its own Google search, even allowing users to visit the links within that screen without impacting the content of the remaining 3 windows.

If you want to visit another website in one of the windows, click the green arrow at the top of that particular screen, where you’ll be prompted to enter the URL that you’d like to visit. This will not impact whatever you’re viewing on the other screens.

At the bottom, there’s a link – called “Menu” — that’ll draw up a list of options. You can restore previously closed google pages, switch to other Google services while maintaining the split screens, and alter the layout of the screens.

This is perfect for those of you performing a lot of research, especially if you’re a student who needs to cull information from a variety of sources.

Try it out here.

Nowadays, we’re concerned with what we’re consuming, as we’re reminded daily of the potential dangers inherent in the use of certain ingredients in the food we eat. If you’re one of the many who’d like an explanation of the nutritional composition of what you’re eating, the USDA Center for Nutrition has an informative resource that delivers a thorough rundown of the components that go into your food.

It’s called MyFoodapedia, an online database that lists the nutritional value for all types of food.

After visiting this website, you will see a field in which you can enter the treat you’re searching for, your input resulting in feedback that includes an assortment of potential matches to what you’re inquiring about. Additionally, it’ll give you examples of recipes that include the food you’re inquiring about. Should you have your own recipe, you can enter all of ingredients you’ll be using, and MyFoodapedia will list the nutritional information for every facet of the dish you’re preparing.

If you’ve become more mindful of what you put on your plate, visit MyFoodapedia and take a look at just what it is you’re eating.

When browsing the web, I’m sure you’ve encountered a website that’s little more than an interminable stream of pages connected by the “NEXT” hyperlink – especially when looking at a photo gallery.

While some people might have no problem subjecting themselves to the monotonous ritual of clicking “NEXT,” others would gladly welcome an alternative that cleverly groups those pages in a near seamless fashion.

Transforming that repetitive clicking into the mere scroll of your mouse, PageZipper merges every page into just one, substituting the scrollbar for the endless hyperlinks.

Here’s a demonstration:

PageZipper can be used as either a Firefox extension or a bookmarklet (an application stored as a bookmark in your web browser).

Completely free and easy to use, PageZipper can be downloaded here.

Oftentimes, when arriving to a job with a client, our technicians find that the client has either misplaced or lost their Windows repair disc. While our technicians are  still equipped with the tools that a repair necessitates, it’s always helpful if the client has an extra disc lying around.

Though it’s considerably more stable than previous versions of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 7 is still susceptible to the occasional crash, requiring the creation of a repair disc for those instances when an unanticipated problem is encountered.

Below, you’ll find the necessary steps to take if you wish to create one:

In the Start menu, bring up the search box and enter:

system repair disc

Once entered, this command will summon a window that allows you to select the drive in which the creation of this disc will occur. Taking up just a minimal amount of space, a CD – rather than a DVD – will suffice.

Upon its creation, you’ll have in your possession an invaluable tool that will ease the headache of a system crash.

Now, we’ll look at its use.

Again, Windows 7 has received high marks for its stability, but no operating system is immune to the unforeseen emergence of problems that are often the product of either user error or malware.

If a problem arises, insert your repair disc into your drive and boot Windows from it. Select Windows Setup [EMS Enabled]

Once the boot process has completed, you’ll be able to select various recovery tools or return the computer to a previous system image.

As you see, you’re given a list of options, all them different methods of achieving the same goal: recovery of your system.

While I hope the state of your computer never reaches this stage, having this disc at your disposal should make things easier if it does.

It certainly helps our technicians when they’re onsite.

Geek Choice specializes in system recovery, and we’re here to help you along that process.

A renowned pioneer in web technology, creating the most popular search engine in use today, Google stands at the forefront of companies pushing towards a future that is tied to the rapidly evolving world of the internet.

With some of the most brilliant minds at work beneath their roof, the services resulting from their ingenuity have fundamentally changed how we communicate with one another. From Gmail to Google Wave, to products from competitors who’re invariably playing “catch up,” evidence of this company’s forward-thinking innovation abounds.

One of their more interesting services is Google Voice, a telecommunications marvel that extends users a unique phone number from Google, to which any calls to your actual phone – or, if you so choose, multiple phones — will be transferred.

How it works:

• User creates (assuming it isn’t taken) a new phone number or selects one from a pool of numbers made available by Google.
• Once the Google Voice number has been selected, inbound calls to that number will be forwarded to the assigned phones.

As an example, take the following scenario as testament to the convenience afforded by Google Voice:

While in the kitchen fixing dinner, you’re awaiting a call from your brother about your sister-in-law’s pregnancy, knowing that she’s due any minute. Your cell phone, which is your primary means of communication, is upstairs. Yet, your home is also outfitted with a land line, with one phone located just a foot away from the kitchen counter. Not knowing if you’re home or not, your brother excitedly dials your Google Voice number, resulting in his call being forward to every phone assigned to it – including your land line.

With configuration requiring just a few steps, use of this service is that easy, gathering our disparate modes of telecommunication under the umbrella of Google Voice.

Additional features include:

• Voicemail
• Call History
• Conference Calling
• Call blocking
• Voice transcription (translating your voice mail into text messages)
• Call transitioning, which allows you to migrate from one phone to next in the midst of a call.

Google now allows you to use your existing phone number with Google Voice, a feature that was only just announced. Your existing number can be used in tandem with a new Google Voice number. To read more about this new feature, visit here

For those of you who’re interested in taking advantage of this service, you can request an invite today.

Geek Choice prides itself on educating you about the daily advances introduced to this world in which our company continues to grow. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact one of us.

We’re all guilty of happening upon a website from which we’d like to quickly exit. Even if just the result of an inadvertently clicked link, our travels on the web will always consist of visits to sites which are best tucked in the remote corners of our memory.

If your internet adventures are taken with Firefox, here is a quick way to expunge from your browsing history those websites which you’d no sooner forget.

Two methods effectively address this need:

FIRST SOLUTION:

In the address bar, begin typing the name of the website. In the example below, we’re ridding ourselves of the “CNN” url.

Even before the full address is typed out, you’ll notice that the website – or several selections – will drop immediately beneath the address bar. Highlight those selections you’d like deleted.

Once highlighted, press the “delete” button on your keyboard. Doing so renders that site obsolete, as far as your browser is concerned, which becomes evident when attempting to type “CNN” in the address bar again.

SECOND SOLUTION:

Slightly more involved than the first method, this process sees you open your “history” window and review the entire history of your browser’s romps about the internet. To open it up, look at the menu bar, where you will select the “History” option.

From that drop down, click on “Show All History,” which opens the History Library Window.

As you’ll see, once opened, you can review your history in its entirety.

Looking at the history, you can select the website you’re seeking the removal of. Right clicking on the website will bring up a window that affords you the option to “Forget About This Site.” Like before, we’ll use the “CNN” example.

After its removal, the only way that site will return to your browser’s history is if you return to the website.

While these two methods will successfully clear your history of any sites worth forgetting, it’s best to be mindful of where you’re visiting, should you ever find that you need to delete a   website from your history.

Six games into the new NFL season, the contagious fanaticism of football season is upon us, from chatter at work to discussions amongst friends and family about how the teams are faring. As a devout follower of the NFL, having some means — any means — to watch the games goes without saying.

Thanks to the generous folks at NBC, Sunday Night Football is just a few keystrokes away.

While nothing quite tops the joy of watching a game in all its HD glory on your television, this new and free internet  service  offers a number of features that transcend the traditional viewing experience.

As seen above, NBC’s Sunday Night Football viewer offers multiple angles from which to catch each play:

• Cable Cam
• End Zone Cam
• Sideline Cam
• Star Cam

If you want to review a play, you can rewind and play one back as often as you’d like.

A sidebar gives an informative delineation of the statistics, by team and player.

Lastly, for those who tire of constant interruptions by commercials, watching through this viewer will see far less advertisements. In fact, during those breaks, you can still view the action on the field.

Matching the fun of crowding around the television with friends and food is near impossible, but this is an alternative that every fan of the sport should keep in mind — provided, of course, they have access to the internet.

Working on on both Mac and PC platforms, you can use NBC’s Sunday Night Football player here.