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These days, I need to scan or fax a document about once every six months -- far too infrequently to bother owning either a fax or a scanner. Recently, I had to e-mail someone a scanned document. Rather than trudging over to Kinkos, I used Snapter to scan the document with my digital camera. Snapt...
Even though I consider myself a good writer (better than Rick, at least), I freely admit to having virtually no sense of graphic design. Since I'm all thumbs with design software, I love using Microsoft Office's SmartArt to inject simple but professional graphics into my documents and presentations....
Good news for Gmail users: Google just made it easier to select multiple files to attach to an e-mail, while at the same time adding a progress meter so you can monitor the files as they upload. These are minor improvements to be sure, but welcome ones. For as long as Gmail's been around, attachm...
Not feeling sufficiently stimulated by the stimulus package? No worries: We've got some hacks from last week that'll make you happy to be alive -- and they won't cost you $700 billion. In fact, they're free. Where else can you get a deal like that? Teach Outlook to Expand Shorcuts and Abbreviati...
It's a dangerous world out there, and your computer needs protection. There's nothing new about that message, but there are still people who neglect to install anti-virus software. If you are one of the unprotected, you can no longer claim the expense as a reason not to install some anti-virus s...
You probably already know that we're big fans of Evernote. And now, thanks to Shoeboxed, you can now automate the process of scanning and archiving your receipts in Evernote as well. Shoeboxed is a service that provides Netflix-like envelopes to mail in your printed receipts. They scan your recei...
PDF-to-Word is a free Web-based service that converts PDFs into Word documents -- and does a bang-up job of it, too. The service is in closed beta at the moment, but we scored some invites just for Business Hacks readers! After signing up, all you do is upload your PDF and choose your desired out...
You know how you wish there's a TV screen in your car's dashboard so you can drive and watch Chuck at the same time? Well, you should be institutionalized, because that would be insanely dangerous. But Double Vision lets you watch video in a semi-transparent window while you work with your normal p...
If you're a Facebook user, make sure your online profile is free of anything a prospective (or even current) employer might find objectionable. According to Dumb Little Man, an increasing number of companies are vetting potential and existing hires by examining their Facebook and other social-networ...
If you frequently capture screenshots to add to your site or blog or to send to co-workers, here's an app you're sure to like: ScreenDash makes it a snap to capture and share screenshots. After installing the program (Windows only), click the Capture button and then draw a box around the area...
Recently, my boss told me, "You know Dave, you don't have to say yes to everything that lands in your inbox." (After Catwoman and X-Men 3, I suspect that Halle Berry needs to hear this advice as well.) Unfortunately, even saying no sometimes requires a lot of work, since it's often not clear what yo...
Despite what the dude who invented VisiCalc intended, most of us use spreadsheets to make glorified lists. We enter, arrange, organize, and sort data, and every once in a while we might use the Autosum tool to add up a bunch of numbers. So stop using a spreadsheet and try a tool designed for this so...
It's an almost universal rule: Everyone who owns a Bluetooth headset hates their Bluetooth headset. The reasons vary -- it's not comfortable, the sound quality is terrible, it looks dorky -- but I've never met anyone who didn't have at least a few complaints. To help headset shoppers avoid some o...
Need to work on a Word 2007 file but don't have access to Office 2007? Just sign into your Zoho Writer account. The free online word processor is one of the few that supports Word 2007's Docx format. During a recent business trip, I found myself needing to open just such a file. But when I fi...
While on a business trip about 20 years ago, I overslept and missed a meeting. Why? I hadn't hung the phone up properly, so my wakeup call never came through. Ever since then, I've neurotically relied on redundant systems whenever I stay in a hotel, including a wakeup call and setting the bedside al...
