Category Archives: Webapps

How to decipher technical computer specs

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If you’ve ever been shopping for a new computer, you’ve probably come across some baffling technical details. How are most people supposed to know the difference between an Intel Core i3 2100 and an AMD Phenom II X4 980 BE? And if you play computer games, you might be looking at video cards and just want something that can play the kinds of games you like.

Fortunately, I have two tricks to help you read the technical gibberish:

(1) AnandTech

AnandTech allows you to compare the performance of popular processors (CPUs), video cards (GPUs), and even specific laptops and smartphones. You can even choose exactly what you’d like to compare, including not only general performance, but also battery life and how well the hardware can handle specific games. Very handy!

(2) Computer Reviews

If you want more information on a specific computers, CNET‘s reviews can give a good idea of whether a particular computer might meet your needs, explaining the pros and the cons of each model. It also never hurts to just google the name of a computer, plus the word reviews. Just keep in mind that some user reviews may be written by people who work for the manufacturers or their competitors.

I hope that helps! If you have any more questions or other tips you’d like to add, please comment below.

How to scan the Internet for unhappy customers and turn that frown upside down

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Unfortunately, customers don’t always give direct feedback to businesses they’re unhappy with. Instead, they’ll go online and tweet, blog, and otherwise broadcast to their friends that they don’t like you – even if it’s just a misunderstanding.

Fortunately, Mashable has a great article with 4 Ways to Protect the Reputation of Your Small Business Online. They’ll show you how to find out who’s talking about you and join the conversation, showing you really care. Check it out!

How to clear any webpage of distractions with a single click

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Ever feel like your attention is being pulled in ten different directions when browsing the web? If you do, Kevin Purdy at Fast Company has some tips to help. My personal favorite is the Readability Bookmarklet, allowing you to instantly scrub any page of distractions. Check out the effect on Fast Company’s article below.

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Monday Mashup: Keeping up with Facebook

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I have 5 posts for you today, all about Facebook, but all with something unique to offer.

Why (according to Mashable) Facebook will never charge its users

You might have seen the chain letter going around Facebook, claiming that Facebook will start charging. Just like the other times rumors like this have spread, it’s not true. This story explains why it might not even be in Facebook’s best interests to ever charge their users.

How to get your Facebook Timeline before everyone else

If Facebook Timelines haven’t already been activated on your account, you can skip ahead in line with this handy trick. This is also the article to check out if you’re not sure what Facebook Timelines are.

10 Facebook Timeline designs that will blow you away

Now that you have a Facebook Timeline, thanks to the link above, you might be looking for inspiration to help make yours stand out. Here some ideas that just might get the creative juices flowing.

Filling in the gaps in the Time Before Facebook

You might notice, after activating your timeline, that there are some apparent gaps in your life. Unless you were born after Facebook, your life’s story probably starts with you being born, and then many years later, finally managing to make some friends. This article discusses whether or not it could be worth your time to fill in the gaps and set Facebook straight.

Is Facebook getting too complicated?

This one might be obligatory, but more than the usual moping, this article offers some ideas on why Facebook is constantly changing. Personally, I’m a fan of Kevin Rose’s theory that they sometimes switch things up just so we never get too used to the current design. That way, it’s never too much of a shock when they want to try something radically innovative.

Is Twitter really a *social* network?

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In this half-hour podcast, the folks at Freakonomics cast a critical eye on Twitter and question how social it actually is. When you follow thousands or even hundreds of people, are you really listening to them? And for the social media junkies, will following people back in fact make you more popular?

Find out what they discovered by listening to the podcast, then let us know what your thoughts are in the comments. Does Twitter make you feel more connected, more alone, or somewhere in between?

Monday Mashup: Top Recent Stories on Social Media

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Social Media Citations :: If you have friends who keep inviting you to weird games on Facebook or don’t know what to keep to themselves on Twitter, you could let them know with one of these social media citations. Just try to be nice when dishing these out. :-)

Why Mainstream Social Networks Complicate Our Identities :: An interesting read about, well, the title says it all.

Vizualize.me Creates an Infographic Resume for You in One Click :: If you’re on LinkedIn, this cool tool can create a visual timeline of your work experience to help your resume stand out from the crowd.

Start Google Plus Combines Google+ with Facebook and Twitter :: Love Google+, but don’t really want to manage 3 different social networks? This may help.

Google+ Ultimate Allows Design Customization for Google Plus :: If you want more freedom in choosing how Google+ looks and works for you, Google+ Ultimate will get the job done.

How to set up your own website, for free, in 1 hour

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Ever wanted to set up your own website? Whether you’re an individual, small business, or non-profit, it’s easier than you probably think – and just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it has to look janky (*cough*, Google Sites) or crash all the time (*cough*, Tumblr).

If you really want to create a good-looking, flexible website, the best free option I know of is WordPress.com. You don’t need to know any HTML or CSS, but already being comfortable creating documents in a text editor will help.

For an easy, 3-step tutorial to help you plan, create, and customize your website, check out One-Hour Websites. I built it with my wife, to help non-profits create their own websites, but it’s just as useful for small businesses and individuals. Check it out and comment there or here if you have any questions!

How to soup up your phone number with Google Voice

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Google Voice is one of my favorite tech tools at Power On. Thanks to this free service, calling us at 517-798-6098 will ring up the phone in our building and my cell phone – but only during business hours. I can set personalized greetings for each customer and also forward different customers to different phones. I can have voice messages transcribed to text, then sent to my email, or even to my cell via text message.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

To find out more about Google Voice and how to use it for your own business (or for personal use), I recommend 5 Ways to Use Google Voice for Your Business at Mashable.

Of course, you can also ask questions, share your own experiences, and offer more techy phone tricks below in the comments!

How to find the best parts of any book, for free

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Book reviews are a great tool, but I don’t always want to know what other people are saying about a book, before I actually read it. That’s where Amazon’s Highlights come in. Amazon keeps track of how many people have highlighted a passage on Kindle e-readers, then shows you the parts that were highlighted the most.

Here’s how to find the most popular highlights for most, popular books. (Warning: I don’t recommend doing this for fiction – it would probably ruin the story for you.)

Step 1

Go to kindle.amazon.com and search for a book that you’re interested in.

Step 2

Click on the book that you want to learn more about.

Step 3

Scroll down a little to the Highlights section, find something that blows your mind, and buy the book to learn more.

Do you have other tricks for finding great books, or getting more out your books? Share your wisdom in the comments below.