October 2007
111 posts
Top 10 Free Video Rippers, Encoders, and...
So many video file formats, so many handheld video players, so many online video sites, and so little time. To have your favorite clips how you want them—whether that’s on your DVR, iPod, PSP or desktop—you need the right utility to convert ‘em into the format that works for you. Commercial video converter software’s aplenty, but there are several solid free utilities that...
Ten Ways to Avoid a Google Reputation Nightmare
Google is no longer just a search engine. With your potential customers, future employers, and members of the media turning to Google for information about your business, Google has become a reputation engine.
In helping clients with their online reputation, I’m consistently asked how they can push out negative content that appears on the first page of Google for a search for their name. Whether...
7 Secrets of Being Popular
Why are some people effortlessly popular and well liked? By contrast, other people, no matter how hard they try, never seem to be able to gain the same trust and respect. Even if we may not like to admit it, most people secretly crave the respect and admiration of other people. These are some factors which can lead to a natural popularity.
1. Don’t Try to Be Popular.
It is a mistake to try and...
dougpetch: Taking snitter for a test drive. Here’s a snitter-generated url - http://snurl.com/1swdq (via Twitter / dougpetch)
What Are Your Talking Points?
When I started doing my own research after completing my graduate coursework, I was advised by a mentor to have three descriptions of my work ready to recite at a moment’s notice: a three-minute overview, a 12-minute presentation, and a half-hour discussion. The three-minute version is what you tell someone when you’re sharing an elevator at an academic conference; the 12-minute version is...
What Are Your Talking Points?
When I started doing my own research after completing my graduate coursework, I was advised by a mentor to have three descriptions of my work ready to recite at a moment’s notice: a three-minute overview, a 12-minute presentation, and a half-hour discussion. The three-minute version is what you tell someone when you’re sharing an elevator at an academic conference; the 12-minute version is...
Mac OS X: Rebuild Your Mac with 20 Useful... →
Get A First Class Ticket For Coach Class Prices...
First class airplane tickets might be less expensive than you think, according to an article from KGTV San Diego. The trick? Know the codes. While booking a flight, ask the agent about a special type… (via Doug’s shared items in Google Reader)
Going Big Time
Check it out - the Sixty Second Success Seminar is now available via iTunes .
So now you can download each weekly episode (yes - I know that I
missed this week. We’ll talk more about that later) directly from
iTunes to your iPod - how cool is that? And while you’re at it, why not be the first to write a review? I may just have to send some goodness your way if you...
Leopard to Spur External Hard Drive Sales
Prediction: Hard drive manufacturers will love Apple for boosting external hard drive sales. Apple’s upcoming operating system, OS X Leopard, contains a powerful system backup tool that makes use of an external hard drive rather than using a portion of the main hard drive’s space, as Windows Vista and XP do for “System Restore” points.
It’s called Time Machine and Apple’s guided tour walks you...
dougpetch: Finally - a good soaking rain. Should last a day or two, too. (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Tutorial for Flash MP3 Player →
How to “Web 2.0-enable” your live event →
Attending a Conference Without a Laptop →
Jumpchart: A Great, Free Way to Collaborate on...
A huge part of building or improving any web site comes in the site mapping stage. I’m always amazed at the varying kinds of tools that web workers use to do site design, and I even know one top designer who does all his prototyping in Excel—because he likes it. I have a new favorite tool for site mapping, and it’s Jumpchart. The best news of all is that you can use Jumpchart for free, and there...
In Brief: If you signed up with the National Do...
If you signed up with the National Do Not Call Registry when the service opened its doors in 2003, it’s time to re-register (registration expires after five years). You can re-register anytime, so go… (via Doug’s shared items in Google Reader)
TED | TEDBlog: 100 Websites You Should Know and... →
Robots.txt Guide
A very comprehensive guide on robots.txt. It includes a list of user-agents for your use. 1 Vote(s)
(via Doug’s shared items in Google Reader)
dougpetch: Doug’s FB Status: Doug is pondering the possibilities of a facebook-free future. http://tinyurl.com/ytp5lw (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Doug is pondering the possibilities of a...
(via Doug Petch’s Facebook Status Updates)
The Ten Videos to Change How You View the World
I believe that a sign of good information is that it makes you think. If reading a book, listening to a lecture or watching a video doesn’t change how you think, it probably isn’t that important. But if you encounter something that forces you to change your views, even if you don’t completely agree with it, you’ve found something valuable.
The problem is where do you find these ideas? Better...
dougpetch: Seriously - why do I need accounts with Facebook AND Linkedin AND MySpace AND well, you get the idea…. (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Put Your iTunes Library on a Diet
My music buying habits have slowed considerably since my college days, when I’d rush down to the music store every Tuesday and spend every penny I hadn’t guzzled through a beer bong the previous weekend, but I still managed to amass a rather prodigious CD collection. When I got a Mac and an iPod, this turned into a rather prodigious iTunes library, and quickly became a major thorn in my side.
...
Rising Above the Email Swarm
In today’s age of receiving dozens to 100s of e-mails a day, quickly processing these is critical. Microsofties are known for the volumes of e-mail we deal with, particularly as a Program Manager. As ScottHa mentions, “these guys used Outlook like it’s an IM client” (so true that I don’t use IM). It’s not unusual to go on vacation for a few days and come back...
Do as I Do
The first time I was placed in a leadership position I made the same mistake countless other new leaders make - I assumed that my team would follow me because of my position. I learned very quickly that relying on the power of my position would not necessarily achieve the results I expected.
From that painful experience and from observing successful leaders I was able to adjust my approach...
Do as I Do
(via Sixty Second Success Seminar)
Do as I Do
The first time I was placed in a leadership position I made the same mistake countless other new leaders make - I assumed that my team would follow me because of my position. I learned very quickly that relying on the power of my position would not necessarily achieve the results I expected.
From that painful experience and from observing successful leaders I was able to adjust my approach...
dougpetch: Doug’s FB Status: Doug is all that and a bag of chips. http://tinyurl.com/39xkls (via Twitter / dougpetch)
dougpetch: @steverubel - The pats have the same chance of going undefeated this year as the colts did last year at this time (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Improve Your Photos in 60 Seconds →
Doug is all that and a bag of chips.
(via Doug Petch’s Facebook Status Updates)
dougpetch: @allanthinks were you there? The place was rocking! (via Twitter / dougpetch)
dougpetch: Doug’s FB Status: Doug is recovering from attending the UK - LSU game. http://tinyurl.com/2xlp5s (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Doug is recovering from attending the UK - LSU...
(via Doug Petch’s Facebook Status Updates)
dougpetch: Just got back from Commonwealth Stadium - what a great night to be a UK fan!
It was an amazing game, and next week we get Florida (via Twitter / dougpetch)
dougpetch: Note to self: Must remember to deselect the “send email to contacts” option when I make a change to my Plaxo profile (via Twitter / dougpetch)
A Good Point, But...
Tom Antion makes a good point in this post when he recommends including caricatures, cartoons or comic strips in presentations. After all, people do like to laugh and all of those media can provide a reason to laugh. I recommend you proceed with caution, though, if you decide to follow this advice -
There are tons of strips that relate to all sorts of professions and
hobbies, if you don’t...
dougpetch: Doug’s FB Status: Doug is prepping for a morning seminar and an afternoon UK football .. http://tinyurl.com/2shzoo (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Doug is prepping for a morning seminar and an...
(via Doug Petch’s Facebook Status Updates)
A Good Point, But...
Tom Antion makes a good point in this post when he recommends including caricatures, cartoons or comic strips in presentations. After all, people do like to laugh and all of those media can provide a reason to laugh. I recommend you proceed with caution, though, if you decide to follow this advice -
There are tons of strips that relate to all sorts of professions and
hobbies, if you don’t...
ScriptAlias » Blog Archive » 3G for the Mac! →
Geek Throwdown: How to sync two or more Macs?
Enter the Octagon
Here’s an experimental new feature: The Throwdown. Take a problem that lots of people face and tell us your personal favorite way to deal with it — in as much detail and with as much persuasion as you can muster.
Today, a lot of us are living on two or more Macs — which is great, except for the challenge of keeping the contents and settings of multiple machines effortlessly...
Doug is totalling his losses from going to...
(via Doug Petch’s Facebook Status Updates)
dougpetch: Doug’s FB Status: Doug is totalling his losses from going to Keeneland yesterday. http://tinyurl.com/2gje3r (via Twitter / dougpetch)
Twitter is Paying My Rent
This weekend will mark one month that I’ve been writing over at Read/WriteWeb and doing consulting. In my previous stints as an online news writer (which I missed very much) I was often able to break news faster than my tech blogging competitors primarily through some advanced use of RSS feeds, which I wrote about here. I’m still doing that in this job, but there’s a new tool...
If You Lost All Your Work…
If you’re a freelancer or run your own business, it is important to know how well you would cope after something like a computer crash where all your work is lost.
If your income relies on you having work, then when you lose everything you need to know how well you can get back into gear.
Dave Navarro [of FreelanceFolder] runs through three steps that you’ll need to have a plan for in case...
If You Lost All Your Work…
As a freelancer or run your own business, it is important to know how well you would cope after something like a computer crash where all your work is lost.
If your income relies on you having work, then when you lose everything you need to know how well you can get back into gear.
Dave Navarro [of FreelanceFolder] runs through three steps that you’ll need to have a plan for in case something...
Toward a hygienic credit card
You’ve probably heard the advice to photocopy your wallet’s contents; in the event that you lose your wallet, this makes it easy to know what you need to cancel and replace. Smart.
I recently received a new credit card and had forgotten what a hassle it is to change the info across all my various online accounts. Here’s a few suggestions based on things I did this time around that should make it...
The 7 Energy Sinkholes (and How to Avoid Them)
Energy sinkholes are situations that repeatedly drain your energy and stress you out. There are plenty of good reasons to invest your energy, so don’t waste your attention on a sinkhole. Unfortunately, it is often hard to see sinkholes since they rarely cause a drain all at once. Instead they slowly leech away at your lifeforce until your stressed, depressed and apathetic.
The best way to get...
The 7 Energy Sinkholes (and How to Avoid Them)
Energy sinkholes are situations that repeatedly drain your energy and stress you out. There are plenty of good reasons to invest your energy, so don’t waste your attention on a sinkhole. Unfortunately, it is often hard to see sinkholes since they rarely cause a drain all at once. Instead they slowly leech away at your lifeforce until your stressed, depressed and apathetic.
The best way to get...