Backpack

37 signals is a great company.  They offer easy to use software and a great line of products. I would especially recommend Backpack.  I have been using it for journal and prayer requests, but there are many ways that you might find it useful

So, how does it work?

Backpack is a simple web-based service. You sign up, log in, and use the product over the web through your web browser. You can make to-do lists, jot down notes, share files, upload photos. There’s no software to download and nothing to install — we take care of everything for you on the web. Simple. Take a quick tour to check it out.

What can I do with Backpack?

Organize to-do lists, notes, images, and photos Keep your calendar online Plan a personal or business trip Keep track of what your competitors are doing Plan a home improvement project Collaborate on a new business idea Keep track of houses you’re considering buying Gather information for a research project Keep a list of gift ideas for friends Build a For Sale page, Organize and plan a wedding or event, and more…

Sharing Backpack pages

One of the great things about Backpack is that you can share your Backpack pages with other people. Just click the “Sharing” button on any Backpack page, enter someone’s email address, and then they can view the page too. It’s a great, simple way to collaborate with friends and colleagues.

Backpack and email

Backpack is best friends with email. You can email to-do lists, notes, files, and images to a Backpack page. You can have Backpack email you the content from a specific page too.

Backpack and your cell phone

The calendar and reminder feature allow you to set up email and SMS/text-message reminders that can be sent to your cell phone whenever you want. It’s a great way to stay on-time even when you’re away from your computer! The service works with providers such as Singular, T-Mobile, Version, US Cellular, Sprint PCS, Vodafone, AT&T, and others.

Simple is the name of our game

Most software is full of promises, but its usefulness is often marred by complexity. Backpack is all about simplicity. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s just what you need when you need it. Backpack executes on the basics beautifully and then gets out of your way. Backpack proves that software doesn’t have to be hard to use. We hope you’ll love it.

They have a free account that limits you to five page.  Why not give it a shot?

Bookmark magic

I read this article last week and it has transfomed my web browsing. It really makes things move a lot faster. I would highly recomment you take a read and see how you like this new way of setting up bookmarks. I have found this method great for sites that I visit everyday or at least once a week. Del.icio.us is still great for for research or sites that you just want to file for safe keeping.

A fantastic read

Folder Marker

A really cool little utility to help you be productive.

This utility lets you change folder icon (mark folders) by priority (high,
normal, low), level of project completeness (done, half-done, planned)
and type of information stored in them (work, important, temp and
private files).

Since I’m a visual person, this application is extremely useful for
me, because I can see at a glance now which folders are waiting for my
urgent attention. Folder Marker is a free download, Windows only. — Wendy Boswell

Folder Marker [Lockergnome]

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Universal AutoCorrect

I stumbled accross this yesterday and found it extemely helpful.  I have all of these codes set up for me in Word autocorrect.  Now I can use them on the web.

Windows only: Blogger Jim Biancolo has put together an excellent AutoHotKey script that will automatically correct a predefined list of misspellings, à la Microsoft Word’s AutoCorrect feature.We’ve seen all of your most common typos, but Jim went a step further to create his AutoCorrect, using Wikipedia’s huge list of common misspellings. So not only does the AutoCorrect handle your everyday “teh’s” – it will also handle a much larger set of probelmed words (<– unfortunately it’s not savvy to pluralization or tense changes).Since AHK apps are always running in the background, what you end up with is a “cross-application AutoCorrect.”For whatever reason, Jim didn’t compile the script as an executable, so I went ahead and did so (you can download it at the second link below). If you want to look at the source script and possibly add or remove a few words, maybe add pluralization support, or just get a look at a great AHK program, Jim makes the script available for download at his site. — Adam PashUniversal AutoCorrect with AutoHotKey and Wikipedia [biancolo.com]Download Universal Autocorrect.exe

Download of the Day: Universal AutoCorrect – Lifehacker

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Skype Web Toolbar

I have found Skype really useful in ministry, especially since they have made calls to US phone numbers free. This toolbar really makes calls really quick.

Windows only: make your Skype experience even sweeter with the Skype Web Toolbar.

Once you’ve gone through the quick download and install process, the
Skype Web Toolbar magically recognizes phone numbers and Skype
usernames whenever you come across them on the web. See someone you
want to call? With the Skype Web Toolbar, you’re able to gab with one
convenient click. The Skype Web Toolbar is a free download, Windows
only, available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer. — Wendy Boswell

Skype Web Toolbar [via Digital Inspiration]

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Quick launch apps from the Run box

Forget installing a launcher application – the built-in Run box in
Windows can quickly launch applications. Create a shortcut in your
Windows installation path, such as C:/Windows, and launch programs by typing in the name of the shortcut in the Run dialog.

For example, if you create a shortcut in C:/Windows, to
Winamp and name the shortcut winamp, hit Windows-R to invoke the Run
box and ‘winamp’ to start it. This hack is very simple, though is very
useful if, like me, you have a full desktop, start menu going off the
side of the screen and a quick launch so big you can’t actually use the
task bar! — Joe Anderson

The ‘Quicker’ Run Cheat [Webby's World]
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Cell Phone Speed Dial Wallpaper

Lifehacker is a great site to find simple and easy ideas to make life a little easier. I thought this one was a great idea

I can never remember which number (1-9) I’ve assigned for my friends on my cell phone. So I went into Photoshop, made a simple but stylish background

and put 9 pictures of each of my friends (from their MySpaces – I shamefully admit) in a 3×3 grid corresponding to their assigned speed dial number!

I can never remember which number (1-9) I’ve assigned for my friends on my cell phone. So I went into Photoshop, made a simple but stylish background and put 9 pictures of each of my friends (from their MySpaces – I shamefully

admit) in a 3×3 grid corresponding to their assigned speed dial number!

Set that puppy as your phone’s wallpaper and you’ve got a grid of friends just ready to speed dial up. Thanks, Will! — Gina Trapani

Cell phone speed dial wallpaper – Lifehacker

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Google Talk new features

For most people I know, AIM is the main chat client. For email, gmail really seems to be gaining ground. Therefore, a few new features from Google Talk may serve useful to gmail users. This article is worth a read. I especially like the voicemail feature. It may really serve useful for those who want to leave a message without taking the time to type an email.

Voicemails can now be left for friends who do not answer calls through
Google Talk. Unlike File Transfers above, this feature does not require
that the friend use the Google Talk client. In that case, they’ll
receive an email with the message attached as an audio file. Voicemails
can be up to 10 minutes long, and messages can be left for people
online without calling them directly by clicking the down arrrow from
any profile card or chat window. Voicemail will also automatically kick
in after 4 rings.

You might find some of these features useful.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/28/google-talk-swings-back/trackback/

technorati tags:gmail, google, chat

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Box.net

I have been playing around with various ways of storing my documents online. This week I came across a free service called Box.net. Box.net is an online storage site that will give you up to 1 GB of storage for free. I have found it very helpful. They say about themselves:

Box.net is a virtual storage space for your computer files. With packages starting at just $4.99 per month for 5GB, you will have enough space to hold thousands of Documents, Photos, Music Files, and Video Clips. Try us out for as long as you’d like by signing up for our 1GB free account. Whether you want to move files among multiple computers, backup important data in the event of a computer crash, or share documents and photos with friends and colleagues, Box.net is for you. Here are just some of the recommended uses:
Box.net’s browse screen
Save backup copies of important files
Always have a backup plan to prevent data loss in case of computer failure
Move documents between your computers
Use your Box to transfer files so that you can work on them in any location
Setup sub-accounts for multiple user access
A perfect solution for small businesses and workgroups requiring collaboration
Store photos and other important memories
Relax! Your priceless files and photos are always safe
Share files or create online photo galleries
Hassle-free sharing; show off your vacation photos or send a file to a friend!

Box.net – Free Online File Storage, Internet File Sharing, RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files Anywhere, Backup Data, Share Files

If you have been looking for a great way to either share your stuff or just be able to access it from anywhere, give this a shot. It looks like they are going to be adding some really cool features like syncing.

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gmail and google calendar

Calendaring and email is one of the most crucial areas of efficiency in our world today. Organizing life with a schedule is key to success and reliability. Communication in our digital world is no longer just for those tech savvy ministers. However, finding the right tools to make this happen can be a challenge. Many churches make this easy for ministers with tools like Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange. But many ministers are just left to find their own way in this realm. My wife continues to keep her calendar on paper and refuses to go the digital route. Nevertheless for those looking for the right solution, there are some new tools that can really make life simple. And best of all, they are free.

There are hundreds of calendar and email options on the web (many of them free), but allow me to suggest google’s new suite of applications. Gmail and Google calendar are superb! There are several advantages to using this system that might make the shift.

Gmail

In my opinion, Gmail is the best free web based email solution out there. It is easy to use and offers all the features that you could want. It even allows you to set it up to send from any email address that you own. So, if you have a web site and therefore have a domain name, you can set Gmail up to send from yourname@yourwebsite.com . It also gives you plenty of storage (2GB).

Being web based, you can work on email anywhere that you have a web browser. There is no software needed and your emails are always accessible, as long as you have an internet connection. Gmail also works great on cell phones.

Gmail is Google's free webmail service. It comes with built-in Google search technology and over 2,600 megabytes of storage (and growing every day). You can keep all your important messages, files and pictures forever, use search to quickly and easily find anything you're looking for, and make sense of it all with a new way of viewing messages as part of conversations.

There are no pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail, only small text ads. Ads and related information are relevant to your messages, so instead of being obtrusive, they may even be useful for once.

Gmail also integrates instant messaging right into the email experience, so you can stay in even better touch with your friends when you're online. Easy, efficient and maybe even fun to use. It's a whole new way to think about email. It's Google's approach to email.

Read more about Gmail at http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about.html

Google Calendar

Google calendar has only been out a few weeks, but is rating very high for most people. If you do not have a good digital calendar system and are looking for something easy and efficient, I would recommend Google calendar. You can even set it up to remind you via text message or email about important stuff.

Calendar Sharing: Set up a calendar for your company softball team, and share it with the whole roster. (Your shortstop will never forget about practice again.) Or share with friends and family so you can view each other's schedules side by side.

Invitations: Create event invitations, send them to friends, and keep track of people's responses and comments, all in one place. Your friends can receive your invitation and post responses even if they don't use Google Calendar themselves.

Quick Add: Click anywhere on your calendar where an event belongs (or use the Quick Add link), and start typing. Google Calendar understands whole phrases like "Brunch with mom at Java Cafe 11am on Saturday," and will pop new events right into your agenda.

Gmail Integration: Add your friend's Super Bowl party to your calendar without ever leaving your Gmail inbox. Gmail now recognizes events mentioned in emails.

Search: Find the date of the Baxter family BBQ (you knew it was sometime this summer). Or, search public calendars to discover new events you're interested in and add them to your own calendar.

Mobile Access: Receive event reminders and notifications on your mobile phone.

Event Publishing: Share your organization's events with the world. Learn more with our Event Publisher Guide.

Read more about Google calendar at http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/overview.html

Looking for efficiency in ministry, try these free tools.