dos

Ever tried to set up an event or meeting while trying to balance the schedules of others? That's been made easy with tools like Doodle, TimeBridge and Planypus. But what if you're having a dinner party, or a picnic, or going camping, or any other real-world situation where you're grouping together your resources?

That's where Divvyus comes in handy. It lets you manage some of the chaos of assigning to-dos, or things to bring ahead of time. There's no registration required, you just need to send out the URL of the Divvyus, and whomever you … Read more

It's only a matter of time before the prevalence of online video makes cable television obsolete. In fact, the time has already arrived for some of us: I've been living very happily without TV for nearly two years. Of course, the experience still needs some tweaking before it's going to woo mainstream users away from their cable subscriptions entirely. In the meantime, however, there are several ways to make Web watching more enjoyable.

First off, DO check out free and legal streaming video sites such as Hulu and Fancast. Yes, they do still have commercial breaks, but … Read more

If the popularization of the digital camera made self-portrait photos feasible, then the proliferation of social Web (and online dating) sites has made them inevitable, even essential. As such, the practice has become a bit of an art for those who strive to capture the best shots. If you're considering honing your own skills in this arena, the following tips should come in handy.

First, let's talk devices. Of course, you could always use a digital camera, connect it to your computer, download the images, and then upload them to your profile. But that's so 2007. Instead, … Read more

When I was but a wee lass hunting for my very first San Francisco apartment, Craigslist was just starting to make a name for itself as an instrumental tool for such endeavors in the Bay Area. Now, the site is the place for classifieds online, with a presence in hundreds of cities around the globe.

One of the many useful categories on Craigslist is the "for sale" section, which allows you to list your unwanted goods and search for those that are lacking in your life--and it's totally free, to boot. As a seasoned navigator of this … Read more

To tweet or not to tweet: that is the question. The answer is what follows.

OK, so that might not be an example of a perfect tweet, but it is at least fairly descriptive and well within the textual limit at 75 characters. With Twitter becoming ever more popular, there's an increasing chance for people to misuse the site. I'm here to help prevent that from happening.

First of all, let's not forget what Twitter is meant for in the first place: short (140 characters or fewer) personal or professional updates of an informative or entertaining nature. … Read more

E-mail. Inarguably, it's one of the most important technological innovations of our time. Love it or hate it, the majority of us can't do without it either professionally or personally--or both. Fielding and composing e-mail takes up an ungodly amount of my time, so I have a deep appreciation for the many intricacies and annoyances that can go along with it. What follows is a handful of guidelines that are meant to make e-mail a little less exasperating.

We all deal with an overabundance of useless e-mail in our in-boxes, so above everything else, DON'T be a spammer. There's no need to forward every little cutesie e-mail you get to every person on your contact list. If you happen across a particularly funny joke or compelling picture that you know a specific individual will enjoy, by all means add a little enjoyment to his or her day by sharing it. However, DO delete chain mail immediately--you'll be doing all of us a favor by keeping it out of circulation.

Also, DO remember that BCC is your friend and use it where appropriate. Be aware that when you're organizing plans for or disseminating information to a large group of people, there's generally no need for any of those individuals to reply to anyone but you. This should be an obvious guideline when it comes to professional communications that are not intended to inspire a discussion among the various recipients--press and marketing e-mails, for example--but it's also a nice courtesy for your friends and family in many cases. Not only does BCC keep recipients' e-mail addresses private, but it prevents them from receiving unwanted messages in response to the initial one.… Read more

As a social butterfly, I have a love-hate relationship with cell phones. I haven't had a landline in more than six years, so I really can't live without my mobile--it's an essential tool for getting in touch with friends and making plans (and I honestly can't imagine life without Google Maps in my palm). However, I also feel a sickening dependence on the thing, and I am utterly annoyed by the behaviors it inspires out in public. To that end, I put together the following guidelines in the hopes that it will help some people remember … Read more

Allow me for a moment to flatter myself into believing that you noticed the glaring absence of this column last week so that I might have a reason to regale you with my tales of travel in Southeast Asia. OK, I'm not really going to do that, but I will say that the trip solidified my already deeply entrenched tech travel tendencies. The reason for this is twofold.

First, I only had about nine days to scream through three countries, which necessitated countless hours spent in airports and on airplanes. Second, I was flying standby on two major flights, which again required an undue amount of time in airports. (By the way, if you ever have to spend 40 hours in an airport, Changi, in Singapore, is a surprisingly enjoyable place to do it.) Vacationing is my forte, so rest assured you can take the following advice with confidence.

When I'm traveling, my first priority is to pack light--especially with the checked bag fees implemented by many domestic carriers these days. With that in mind, DON'T bring your laptop on vacation. If you take trips frequently, a Netbook is a solid investment for as little as $300. The iPad is also a fantastic travel-friendly option if you can afford it, and either gadget will suffice to keep you entertained or even let you get a little work done.

Even better, DO bring the most multifunctional gadget that you can. For example, the iPhone is not only an international phone but also a Web browser, camera, and gaming device.

In particular, I've become a proponent of ditching my Digital Elph in favor of using the camera in my Samsung Behold II, though for anyone else, I'd recommend the HTC HD2 instead. It might be clunky as a phone, but as an all-in-one device with a 5-megapixel camera, an easy-to-use Web browser, and plenty of entertainment extras such as Blockbuster On Demand, it's a great option for frequent fliers.

Of course, all of this is great in theory, but if you don't want to go out and buy all new gear, it may not work in practice. I for one was "forced" to travel with my Netbook (for video and Web), my Walkman (for music), my iPod Touch (for games), and my phone. And all the cables that go with them, which is why I cannot emphasize this next point enough: DO purchase a small compartmentalized bag for transporting cables and chargers. This 12-in-1 USB Travel Easy Cable Bag even includes pretty much any connection you could want on the go, and if you purchase just one USB wall adapter, you're set to charge nearly every device.… Read more

One of the glorious things about living in such a technologically advanced era is that we've reached a point where gadgets have become so ubiquitous that manufacturers are constantly striving to make them appealing to the individual eye. Clearly, getting your gear in line with your own personal style is key, but finding that happy balance between totally blah and way over-the-top is also important.

When taking the fashion approach to technology, mobile gadgets naturally spring to mind first. Namely because these are the items you have on your person all the time. Of course, style is important in … Read more