productivity

How to create reference charts for Google Web Fonts

If you've spent any time customizing the appearance of a document in Google Drive, you've probably noticed the vast selection of fonts. Additionally, if you downloaded the fonts to your computer, in addition to the ones that came preinstalled, you might have trouble finding exactly what you're looking for without knowing the name of the font.

For times like this, a reference chart is a superhandy way to save time when looking for a particular font. Luckily, you can make a couple of these charts with just a few steps, as pointed out by the Digital Inspiration blog.… Read more

Get a one-year Boomerang for Gmail subscription for $39.99

If you're anything like me, your inbox doubles as a kind of to-do list. You mark important messages as unread so you remember to attend to them later.

Just one problem: As more e-mail arrives, those unread messages get pushed farther down the list, until they're eventually out of sight -- and out of mind.

What you need is something akin to a snooze button, a way to delay important messages to a later time or date so they reappear when you're ready to attend to them.

Something like Boomerang for Gmail, a browser add-on that gives … Read more

Add notes to Gmail messages in Chrome

When your e-mail inbox starts filling up it, it becomes more difficult to keep track of what you need to do for each message you've received. Maybe you need to get verification on a work contract, add a reminder to call Grandma Betty about one of her famous recipes, or follow up with someone once you have more information. Unfortunately, Gmail doesn't offer a solid feature to add notes like these.

You might be thinking: what about drafts? The issue with creating a draft is the possibility of sending said draft. This could cause issues with personal or … Read more

Etsy cracks down on skulls, drugs, lighter fluid for sale

Just when it seemed like Etsy was the perfect place to pick up some human bones, poison, or drug paraphernalia, the online artisan e-commerce site announced it was banning these products and more.

It actually seems a bit laughable that Etsy had to earnestly state that it was forbidding these items, which include all smokeable products, human remains or body parts, hazardous materials, motor vehicles, and drugs -- but it did.

Here's what Etsy policy manager Lauren Engelhardt wrote in a blog post last week:

The Policy Team at Etsy is continually working to ensure that our rules balance … Read more

Steam download service moving beyond games

Video game publisher/developer Valve created the Steam distribution platform to offer easy downloads and installation for Windows and Mac games. The Steam app and online store work for both Valve's own games, including Half-Life and Portal, and games from other publishers, including both hits such as Skyrim and indie games like Torchlight. Now, the company plans to add nongaming apps, starting in September.

In a brief online statement, the company says: "The Software titles coming to Steam range from creativity to productivity. Many of the launch titles will take advantage of popular Steamworks features, such as easy … Read more

iPad Mini display production slated for August, says analyst

The gears could start to turn as early as this month for the production of a smaller iPad.

Production of the 7.85-inch display slated for use on a smaller version of the iPad should begin in August, an analyst told CNET.

"We expect panel production to start in August, with production ramping up to high volumes (more than a million units per month) in the fourth quarter," said Paul Semenza, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, in response to an e-mail query.

Semenza said this is DisplaySearch's "understanding of the activity for the 7.85 [inch] … Read more

Seven smart tricks to stay focused on schoolwork and projects

Whether you're a freshman noob, a gray-haired grad student, or even a long-term member of the professional elite, you most likely have trouble focusing on your tasks at times. Modern tech is lovely, but it's also a nonstop parade of distractions that can tear down the resolve of the strongest wills. Here are some tricks to help you overcome electronic distractions as you study or work.

Wear headphones. This is especially true if you have to work around other people, but even if you're on your own, this helps you focus (as long as you have the … Read more

Save time with these three Chrome extensions

What makes someone choose one browser over another? Often people use whichever browser is closest at hand: Internet Explorer in Windows and Safari on Macs.

Lots of folks choose Firefox because of the browser's many useful add-ons. But the best reason to go with one browser over another is speed. In my experience, no browser is faster than Google Chrome.

There's no easier way to start an argument among geeks than to claim one browser is the speed champ. If you look hard enough you can find a reliable study naming each of the most popular browsers the … Read more

Redesigning bloat: How Microsoft Office got a makeover

REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft has been beefing up its design chops in recent months, pushing the sleek Metro user interface in Windows 8 and diving into hardware design with its striking Surface tablet prototype.

But maybe the most daring makeover comes today as Microsoft unveils the new-look Office. The productivity software suite is among Microsoft's longest-in-the-tooth products, dating as it does back to 1989. It's ballooned from a relatively compact offering of word-processing, spreadsheet, email and presentation software to a vast collection of applications, each of which gets countless new features with every release.

Elegant design is often … Read more