A while back Clevertech developed Foxstocks, a Firefox add-on that tracks your stocks for you, and now we have a new one: Clever Contacts. This add-on makes it easy to add information to your Google Contacts from any page.

Explore the functionality of Clever Contacts in the video. Then download Clever Contacts for Firefox or for Chrome.

Once you’ve installed it, you’ll see the Clever Contacts button on your toolbar. When you’re looking at a page with contact information you want to save, you simply select that information on the page and click the Clever Contacts button.

That’s all there is to it! Your Google Contacts list contains the information you wanted to save.

Permalink  |  Published in Fun Technology, Technology Tactics

This handy shelf is the Backpack from Twelve South, a gadget that attaches to the stand of your Mac and holds your hard drive in well-ventilated elegance. You can get a six-pack of these and kit out your whole office — you can actually put two on each machine, at different heights, so you might need a couple of six-packs.

You can set things that don’t actually need frequent access (like that hard drive) into a space that isn’t used much, and have your desk top for the things you really need to get your hands on — or leave the desk in Zen-like emptiness. Either way, you might find that you experience less stress and get more done if you add this little shelf to your desk.

Is this going to change your life? Probably not. But it’s an example of how a simple design decision can make a difference in your work. This is what we do every day at Clevertech. Our designs end up in your computer, not out where people can see them and be impressed, but they can revolutionize your office and your workflow –and improve your bottom line.

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We believe in backup. We’ve written before about programs to back up all the files on your copmputer, but sometimes you might want to back up something that’s not exactly on your computer. That’s when Lifestream backup comes into play.

Lifestream backup will automatically back up your stuff in a variety of online programs, including Flickr, Twitter, and Photobucket, with Google docs, Delicious, and WordPress coming soon.

Share your log-in info with Lifestream, and you’ll automatically get multiple backups made and stored in multiple locations, with no further effort on your part.

Where’d the name come from? Many people are now using the term “lifestream” to refer to the bits of information you leave hither and yon — in your Flickr account, on Twitter, at your blog, and so on. It’s ephemeral, really. If your blog platform goes out of business, then your blog is gone. Lifestream backup saves and replicates your lifestream for you for about a dime a day.

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So you’ve got that new TV. You’ve imagined how cool it’s going to look in your home, picked out just the right spot for it, arranged the furniture to make the most of it, and all in time for the Super Bowl.

So what about the dorky looking cable box sitting on it? Was that part of your vision?

Technology to the rescue once again!  The Next Generation Remote Control Extender lets you put everything where it looks and works the best, and use your remote wherever you happen to be.

I have two of these at my place, and my TVs look gorgeous without any wires or IR repeaters in view.

The Remote Control Extender takes your infrared remote and converts it to radio frequency instead. It works through cabinet doors and walls, so you can stow all the gear invisibly, and use the remote from wherever you happen to be.

Set up and use are easy. Slide one of the rechargeable batteries into the transceiver and use it to replace one of the batteries in your remote. Position the UFO-shaped base unit (I keep it in a closet). Now just use your remote when and where you please.

Two rechargeable batteries come with the unit. One goes in your remote, as described. The other stays in the base, charging. Do yourself a favor and program Outlook to remind you to swap the batteries once a month. Otherwise you’ll pick the remote up one day and find that it doesn’t work. Then you’ll be cursing at your TV until you remember.

Don’t ask me how I know this.

If you don’t use a universal remote, pick up some extra batteries and transceivers for the extras. They’ll all work.

Check out this video (kicky techno soundtrack and all) to get a mental image of how elegant it is.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx9RDZ4ZcMo&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4ADBS_enUS286US287&q=next%20generation%20remoteiurl=http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/qx9RDZ4ZcMo/hqdefault.jpg&feature=player_embedded]

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Your iPhone needs new ringtones now and then. You have someone new calling you. You’ve gotten bored with “Guitar Riff.” You have a new recording of that oboe solo you worked on so hard.

Never mind. You know your reasons. A number of you have asked me personally to share the info. Here’s how to do it:

You Only Need Itunes

1. Use any unprotected Mp3 file in your iTunes library.  ( If it isn’t unprotected, download it using limewire, just remember to quit limewire once you are done downloading. )
2. Right click on it and select “Get Info”.
3. Click “options” and go down to the “Start Time” and “Stop Time” check boxes. Check both boxes and specify your start and stop times. 30 seconds is all you’ve got, so you may need to do some obssessive listening and watching first in order to choose the precise seconds you want. Click OK when you’re done.
4. Right click on your new ringtone and select “Convert Selection to AAC”.
5. Now you’ll have to drag your ACC selection to the desktop and delete the brief selection from your iTunes library so you can drop the ACC file back into the library. This is essential to keep the first selection from saying, “This tune ain’t big enough for both of us” to the new one.
6. Change the extension from “.m4a” to “.m4r.”
7. Drop the new ringtone into your iTunes folder.
8. Now you can sync your phone and get your new ringtone.

Read the artilce »

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On the way to a wedding, a friend of mine called me for directions. He was already on the highway, I was on the road and therefore away from my computer, and since he was coming from another city, I had no idea how to help him. He didn’t mind and told me that he would text ChaCha.

That’s when my life changed.

Chacha is a company that pays its employees to answer any factual question you could possibly ask them. Armed with Google and their own databases, they are remarkably fast in getting back to you. ChaCha was rated the #1 consumer application 2008 at AT&T’s Platinum Awards.

So my friend got his directions and we spent the rest of the wedding texting ChaCha. It was really fun.

Directions are no big deal these days. Everyone has a navigator these days, and those who don’t, use mapquest. But ChaCha knows EVERYTHING.

Where can I find an Indian food restaurant close to me? What are the organic compounds produced by photosynthesis? How many calories are in pizza? How are my stocks doing? What’s the score of the game? Simply text your question to ChaCha, 242-242, and your answer will appear in under 5 minutes. ChaCha is completely free, texts cost as much as your phone plan charges to text anyone. Thus, if you have unlimited texts, you can annoy ChaCha as much as you want.

Ever had that annoying feeling where you can’t remember the name of that movie, or that actor? Your friends all nod and smile at you while you contort your face in an effort to remember? Just text ChaCha and have them search for you.

And while ChaCha may conduct searches just like you and me, who wants to spend time actually searching when you can just ask a question and get an answer?

Try ChaCha, I guarantee you will be amazed.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=W6l3atz4rhY&feature=related]

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Work + Music = Good! Whether you work in the harsh silence of a private office, or with the noisy chatter of co-workers, music is a great way to make work a bit more fun. Personally, music boosts my productivity, and allows me to feel like I am in control by establishing the character of the environment in which I choose to work. Depending on what mood I’m in and on the music that I am playing, music pumps me up to do work that is inspired, or relaxes me by easing much of the stress I’m going through.

I’m not the only one that feels this way. A study done with 256 office workers at the University of Illinois found that listening to music of their own choice releases stress, drowns out distracting office chatter, improves mood, and significantly enhances office performance.

But what can be distracting is sifting through your music to make a playlist that is appropriate for work. That’s why I worked quietly until I stumbled across Pandora.com. Pandora is a website that is basically like internet radio that is styled after your taste. You choose a song title or artist, and it plays music that is similar. You have the opportunity then to reject, approve, or simply listen to their choices, teaching the site what you do and don’t like to listen to.

So next time you’re at work, check out Pandora.com. Put in “Jim Brickman” for some soft piano music, or “Hans Zimmer” for music that will pump you up. Can you imagine Rocky without the Rocky theme song? He’d never be able to run up and down all those steps!

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