Gmail, Yahoo, Msn and other email providers do not allow users to send large files by email. The maximum limit in all of these email services is 20 MB – which isn’t a lot if you want to send movies, videos, or large files.  The following is a list of free ways to send large files online. 

1. How to Send Multiple Large Files at Once

File Factory lets you upload files of 300 MB size. The convenient thing about File Factory is that you can upload multiple files (up to 25) at once. You can upload files from your Computer or from a remote server. The premium account lets you upload files from FTP or using a torrent file.

2. How to Send Large Files Without Even Registering an Account

YouSendIt is another file sharing service that has become popular in recent times. It lets you upload and share files of sizes 100 MB each. The site contains an email form and you can send an email containing your file from the home page itself where your uploaded file is available for download for only 7 days

3. How to Send Large Files via Firefox Extension

Another file sharing service is Drop.io which lets you upload files of sizes 100 MB each. The files uploaded can be downloaded any number of times and you can also password protect your files to retain privacy. If you are a Firefox fan you can use the Drop.io Firefox add-on.

4. How to Send and Password Protect Large Files for Security

TransferBigFiles lets you send large files of size 1 GB each by email. The files can be password protected and you can add a personal note to the email you send to the recipients. When your friends download the file, you will receive email notifications which is a feature. You can send the uploaded file to multiple email recipients with a single click.

5. How to Send up to 5GB Files for Free

The service which allows the biggest file to be sent in the list is File Dropper. This site lets you send files as large as 5 GB in size. You can upload movies, videos, executables, photos and possibly any type of file with File Dropper. The only downside with File Dropper is that you cannot upload multiple files at once.

After the upload is complete, you are given a personal link of the uploaded file. Just copy that link and you can email the link to your friends so that they can download it. There are no sign ups or registrations involved with File dropper. However, signing up has its own benefits as you will be able to keep track of your files, add password protection, mark files as private and delete files later on.

6. How to Email Large Files Without Having to Upload Them Anywhere

Tonsho is an interesting twist to the service.  Rather than uploading files yourself, you can use a normal email client such as Microsoft outlook and Thunderbird, and send your email normally.  Your email will then pass through Tonsho servers and if the attachments are too large, it will automatically upload it to a server, and provide the recipient a link. 

While this takes a lot of hassle away from the whole process, you have to be wary of email security.  I’m not sure I’m comfortable passing my email through anyone else’s server.

7. How to Send Large Files Using a Desktop Client

Dropsend is a free service which allows you to send files up to 2GB large.  While most of these web-upload interfaces work well, for me, nothing beats a desktop client.  It just feels more robust, and its certainly more comforting to use when you’re spending a few hours sending a very large file.

8. How to Send Large Files and Tweet them from your Phone or Desktop

FileSocial is one of the easiest ways to share files on twitter.  Just attach your file and a link will be posted to your file.  Sharesend is another alternative for this, but I’m wary about their non-usage of OAuth for twitter, so I’d recommend Filesocial if you want to send and tweet securely.

This post was written by Abhishek Palit who also writes other useful tips at his blog Softtricks, and James Yeang.  Do you want to write for Friedbeef’s Tech?

Which services do you prefer to send large files? Do let us know your views and suggestions through a comment.

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Aspiring writers, freelancers, bloggers and students take note! There’s a new war against plagiarism heightened by the recent rash of content theft, more notably amongst bloggers and freelance journalists.  Here are 5 simple detect plagiarism of your content.

1. How to Look for Copies of your Work Online

Undoubtedly the most well known in the field for fast, accurate searches, Copyscape is every plagiarist’s nightmare! It functions by finding sites that have copied content without permission simply by typing in your URL.  Copyscape is free, but has a premium edition that allows more powerful tools like batch Search, which you can use to check your entire site for copies in a single click, up to 10,000 pages.

2. How to Detect Plagiarism in the Work of Others

Article Checker has been around for a long time, as its classic look belies. However, the adage “old is gold” certainly holds true, as this site has been time-tested to be reliable in what it claims to do. Simply copy and paste the text of the article you want to search for, and Article Checker will scour either Google, Yahoo, or both for signs of plagiarism online. This can be useful if you’re an editor trying to root out the “real” writers from the “copy & paste”-rs.

Alternatively you may also want to check out The Plagiarism Checker developed by the University of Maryland which processes documents and intelligently decides which phrases to searches on.

3. How to Remove the Possibility of being Falsely Accused of Plagiarism: College Students Alert!

Created with college students in mind, PlagiarismDetect is a relatively new site which requires registration for a free account. It promises detection for text and phrases to ensure assignments are 100% original, which means that students can now think ahead to prevent being wrongly accused of plagiarism. However, that’s not to say that others can’t benefit from its services as well.

It even supports document uploads so you can just send it your entire assignment for it to be processed.  The site has proven to be accurate and encourages users to use it on a regular basis as newer and more advanced features are being added to it by the day.

4. How to check for Plagiarism using Yahoo! Search

This site has received numerous recommendations all over the web, so it’s worth a shot. Plagium is a reliable site which has makes use of Yahoo’s Search API to search the Internet for plagiarism. As far as efficiency is concerned, ratings have shown that it does nearly as well as CopyScape Premium, so you can rest assured that it will deliver results.

It has a clean and simple interface which doesn’t support ads, so for all those ad-haters out there, this site is especially for you. Just make sure to donate a little to support their cause.

5. How to Root Out Plagiarism Offenders…and Get Your Fair Share of Money!

Fair Share is a free service site that helps detect plagiarism via RSS feeds. In a matter of seconds, you’ll get results in a personalized RSS feed encompassing billions of websites. Targeted at bloggers and Webmasters who want to keep track of how their content is being used, by whom and where, Fair Share works with Creative Commons licenses to sniff out where content reappears, how often it is used and whether the content is linked or not.

An excellent choice for bloggers and others who can’t afford or don’t have the time to use a more advanced system. Plus, as the above picture suggests, you can even demand payment from the ad networks who run the plagiarized content!

Bonus Links for Reference

• 13 Simple Tactics to Prevent, Detect Content Plagiarism – A great preventive guide on how to deal with content plagiarism
• WordPress Plugin: Digital Fingerprint — detecting content theft – An awesome wordpress plugin which helps you track down content stolen from you
• Reduce Content Theft with WP-CopyRight Pro Wordpress Plugin – A wordpress plugin which disables copying from your site (I’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s too extreme and whether it hurts you more in the long run)
• How to Report Abuse to WordPress.com – A guide to reporting spam and abuse to Wordpress.com
• How to Deal with Online Plagiarism: When People Copy your Blog Articles Without Permission – An excellent step by step manual on how to deal with plagiarism when it happens to you.
• Plagiarism Today – An up to date resource on the topic

This article was written by Aaron Pek & James Yeang.  Contact me if you wish to become a writer for this blog.

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Smart people never stop learning new things. They’re naturally curious, and self-improvement is simply a part of their make up.  There’s plenty of free apps and web sites where you can learn anything you want – from a new language to cooking techniques.

Here are five of my favorite learning tools available for the asking. (Just log on and learn!)

1. How to read faster

Spreeder will have you gobbling up information faster than you ever thought possible using the site’s unique speed reading tutorial. You can set the speed text appears and gradually improve your speed reading skills – eye scan drills, key points, etc.

Another use? Let’s say you have a paper due for school tomorrow. It’s late and you don’t have time to read that 50-page white paper on the eating habits of the dreaded El Wanco wombat. No problem. Cut and paste that intriguing article into Spreeder’s text box and Spreeder extracts key points so you don’t have to read all those pages to get to the “meat” of the article, report, white paper or other academic research. Spreeder is a time-saver and a learning tool – one you’ll keep on your desktop. I do. It cuts research chores down to size.

2. How to quickly research a subject

Designed as a starting point for research, Schoolr is a research specialized search engine which points you to Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, Google, dictionary sites and other helpful web spaces looking for the latest information on the topic of your search.

3. How to type faster

Rapid Typing is all about keyboards and entering data faster and more reliably.

There’s a typing tutor download (free), an on-line typing “school,” a stat sheet to record your progress, a typing lessons editor for teachers and a “play” area for kids that turns learning to type into a game that’ll have you and the whole family touch typing in just a couple of hours.

If you’re a “hunt-and-peck” typist, learning to type without staring at the keyboard will increase your productivity and fast. It’s fun and easy, and you can work on- or off-line, whichever makes you most comfortable.

4. How to sit in on university lectures

Lecturefox is a free web service that allows you to sit in on lectures on all kinds of topics given by professors and other scholars from major learning institutions like MIT, Yale University and other schools – all from the comfort of your laptop.

For example, today there are recorded lectures from Yale on “France since 1871,” “Introduction to Literature Theory,” the “Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food” and other things that’ll get you thinking and make you sound smart at your next lodge meeting. Just log in, scroll through the lectures and learn something new everyday. Free.

New topics are uploaded daily so bookmark the site. In just a few visits, you’ll discover your favorite professors and lecturers who provide the latest information in the most detail.

You don’t have to be an egghead to learn about Roman architecture. Just bookmark Lecturefox and learn for the fun of it. You don’t even have to “know this for the quiz” because there are no quizzes.

5. How to learn languages at your own pace

Livemocha is a combination of social media and language learning. You learn by communicating with others interested in learning your native language. You’ll make friends who share your interest in learning and, “si, hablo español” as you get to know more about interesting, educated people from around the world.

Simply type in your native language into the form field. Then, type in the language you want to learn. With a click, you’ll be sent to a chat room where people are bi- and even tri-lingual. And, instead of learning a foreign language from a book or boring audio disks, at Livemocha, you learn by carrying on discussions that interest you with people who want to learn your native tongue.

Think of it as a language swap meet. “I’ll teach you English if you teach me Swahili.” It’s that simple.

So, if you’re curious. If you’re into self-improvement. If you want better grades at school, there are lots of applications and web sites that’ll set you on the path to a bigger brain.

This was a guest post by Edward Khoo who writes about blogging tips, internet marketing, and web 2.0.  Want to guest post on this blog?  Just drop me a line.

What other learning apps and websites do you use?  Tell us in the comments!

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Even if you’re not a boy scout, learning a few basic knots can be very helpful in everyday life.  Whether it may be securing a load, or tying a tie, here are 4 very valuable resources to help you tie knots better.

1. How to tie a tie

2tie a tie is a comprehensive guide to all things tie tying.  From traditional bow ties to office friendly Windsor knots, it provides you a step by step guide to wearing them properly.  It also comes with related guides like preventing wrinkles in ties, and cleaning them as well.

2. How to tie shoelaces in different stylish ways

Ian’s shoelace site helps you learn 33 different ways of tying your shoelaces so you can break out of the traditional methods of stringing up your shoes.  It also has an interesting tutorial on what it bills as the ‘fastest way to tie your shoelaces’.  It also has interesting tips on how to prevent shoelaces from slipping, preventing crooked shoe lace bows, and much more.

3. How to learn how to tie all kinds of useful knots

Aptly named ‘I Will Knot’ is one of the best resources online on knot tying.  It gives you animated images which show you how exactly to tie the knot, and makes for much easier reference than typical diagrams.  For further reference, you can also check out Mother Earth News’s guide on how to tie the 10 most useful knots.

4. How to carry about a guide about useful knots in your pocket

Infocard is an interesting project which sets out to collecting a few useful knots and putting them on wallet card for easy reference.  If you want to keep them handy, you can visit the page and print your own.

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There’s much more to file compression than simply zipping and extracting files using WinZip.  Here are 7 extra useful tools to make you even more productive when dealing with zipped files.

1. How to preview zip files before downloading them

ArchView is a Firefox extension which can open zip files online without downloading the whole archive. 

Not only can you see what’s in the zip file before you download it, you can even choose which individual files to grab.  This is extremely useful when you only want a few files not the whole zip archive.

This extension is also very fast since it merely fetches a small portion of the archive file from server. 

2. How to zip your files online

Just need  to zip up a few files without installing anything?  Simply upload your files to FileStomp, and it will create a zip file for you on the fly which you can download.

3. How to unzip your files online

While Filestomp creates zip files, WobZip is a way to unzip files online without the need of external software.  You can either upload the file, or point WobZip to the URL online, and it will be uncompressed and ready for download. 

Wobzip has a zipped filesize limit of 100MB, will also scan your zipped file for viruses, and even supports password protected zip files. 

4. How to create a full installer with a Zip file

ZipInstaller is a free tool which installs and uninstalls applications and utilities that do not provide an internal installation program.

It automatically extracts all files from the Zip file, copies them to the destination folder you select, creates shortcuts in the start menu and in your desktop, and adds an uninstall module to allow you to automatically remove the software in the future.

5. Where to get a free WinZip alternative

 7-Zip is perhaps one of the best known free alternatives to WinZip.  Capable of handling most popular file compression formats like Zip and RAR, you can either install it on your system, or carry it around with you on a thumbdrive with the portable version.

6. How to repair corrupted zip files

Zipped files are pretty sensitive where even a minor corruption of the file will cause it to fail an integrity check.  What DiskInternals Zip Repair will do is extract and move all the intact files to a new archive so you gain access to it.

7. How to hide zip files inside a JPG image

This is a really cool hack which allows you to hide zip files within a JPG image.  If you click on the file, the picture will display normally, but you can unzip the picture itself to reveal hidden contents!  Check out the video for more details.

What do you use to zip files?  Tell us in the comments!

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Let’s be honest, when we come home with a new shiny toy, we just want to unbox it and have a go at it.  Manuals, receipts and warranties get shoved in a drawer somewhere and are long forgotten…that is until you need them… and you can never seem to find them. 

Here are 3 practical ways to deal with these documents in an efficient manner.

1. How to organize your warranty information

Warranty Elephant allows you to organize your warranty information quickly.  After entering a few key details, you can upload a copy of your warranty itself and your invoice, so you have a softcopy of it.

The best part is that it will send you reminder emails at 6 months, 1 month and 1 week before your warranty expires. This will remind you to check your item and ensure it is in good working order. If it is not, you will have all the information needed, right in front you, to arrange for warranty service

2. How to find manuals for anything

Seriously, who reads manuals?  While you can get most devices up and running right out of the box, reading the manual actually allows you to discover the finer points of your device and gives you the chance to push it to the limits.  Of course when you feel like doing that, you can’t find the manual any more :) 

SafeManuals/Diplodocs is a huge resource of authorized manuals with more than 1.2 million manuals uploaded for almost everything you can think of with a manual – from domestic appliances, TV & Audio equipment, phones, to computers, cars, watches and digital cameras.  

3. How to dig up old receipts quickly

Evernote allows you to capture information, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time.  Some people think of it as an extension to your brain. 

One of the key features is it’s ability to recognize and index TEXT within pictures.  What this means is that you can snap a picture of your receipt from your phone, and Evernote will index it and make it searchable so you can find old receipts in a hearbeat!

Bonus tip: Flatten your boxes: If you plan on selling your electronics on eBay, you’ll find that having the original box is a big plus to potential buyers, and you can typically demand a higher price.  Of course, storing the box can be another space headache as well.  To get around this, flatten a box by simply cut along the taped join at the bottom and fold flat. Your box will be kept in good condition until it is ready for reuse.

Would you use any of the above services?  Tell us in the comments!

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Formatting is contextual.  One style may look great in one place, but look horrible in the next.  Here are a few quick tips on how to remove unwanted formatting from your documents.

1. How to remove unwanted formatting from your email

If you’ve received an email which has been forwarded multiple times, you’d notice that it can be hard to read if every line is prefixed with on more more ‘>’ characters.  Stripmail is a great piece of freeware which will help you strip any unwanted characters from your email and formats it into proper paragraphs and indentation so it’s much easier to read.  Stripmail is a free standalone utility which does not require installation so it’s incredibly light and portable.

2. How to remove unwanted formatting from any text in Google Docs AND MS Word and Powerpoint

Want a quick way to remove formatting in your document? Select the text you want to remove formatting from, and click Alt + Spacebar.  This built-in function will instantly do the job, and will work both in Google Docs and Microsoft Office.

3. How to remove unwanted formatting from Excel

The Alt + Spacebar trick doesn’t work in Excel, so what you can do is select an already unformatted cell, then click on the format painter button, and then select the area which you want unformatted.   

4. How to remove unwanted formatting when pasting web pages into MS Word

Things you copy from the web tend to end up looking really bad when you paste it into an MS Word file.  The way to get around this, once you copy the text, go to MS-Word and click Edit-Paste Special – Unformatted Text.  If you tend to do this very often, check out this excellent video tutorial on how to set up this up as a macro.

5. How to remove unwanted formatting when copying from your web browser

Have you ever copied something from your web browser to Outlook or Office and been annoyed that the text formatting (bold, font size, etc) came with it? Don’t you wish you could just copy the text itself, without having to copy it, paste it into notepad, then copy it again? This firefox extension gives you an option to copy text without the formatting. You can even set it to trim extra space in and around the copied text!

How do you deal with unwanted formatting?  Tell us in the comments!

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Yes – it’s hard to get a lot of work done when there are just so many interesting things to do online.  People to reconnect with, games to play, discussions to join.  How do you keep yourself focused and get the job done?  Here are 12 geeky techniques which should help you get back on track and be much more productive.

The direct intervention methods:

1. How to limit your time on time-wasting sites

LeechBlock is a simple Firefox extension designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day.  You can block sites within fixed time periods (e.g., between 9am and 5pm), after a time limit (e.g., 10 minutes in every hour), or with a combination of time periods and time limit (e.g., 10 minutes in every hour between 9am and 5pm).

You can also set a password for access, just to slow you down in moments of weakness!

2. How to make time-wasting sites turn blank before a certain time

If you want something more potent, you can try Lifehacker’s "Invisibility Cloak" Greasemonkey user script that turns time-wasting web sites blank before a specific time so you would not be able to use them until after a certain time.

3. How to avoid playing addictive Flash games

Flashblock is a Firefox extension that blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content. 

Originally meant as a way to simply load up pages faster, this also acts as a final barrier so you can think again before you play that addictive Flash game which you know will suck out another few hours of your life.

4. How to completely block time-wasting sites

Don’t want to even get tempted?  You can block websites using the HOSTS files in Windows with this tutorial.  While this is probably the most effective way of blocking sites, it is juts as painful to unblock those sites when you DO want to visit them after hours.

The guilt trip methods:

5. How to track how much time you spend online

Don’t know how much time you spend online?  You can learn the truth when you install the TimeTracker extension for Firefox.  Not only does it track browsing time across sessions so you can get running totals even when you close your browser, it pauses automatically when you stop browsing or switch focus to another app. 

You can also ask it to ignore certain ‘work’ sites that should not count to your tracked online time if you wish.

6. How to track how you’re spending your time on your computer

If you’re searching for a more detailed breakdown of how you spend your time, look no further than Rescuetime Solo.  This freesoftware sits in your background and tracks all the sites you visit and applications you use so you can see how much of your time was actually in MS-Excel vs Youtube :)

7. How to track how much time you’ve spent on Twitter

If you’re a Twitter addict, you’d be surprised how fast those seemingly harmless 140 character messages add up.  Tweetstats will help you track your tweeting patterns and more importantly – show you when you tweet so you can check how much time you’ve spent on the additive this micro-blogging service. 

The laser focused methods:

8. How to cut out background noise from other apps

Jedi Concentrate is a free windows app which mimics the OSX feature called Exposé.  When "concentrate" mode is activated, all windows except for the current active window are smoothly faded out.

Its purpose is focus only on the app in use and to dim everything else in the background when you need to get to work.

9. How to write without any distractions

Dark Room is a full screen, distraction free, writing environment. Unlike standard word processors that focus on features, Dark Room is just about you and your text.  No distractions, no fancy fonts, no colors, nothing.  For a Mac version try WriteRoom.

The nagging reminder methods:

10. How to use a buzzer to control your activities

Just like a school bell telling you to switch classes, working with buzzer counting down also helps give you a sense of urgency and helps you limit your personal time at work if you stick to it.  For this, you can try e.ggtimer.com for an online buzzer which is incredibly simple to use. 

For example, if you tell yourself you’re going to take a 10 minute break, just load up e.ggtimer and tell it to run for 10 minutes before it beeps.  For more information, do check out this excellent related article on combating procrastination with this method.

The GTD methods:

11. How to avoid getting distracted by constant pinging

Turn off all IM and email notifications, and hide that Twitter sidebar.  These tools are perhaps the ultimate distraction for information addicts like myself, who want to be plugged in all the time.  Seriously though, you don’t really need to be notified in real-time that Martha has come online, or Bob has a new wall post on Facebook. 

12. How to do exactly the same amount  in faster time

After you’ve turned off your notifications, put aside that urge to constantly check your messages, and instead set aside 3 times in a day to check your personal email and address that Facebook fix.  By processing your downtime in batches, you’ll make your personal time much more effective as well.

What other techniques do you have to stop yourself slacking off?  Tell us in the comments!

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The computer desktop is an integral part of our workspace, much like its real-world counterpart. The state of a desktop not only affects work productivity, but also the psychology of its user. A clean, organized space with easy-to-reach and accessible elements in place is a good way to kick off a day of work. Here are some tips on how to do that.

1. How to easily reach frequently used programs

Rocketdock is a functional yet resource-light piece of software for you to arrange frequently-used items in an easily-reachable dock on any corner of your desktop. You can choose to launch any of these apps from a cool, sliding interface a-la Mac OS. The dock also makes it easy to recognize and pinpoint difficult icons.

2. How to post sticky notes on your desktop

Stickies is a simple tool that allows you to post nifty little notes on your desktop. They can be about anything – reminders, to-dos, motivational words and more. Just type in the text and it will remain on your desktop until it is removed – just like those good ol’ Post-it notes!

3. How to easily categorize your desktop icons

Creating color-coded images as wallpapers is easy even with Windows’ built-in Paint. Just split the wallpaper into a number of equal areas, and color them differently. When set as the wallpaper, just drag related icons into the color boxes, and these colors will act as categorizers – truly a fuss-free way to visually group desktop icons.

4. How to turn your desktop into a multi purpose tool

Google Desktop is a desktop utility that gives you access to news, weather, RSS feeds and other functions through its sidebar gadgets. Although similar to the Windows Vista Sidebar, Google’s has been redesigned for better security and blending onto the desktop.

5. How to minimize programs to the system tray

Tray-it is a powerful little tool that enables you to minimize any applications to the system tray instead of the taskbar. One good way to multitask with this tool is to minimize programs with less priority to the system tray, thus freeing up space in the taskbar for more important apps.

Do you organize your desktop?  Tell us in the comments!

This guest post was written by Chan Huey Hoong.  If you want to guest post for this blog, drop me a line!

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Whether you’re a designer who wants to experiment, or a client who wants to prepare a brief, or someone who just wants to show off a really cool idea, preparing a mockup goes a long way in helping people visualize ideas.  You get to improve visibility so people know what you’re talking about, get to agreement quickly, and cut down on spec writing time.

Balsamiq is an incredibly user-friendly tool which helps create mockups very quickly.  All you need to do is drag and drop various elements onto the canvas and you are able to build a user interface layout in a flash.  Check out this video for a demo on how to create an iTunes-like interface in 2 minutes 14 seconds:

Speed is Balsamiq’s main selling point here.  You’re not going to get shiny beautiful mockups which look almost like your finished product.  In fact, the graphics are intentionally designed to look like pencil sketches to give it an authentic ‘drawn-on-the-back-of-a-napkin’ feel to the sketches.  What you do get is raw ideas quickly translated into visuals at a frighteningly quick pace.  Speaking from personal experience, Balsamiq was simply a joy to use

Balsamiq comes in two flavors, a free one which you can try, and a registered version (USD 79.95) which has key features like exporting your mockups to image files, and loading multiple mockups.

FREE Giveaway: registered copy of Balsamiq woth USD 79.95

This month we’re giving away one free registered copy of Balsamiq to a lucky reader!  To be in the running to win this prize, all you have to do is:

Just follow me on Twitter & drop me a message @friedbeef, saying you want a free copy of Balsamiq.  That’s it!

Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced in a couple of weeks… You could be the lucky winner!

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It doesn’t matter how much bandwidth you have.  You know you still want to be faster online :) Besides the obvious solutions of upgrading your bandwidth or tweaking your browser for speed, here are 7 ways to speedily read web pages.

1. How to eliminate the need of clicking to the next page so you can read faster

AutoPager is a Firefox extension which automatically loads the next page of a site inline when you reach the end of the current page for infinite scrolling of content.  By default AutoPager works with a ton of sites, including Lifehacker, the New York Times, Digg, and, of course, Google.  If you want to add your own custom autopaging to unsupported sites – you can.  Autopager – because clicking the ‘next page’ link is just too difficult.

2. How to cut out distractions from other windows so you can read faster

JediConcentrate is a free app which smoothly fades out all windows except for the current active window. The purpose is to dim everything on all of your monitors when you need to get to work (or read web pages without constantly being distracted by shiny widgets and Instant Messages, or anything else really).

3. How to cut out ads so you can read faster

Ever been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page? Install Adblock Plus now and get rid of them.  Right-click on a banner and choose “Adblock” from the context menu — the banner won’t be downloaded again. In fact, this Firefox extension will block most advertisements fully automatically!

4. How to highlight keywords instantly so you can read faster

Firefox has an extremely useful native feature which allows you to highlight any specific text on a web page simply by searching for it (Ctrl F). and clicking the ‘highlight all’ button.  What this does is it highlights the keyword for you so you can easily skim through pages and find relevant text fast.  Google Toolbar also comes with a neat feature which highlights your search terms on any page.  This greatly speeds things up especially when you’re searching for answers on a page rather than casual reading.

5. How to just simply read faster

ZAP Reader is a web based speed reading program that will change the way you read on your computer. Current beta testers report reading twice as much in half the time—that’s a 300% increase in reading speed, without any loss in comprehension! There is nothing to install, it works with most popular browsers, and it’s totally free!

6. How to avoid squinting so you can read faster

Rather than reaching for your reading glasses or struggling to read small fonts on a webpage simply hold down CTRL and use your mouse scrollwheel in order to zoom in and out of a web page.  This tip works for both IE and Firefox.

7. How to convert text to speech so you DON’T have to read faster

OK, maybe you’ve just given up reading faster :)  For those people in this category, you can always try out Text to Speech so you can turn catch up on your reading in your car, or on your iPod by turning text into a sound file.  Here’s an excellent resource for this.

Do you use any quick methods to surf or read webpages?  Tell us in the comments!

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Telling me that 100m = 328 feet doesn’t really mean much to me. 

Telling me that 100m = 2 Olympic-sized swimming pools does.

SensibleUnits.com is a free unit conversion service which helps you understand how long, large, or heavy something is by equating it with physical real life objects which most people can relate to better.  Perfect for putting any measurement into context. 

Plus, if not for this service I would never have known that 16 human small intestines could stretch out to 100m :)

Do you use any measurement unit conversion tools?  Let us know in the comments!

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Printers are getting cheaper all the time – but printer ink is still priced at a hefty premium.  Here are 3 great tips to save ink, save paper, and save the world all at the same time. 

1. How to optimize a web page for printing

Ever print a web page only to find your printout is full of ads, empty space and other junk you don’t want? PrintWhatYouLike is a free web page editor that gives you control of how web pages look when printed.  All you need to is:

• Enter the url of a page you wish to print
• Edit the page until it contains only what you want to print
• Print It! Only your modified page will be printed

There is nothing to download- everything runs in your browser, and it takes just a few clicks to remove the backgrounds or images.  Feel free to have a go at it as all changes are undoable.  You can even combine multiple web pages together – edit and print them as one document!

2. How to pick the best font for printing

Ecofont is a project to optimize fonts for printing, without sacrificing readability.

Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink.

3. How to automate optimization for printing

Greenprint is an interesting piece of freeware that scans through and helps to optimize the print layout.  With just a few simple clicks you can automatically tweak it so that you’re not wasting paper and ink.  The advantages to this over PrintWhatYouLike.com is that this works for printed materials outside web pages, but the disadvantages of it would be that you would actually need to install something not run it directly off the web.

Do you take steps to save printer ink?  Tell us in the comments!

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We all know how important a good password is, but how do you test how good it REALLY is?

Sure, many websites now come with password indicators which says ‘Weak’ or ‘Strong, but what exactly does that mean?

Well now you can get an answer :)

Hackosis has setup a calculator which estimates how fast your password would be cracked if it was run on a typical PC processor under ideal conditions.  Granted that the real world does not run in ideal conditions (with bandwidth limitations etc),but results are nevertheless – pretty scary.

Want to safeguard yourself?  Here are 4 password tips to get you on the right track.

What password tips do you have?  Tell us in the comments!

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An easy way to store away multiple presentation files from a conference or event is simply to merge them all into one single Powerpoint file.  That way you:

1. Reduce clutter in your folders
2. Don’t have to wonder which was the one-of-20-presentations you were looking for

No, you don’t have to copy and paste slides from each presentation.  Just use Powerpoint Joiner, and it will run a script which will take care of all the merging of files with just a few clicks. 

Also useful if you have to regularly compile a standard set of Powerpoint files from various sources.

Do you like Powerpoint?  Tell us in the comments!

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