How to Change Car Engine Oil: 2003 Mazda Protege

Here's a quick video showing how to change the oil in your car.  This is for a 2003 Mazda Protege LX 2.0L... but the technique remains largely the same with most modern vehicles.

For this specific vehicle, I'm using:

• Fram 6607 oil filter
• 3.5 L of engine oil (this is the required amount with a filter change)
• 5w-30 for -30C to +40C (or 10w-30 for -20C to +40C)

Thanks for watching and feel free to post any question or comments to the youtube video feed.

How to Make Money on Youtube: Enable Monetization

Well, although I'll still keep this blog going I'm also starting to detail some projects and how-to's on youtube.  You can find my youtube account here, under the name anjpvideo.

Let's start where I'm starting: how to start making some money on youtube by enabling video ads.  This is done by enabling the overall setting called 'monetization'.  It's pretty simple to do and there are almost no prerequisites.  Take a look below!



If you like this video, you can subscribe to my channel and follow future tips, tricks, and how-tos.  Thanks for watching!

Acer C720 Linux Ubuntu Brightness Keys (ElementaryOS)

This is written for the Acer C720-3445 ("NX.SHEAA.019") running elementary OS Freya beta-1, but it should work for other Acer C720 models and/or other ubuntu-derived flavours.

After installing your favourite flavour of linux on your Acer C720 chromebook, you may notice that the special function keys above the numbers row do not work as anticipated.  These are actually just normal function keys (i.e. "F keys") that you see on a normal keyboard, but instead of being labelled F1, F2, F3... they are labelled with pictures.

You'll notice that you can use them just like normal Function keys.  For example, ALT + F4 (the fullscreen image key) will close a program and F1 (the "back" key) will pull up a Help Menu on most applications.  Getting the volume keys working is pretty straight forward.  The keys that normally control this function are XF86AudioMute XF86AudioLowerVolume and XF86AudioRaiseVolume, but we're going to change them to F8, F9, and F10, respectively.  In elementary OS and other ubuntu 14.04 derivations, this keybindings can be manually set quite easily from the System Settings > Keyboard > Media menu:

Settings the brightness keys is more difficult, since the option for brightness keybindings is not build into the elementary OS or ubuntu settings.  However, this can be accomplished through the custom keybindings settings in org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys custom-keybindings.  The goal is to use a package called xdotool to call the brighness keys behind the scenes.  We'll then bind this process to the F6 and F7 keys on the Acer keyboard.  Here's how it is accomplished:

First, grab the xdotool application.  It should already be accessible from the repositories:

sudo apt-get install xdotool

The keys we want are XF86MonBrightnessDown and XF86MonBrightnessUp.  You can test these commands by opening an terminal and running:

xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessDown
xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessUp

You should see your screen brightness decrease, then increase.  It should also tie in with elementary OS's info window.  Next is to check if you already have any custom keybindings.  Run:

dconf read /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings

It should come back empty.... if not, you've probably already modified it and will need to make sure your current custom keybindings are not deleted.  Next, we will create two keybindings: one for brightness down and another for brightness up.  Let's call them custom1 and custom2, respectively:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys custom-keybindings "['/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/','/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/']"

You can check these settings visually with dconf (dconf-tools):

All that's left is to set the name, binding, and command parameters.  Start with brightness down/ F6:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ name 'BrightnessDown'

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ binding 'F6'

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ command 'xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessDown'

And here's brightness up for F7:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ name 'BrightnessUp'

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ binding 'F7'

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ command 'xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessUp'

The keys should work as per the keypad now.  Note that this will likely screw up your native F6 and F7 functions, which was not a problem for me since those keys were never used for anything else.  I also had to restart my computer before the keybindings took affect.

How to Fix Netflix (Google) DNS on Roku Update

This post will show you how to fix the Netflix's hardcoded Google DNS on the Roku.

Roku rolled out an update sometime in the last week in which the Netflix application switched from using global DNS settings to hardcoded 8.8.8.8 Google DNS settings.  I have nothing against Google DNS, but I need to use custom settings because I use Unblock-Us to trick Netflix into giving me USA content....and I'm in Canada.   My Roku is currently on version 5.4 build 3340.

Now, Roku is the only network device in my home that does not allow custom DNS settings.... but that's a different complaint for a different post.  Suffice to say that to trick any application on the Roku, custom DNS must be configured at the router level.

I'm going to outline 2 different router-level methods for fixing the Netflix hardcoded DNS: (1) Rerouting 8.8.8.8 to your gateway, and (2) outright blocking any communication with 8.8.8.8

Method 1 - Rerouting to your Gateway

The first step is to log in to your router.  If you don't know how to do that, stop reading and call your go-to tech support family member.  If you're feeling adventurous, see How to Find Your Router's IP Address.  Save the router's address for the configuration we're doing below.

In this example I'm using an old TRENDNET TEW-432BRP with local ip 192.168.10.1

Find your Routing Table settings.  In mine, it's under Routing > Static.  We're going to create a new static route so that every time the Roku (or any network device) looks for 8.8.8.8, it will be automatically directed to the 192.168.10.1 router ip.  As long as the 192.168.10.1 router is configured for custom DNS, it's bye-bye 8.8.8.8.  Enter the following settings:

Network Address: 8.8.8.8
Network Mask: 255.255.255.255
Gateway Address: 192.168.10.1 (router IP)
Interface: LAN
Metric: 2

Make sure you add & enable the route and that's it.

Method 2 - Blocking Google DNS

Get to your router's configuration page as per Method 1, and find your IP Filter configuration settings. On my TRENDNET, it's under Access > Filter > IP Filter.  Now, simply add the range 8.8.8.8 to 8.8.8.8 (the lone IP address) and enable the filter.  Now, all traffic trying to reach 8.8.8.8 will be blocked and timeout.  In the case of Roku's Netflix, it will timeout and default to the global DNS settings.

How to Rename Android Device on Network

Android devices don't have nice default names on a local network.  This can be confusing, especially if you have to type "android-cfd55432173d6d3e" often.  But, if your android device is routed, it's just one line in a terminal (as superuser) to change this:

setprop net.hostname THE_NEW_HOSTNAME

Here's a screenshot:

How to fix /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so crash

I keep getting a /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so has crashed error when clicking "fullscreen" on any flash video in Ubuntu.  I'm on Ubuntu natty 11.04 and using Chrome 7.0.517.44 (I know it's old, but I have a number of issues with the newer versions).

Solution?  At least temporarily...

about:plugins

Expand the "Details" box in the upper right-hand corner and you will notice the "Shockwave" plugin has two entries.  I have 10.1 r103 and 11.0 r1.

Disable the older version in location /opt/google/chrome/libgcflashplayer.so.  Flash objects now fullscreen without problem.

Ubuntu: How to Add Gmail to Indicator Applet

Ubuntu's indicator applet is a relatively new, nifty tool for getting rid of all the system bar clutter and organising it in one drop-down menu.  I'd say it's received mixed reviews... But I like it.  By default, it integrates with instant messaging, email, social broadcast and audio programs BUT its email integration only goes so far as Evolution.

I don't use Evolution.  I find it too clunky and prefer my web-based gmail client.  But the indicator applet menu doesn't allow for web-based gmail noitification by default.  To enable, we must install the gm-notify package.  The good news is that it's contained within the universe repository and installation is a piece of cake.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gm-notify

You will see a new menu item called GMail Notifier Configuration under System > Preferences.  Open it and configure your account:

Once saved, you need only to restart your menubar and all will be well:

killall gnome-panel

Based on my settings, clicking Inbox will open a Google Chrome browser and take me to new mail.

How to Configure Google Chrome for Tor

(This article supposes you already have tor installed on your Ubuntu system.  If not, see How to Install Tor in Ubuntu)

With firefox practically pioneering open source browser technology, it's no surprise that there's a turn-key package for tor browsing in firefox.  But I like google chrome or chromium and there's no tor add-on.  Not to worry, it's fairly easy to make yourself.  Below are 3 completely different ways to get chrome working with tor:

Method 1 - Configure on Launch (best)

This is the best option for a couple reasons: it's easy to setup and it protects the most data.  All you need to do is run the following command from terminal:

google-chrome --proxy-server="127.0.0.1:8118;https=127.0.0.1:8118;socks=127.0.0.1:8118;sock4=127.0.0.1:8118;sock5=127.0.0.1:8118,ftp=127.0.0.1:8118" --incognito check.torproject.org

This command line:
- tells chrome to load using proxy settings
- ensures http, https, socks, socksv4 and sockv5 all use localhost port 8118 (127.0.0.1:8118)
- loads incognito
- goes to http://check.torproject.org for verification

You can substitute any homepage you wish for check.torproject.org but it's nice to have positive verification on load.  You may also remove the --incognito option but I recommend you do not.  Incognito ensures your cookies are not seen by visited websites (cookies easily show the website who you are).

If you don't want to remember that command, simply create a launcher and stick it in the Applications > Internet menu next to chrome:

Just remember that, using this method, you must close all instances of chrome before launching with tor.  If you already have chrome open, the open application's settings will override the tor launch.

Method 2 - Switchy! extension (ok)

This method involves adding the Proxy Switchy! extension to chrome and configuring it for tor/non-tor browsing.  It's good because it allows you to turn tor on and off with the push of a button, but is bad because it doesn't hide your cookie data.

To configure, visit the Proxy Switchy! extension page and install to chrome.  After install, open the extension's settings page and configure to speak with tor/polipo.

Create a profile and name it tor.  Configure this profile to use proxy 127.0.0.1 port 8118 for all protocols.  Your settings should look like the image above when finished.  Now move to the General tab and enable Quick Switch and Binary Switch.  I have my default settings as Profile 1 and my Tor settings as Profile 2.  Just hit the extension image in your toolbar to switch back and forth.

Make sure you visit check.torproject.org to ensure it's working!

Method 3 - Proxy Location (worst)

This is another easy method but not my favourite, as it requires a manual switch from non-tor to tor (each time) and it doesn't protect your cookie information.  For this method, we will create two profiles (or "locations" as chrome calls them) and tell one to use tor, and the other to use a direct connection.

Tools > Preferences > Under the Hood  will get you to the Network settings.  Open Change Proxy Settings and select New Location from the Location drop-down menu.

Select Manual proxy and add proxy 127.0.0.1 and port 8118. Select the checkbox asking if you want to use the proxy for all protocols, and you're finished (screen should look like above image).  Now you must switch from default to tor profile whenever you wish to browse the net over the tor network. This is a good option for someone who wants to use tor all the time and doesn't keep saved cookie data.

Happy anonymous browsing!

How to install Google Chrome in Ubuntu Linux (Guide)

Note: This blog entry is an instruction guide for my own records.  The text was taken practically verbatim from this UbuntuGeek.com article.  Also, please note that Chrome on Linux does not support plugins or flash video content!

There are lots of resources available for using Chrome on Linux via WINE.  But what if you want to run it natively?  Google Chrome is based on the open source Chromium project.  Here are instructions for installing Chromium on your Ubuntu Linux computer:

First you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file
gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add one of the following

For ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) Users add the following two lines
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

For ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) Users add the following two lines
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

Save and exit the file

Add the Google key:
sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 0xfbef0d696de1c72ba5a835fe5a9bf3bb4e5e17b5

Update
sudo apt-get update

Install Chromium
sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

You're set!  Now just launch from the Applications > Internet > Chromium Web Browser menu.  Note that you can also install by downloading the .deb package from the Chromium Dev Channel.  As stated, this will automatically add Google's repositories to your machine.

IE Tab in Google Chrome

[Edit:  Since the time of this post, a Google-chrome IE Tab has been released and can be found here.]


Firefox has a great plugin called IE Tab.  It basically allows you to open any link, URL, etc. in a new tab emulating IE.  This is convenient for running web apps such as OWA, where functionality is significantly decreased when using Chrome or FF.  Google's Chrome doesn't have this plugin, and it's extremely annoying!

Here's a way to (manually) emulate IE Tab in Chrome:

1. Go to http://www.meadroid.com/neptune/ and install MeadCo's Neptune
   
   
2. Copy npmeadax.dll from C:\Program Files\MeadCo Neptune\ to your Chrome \plugins directory (usually C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\plugins\)
   
   
3. Select this text and drag to bookmarks bar:
javascript:(function (){var lh=location.href; if( !lh || lh.match(/^(javascript|about):/i) )return; document.write('<html><head><title>'+(document.title?document.title:lh).replace(/</g,'<').replace(/>/g,'>')+' - using Internet Explorer rendering<\/title><\/head><body style=\'margin:0px;padding:0px;\'><script type=\'text/javascript\'>var script = document.createElement(\'script\'); var embed = \'<embed type=\\\'application\/x-meadco-neptune-ax\\\' width=\\\'100\x25\\\' height=\\\'100\x25\\\' param-location=\\\'' + lh + '\\\'><\/embed>\'; script.setAttribute(\'src\',\'data:text/javascript,document.write(embed);\'); document.body.appendChild(script);<\/script><\/body><\/html>'); })();
4. Give it a name, such as "convert to IE"
   
   
5. Click this bookmark whenever you open a page that requires IE emulation.

I realise that this procedure isn't as pretty as IE Tab.  You can't pre-program select URLs or domains to automatically open in IE, and there's no support for the context menu.  But, hey, at least it works!

How to Add Your Google Calendar to Outlook 2007

I am now an employee on contract to another organization, and must manage a couple different email addresses on different virtual boxes.  The network security settings are such that I cannot easily share calendar information back and forth...thus I'm trying to use my Google Calendar as a go between:

1. Start Outlook 2007. Make sure you have configured an active account.
   
   
2. Identify a compatible Internet calendar. Check with your calendar provider to determine if they support the webcal protocol and can provide iCal files ending in ".ics." If not, select a provider that supports the protocol. Make sure any public sharing settings you need for remote calendar access are configured.
   
   
3. In the Internet calendar configuration, locate the iCal Web address, which includes a file ending in ".ics." Copy this URL to the clipboard.
   
   
4. Insert the iCal link into Outlook 2007. In Outlook 2007, select "File," and then "Data File Management." Select the "Internet Calendars" tab. Click "New," and then paste the iCal URL into the field. Hit "Add."
   
   
5. Configure the subscription. The name of the calendar file displays next to "Folder Name." Change it if necessary. Add a description to make the calendar easy to identify if you install additional calendars. Check whether you want attachments to download from the Internet calendar under "Attachments." Finally, select whether you want the subscription according to the publisher's recommendations. Checking this option ensures that you will not exceed the publisher's limitations and risk having your calendar account suspended. Click "OK" when finished.
   
   
6. Utilize your Internet Calendar. Click "Close" to return to Outlook 2007. After the Internet calendar is updated, it will display under "Other Calendars" in the Calendars section of Outlook 2007. Select it to manage your activities as you want them displayed on the Internet. You can use your Internet Calendar as you would internal Outlook 2007 calendars, such as displaying them side-by-side for easy copying of items from one to another.

Note: this was taken verbatim from an eHow.com article

Moving to Google Reader for RSS Feeds

I've moved over to Google Reader.  I have about 25 RSS feeds that I follow regularly - some for work and some for personal pleasure.  I used to use the RSS Feeds Outlook Plugin and monitor most of these from Microsoft Outlook 2007.  However, it's starting to get slow and complicated and I'd rather not manage everything locally on my computer.

The latest Google Chrome version 4.0.237.0 finally supports Google Reader and so I'm moving over.  No more local hassle, let Google take care of it in the cloud.

Picasa 3.5 face recognition tips

Picasa 3.5 is here!  I realise that it's been here for quite some time....but I'm just jumping on board now.


The top feature of 3.5 (and the reason I upgraded) is face recognition.  Turning on face recognition prompts Picasa to scan your photos and identify faces.  Once the face has been identified, the application will suggest other photos with similar features and auto-tag them appropriately (BTW, the face tagging syncs with your gmail contacts!).


However, after the scan I still had around 3,000 photos that remained for manual tagging.  I.E. Picasa couldn't match them with a previously identified face.  Here's a tip I picked up from cronoklee in the Google Support Forums: 

• A low suggestion threshold suggests more faces (less accurate matches) for each person.
• A high suggestion threshold suggests only faces Picasa is pretty certain about.   
• A low cluster threshold groups more faces together on the naming page. (but obviously may get some wrong)
• A high cluster threshold means that only very similar photos are grouped together on the naming page.

You can access these options from the menu using Tools > Options > Name Tags (tab)

What Google Chrome needs before I give up FireFox

I spent some time this afternoon thinking about migrating my browser experience from FireFox to Google's Chrome.  Why?  Chrome is lightning fast, and always has been.  But previous releases of Chrome have been unstable, and in my own beta testing I found numerous websites that were not formatted properly.

It seems that Chrome has come a long way and I'd like to switch...  However, I have my FireFox exactly the way I want it.  If there were a way to speed up FF I wouldn't even consider switching.  Here's what I'd like to be able to do in Chrome:

1. Use custom search operators from the omnibar *SOLVED* (e.g. "youtube STRING" is equivalent to typing http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=STRING&search_type=&aq=f)
2. Allow me to change my bookmark icons (similar to the FireFox Favicon Picker extension). Apparently there is a way to do this, but it's long and complicated.  I have about 20 bookmarks in my toolbar and do not have room to give each a name.  I distinguish between them by their icon.
3. Search the page automatically (i.e. as soon as I start typing, similar to the feature in FF via Tools > Options > Advanced > General).  Chrome allows you to search the page, but you need to press CTRL + F or F3 first.  As simple as it sounds, this is a great feature to have when quickly browsing pages with lots of text.
4. Customizable proxy settings.  My workplace is fairly strict in filtering our web content.  I use the FireFox extension FoxyProxy to route certain webpages through a company-approved proxy.  FoxyProxy allows me to specify which domains go through the proxy (e.g. *youtube.com*) and which do not.  So far I haven't seen anything like this in Chrome.
5. Another workplace necessity: a mechanism that allows me to view my current web page in IE.  In FireFox, I use the IE Tab extension which reloads the current tab in IE (within the current FF tab) with the click of a button.  No one likes IE, but unfortunately we still need to test in it.
6. Show current weather in the browser.  This isn't as important as items 1-5, but would still be nice.  My FF version is the Forecast Fox extension
7. Another one for the would-be-nice category: the ability to shorten a URL directly from the right-click context menu.  My FF version, the Shorten URL extension, creates a short URL and saves it to my clipboard with one click of the mouse.  It is configurable and can use many services - from bit.ly to ping.fm.  *SOLVED* There is a chrome extension called bit.ly shorten URL that basically does the same thing.  Not from the context menu... available here.

If you have answers to any of these questions PLEASE don't keep them to yourself.  I'm hoping to switch soon :-)

How To Sync Facebook Events with Google Calendar

Super simple, and extraordinarily useful:

1. Click on the "Events" link found in the left menu of your Facebook account.
2. On the top of the page you'll find a link called "Export Events". Click on it, and copy the URL that appears in the pop-up window.
3. Go to Google Calendar, and press on the "Add" button, found in the "Manage Calendars" box there. Then select "Add by URL".
4. Enter the URL you've just got from Facebook there, and click on the "Add" button.

Done! You may need to refresh your Google Calendar to see the update.

How To Remove Windows Search (WDS)

I decided to switch from Windows Search to Google Desktop this morning... the microsoft search application was simply to slow and heavy.

Unfortunately, the application doesn't show up in Add/Remove Programs and there is no uninstall option from the Start Menu. After wracking my brain for a few minutes, I found this handy step-by-step guide by David Arno: http://www.davidarno.org/2008/08/22/how-to-remove-windows-desktop-search-...-revisited/

Works like a charm.

firefox won't delete cookies

This morning I could not log into my Gmail account. I would type my username, password, and be returned to the very same page with NO error message. Soon, I discovered that I couldn't log into anything Google - blogger, docs, groups, calendar, picasa, reader... you get the point. After doing some quasi-research I was frustrated that I couldn't fix the Google error. Fortunately, I could access my Gmail account using IE. I started to wonder if perhaps it was a Firefox error...

Turns out that there was a cookie problem with Firefox. I tried to wipe clean all my cookies from the Delete Private Data option, but they re-appeared again on restart. I manually deleted all the cookies from the Tools > Options > Privacy menu, but those sneaky little guys appeared yet again on restart. I've had some cookie problems in Firefox in the past, but I'm using the latest version (3.0.8), and I thought this wouldn't be an issue anymore. It's always surprising, but it turns out I was wrong.

The solution? Get rid of cookies.sqlite:

1. Start > Run
2. Type "%APPDATA%"
3. Open Mozilla > Firefox > Profiles > (your profile)
4. Delete cookies.sqlite.
5. ** Note that this will permanently delete ALL your hard-earned cookies! **

Ah, basking in sweet success...

automatically BCC in Outlook 2007

Have you ever wanted to automatically bcc all your outbound mail to a specific email address? I wanted to send a copy of ALL sent mail from Outlook at work to my Gmail address. You could try to do this via Outlook's Rules and Alerts, but there's no option to bcc...only cc. I'd prefer that all my work contacts not know my personal Gmail address, and it's not very professional. I also don't want to manually enter my Gmail address in the bcc field of every outgoing message... the solution? Visual Basic Scripting.

The steps (MS Outlook 2007):

1. Open MS Outlook 2007
2. Under the Tools menu, select Macro > Visual Basic Editor (or Alt+F11)
3. In the left menu bar, expand Project1, Microsoft Outlook Session, and open ThisOutlookSession
4. Enter copy & paste this code, making sure to substitute youremailaddress@domain.com with your real email address:

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, _
Cancel As Boolean)
Dim objRecip As Recipient
Dim strMsg As String
Dim res As Integer
Dim strBcc As String
On Error Resume Next

' #### USER OPTIONS ####
' address for Bcc -- must be SMTP address or resolvable
' to a name in the address book
strBcc = "youremailaddress@domain.com"

Set objRecip = Item.Recipients.Add(strBcc)
objRecip.Type = olBCC
If Not objRecip.Resolve Then
strMsg = "Could not resolve the Bcc recipient. " & _
"Do you want still to send the message?"
res = MsgBox(strMsg, vbYesNo + vbDefaultButton1, _
"Could Not Resolve Bcc Recipient")
If res = vbNo Then
Cancel = True
End If
End If

Set objRecip = Nothing
End Sub

Save the session, close the Visual Basic Editor, restart Outlook, and you're good to go! (make sure that you've allowed Outlook to run macros) You can verify that your emails are being cc'd by (1) checking your alternate email address or (2) looking at the bcc field of one of your messages in the Sent Items folder.

Outlook: archive it!

I'm a huge fan of gmail. Although it takes some getting used to, I'm sure everyone who uses gmail loves it after some time, and would have a hard time going back to other clients. My problem is that I must use MS Outlook at work...it's inescapable. One feature I've grown quite fond of in gmail is the ability to Archive messages instantly. This allows you to get more work done by leaving only the action items in your inbox (which is what an "inbox" really is, isn't it?).

Here's how you can accomplish this in Outlook (2007):

1. Open MS Outlook 2007
2. Create a new sub-folder inside the Inbox named Pre Archive
3. Under the Tools menu, select Macro > Visual Basic Editor (or Alt+F11)
4. In the left menu bar, expand Project1, Microsoft Outlook Session, and open ThisOutlookSession
5. Enter the following code:

Option Explicit
Public Sub ArchiveSelectedItems()
MoveSelectedItemsToFolder "Pre Archive"
End Sub
Private Sub MoveSelectedItemsToFolder(FolderName As String)
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Dim Namespace As Outlook.Namespace
Set Namespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Dim Inbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Set Inbox = Namespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
Dim Folder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Set Folder = Inbox.Folders(FolderName)
If Folder Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "The '" & FolderName & "' folder doesn't exist!", _
vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "Invalid Folder"
End If
Dim Item As Object
For Each Item In Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection
If Item.UnRead Then Item.UnRead = False
Item.Move Folder
Next
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox Error(Err)
End Sub

Now:

1. Save the code and exit the Visual Basic Editor
2. Under View > Toolbars > Customize, select the Commands tab
3. Click on Macros
4. Drag Project1.ArchiveSelected command to any toolbar above
5. Rename your button to Archive by right-clicking
6. From the right-click, you can also Change Button Image
7. Click Close

Optional:

1. Open any message in the Inbox folder
2. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button on the title bar
3. Select More Commands
4. Add the Project1.ArchiveSelected command and configure the same way as above
5. Make sure you have allowed Outlook to run macros.

Done! You now have an Archive button that archives unwanted messages from your inbox. I also recommend modifying your AutoArchive settings to no longer archive anything from your Inbox. Instead try archiving your Pre Archive folder every couple of days.

(click to enlarge)

Google execs get paid how much ??

What do most of us want from our average job? 80k? 90k? Six figures? How about seven :-)

This may come as no surprise to most of you well-informed hi-tech readers...but I'm astonished to learn that Google's top 4 execs just received 7 figure bonuses! That's right, bonuses. Not salaries, not commission, but flat out end-of-the-year bonuses. We're all familiar with Google's unique working environment, fun-loving culture, and impressive perks... now there's proof of Google's true blue American roots: rewards and performance incentives!

To be fair, these execs at Google have practically reinvented the way we communicate online. Take a look at this article from 2007 listing the many projects Google was involved in then. Over the last year or two the organisation has solidified its position as internet guru/ king of the technological world. Who knows, maybe they deserve it...