Make Phone Calls in Gmail

Make Phone Calls in Gmail

You can actually feel Skype quaking in their boots. Earlier this week Google announced that users would be able to make phone calls to any traditional number right from the Gmail interface.

Naturally, I had to check this out. I mean, it's free after all, as long as you're calling someone in the United States or Canada, and the promise of international calls billed as low as 2¢ a minute doesn't hurt, either.

So here's how to do it:

Log into your Gmail account, and under the Chat section on the left side you'll notice a new option that says Call phone. Click on it



Upon clicking it, a traditional phone dial pad will pop up. You'll need to install the Google Chat and Video plug-in for your browser before you can make a call, but there's a link provided right in the call interface and it doesn't take too long to set up.



After you've set that up, make sure you've got a microphone hooked up to your computer, input a number for someone you'd like to call and hit the Call button. It rings, acts and sounds exactly like a regular phone call, and the best part is: it's free!!

Head over to your Gmail account and check it out today!!

Quick Tips Hide Desktop Icons in Windows 7

Hide Desktop Icons in Windows 7 I like to keep a relatively clean desktop. I have my frequently used icons situated just where I need them and I try to limit my amount of desktop shortcuts, but sometimes that's just not enough for me. I mean, when I first installed Windows 7, all I had was a recycle bin icon and not much else to speak of!

How can one get that level of desktop cleanliness ever again?

Simple! Just Right-Click a blank area of your desktop and choose View, then un-check Show desktop icons.



You'll go from this:



To this:



This desktop is clean!

Quick Tips Straight to the Scan

Straight to the Scan If you're a Windows 7 user, what do you do when it's time to scan something? Do you open the program that came with your scanner, fiddle with a bunch of settings, preview the scan and finally commit to scanning the item in question?

Sounds like there should be an easier way, especially if all you need to do is scan something for your records. It doesn't need to be perfect; just good enough.

So let's scan the quick way!

1.) Put your document in your scanner

2.) Click Start>Devices and Printers

3.) Now locate your scanner, Right Click on it, and choose Start scan



You'll get this window (shown below) with some quick and dirty options like Color format, Output type and Resolution. If you're in a hurry, just hit the Scan button.



After your scan is completed, you have a couple options. You can either hit Import in the resulting dialog box and Windows will put your scan into a special folder for imported stuff, or you can click Import Settings to manually choose a folder to save to.



And that's all there is to it! After you hit Import the location your scan was saved to will pop up and you can double-click it for a preview!

Scan'tastic!

Quick Tips Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder

Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder

Say you're having a problem with your PC and no matter what you do you can't seem to get the point across to tech support as to what exactly is happening. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an all-encompassing screen capture/problem recorder you could use?

Wait. There is! It's called the Problem Steps Recorder and it comes with Windows 7!

The Problem Steps Recorder was originally designed as a diagnostic tool to help with the beta test phase of Windows 7, and what it does is combine screen captures and annotations to allow you to make an html slideshow you can email to your tech guy!

Here's how it works:

First click on Start, and in the Search Box type: psr.exe. Either hit Enter or click on the psr icon that appears in the search results.

The Problem Steps Recorder console will open up. You'll notice that it has a pretty simplistic interface.



Now press the Start Record button and try to replicate the problem you are receiving. If you need to make note of a certain area of the screen, press the Add Comment button. This will allow you to highlight a portion of the screen and type in an annotation to further describe your problem.



When you are done, simply press the Stop Record button. A box will come up and ask you where you want to save your file. Choose a location you can find easily and hit Save. You can also hit the little arrow all the way to the right in the Problem Step Recorder interface, choose Settings and pick a default save location for your files.

Now, email the file to your tech guy and see what he has to say about it. Sure beats trying to describe your problem over the phone, doesn't it?

Quick Tips Change Windows Explorer Default Folder

Change Windows Explorer Default Folder

Windows 7 users know that when they go to their Windows Explorer, the first window that opens up is for Libraries. Well, that's fine and dandy, but what if I want to start off someplace else? What then?

Today we're going to learn how to change all that. So locate your Windows Explorer icon on your taskbar, or type Windows Explorer into your Search Box. Either way, right-click the Windows Explorer icon and select Properties.

Under the Shortcut tab, focus your attention to the text input box next to Target:

Simply type the address of the folder you want Windows Explorer to start in after the %windir%\explorer.exe. So, for example, mine would look like this:



Note: An easy way to select a new default location is to browse to the location, right click in the address bar, select Copy address as text and paste in the Target box.



After your new default folder location is in, click Apply then OK.

Now open up Window Explorer again and take a look at where you're at! If you ever want to go back to the original location, simply follow the same steps and delete just the location address you inputted.

Awesome!

Quick Tips Change Your Google Background Image

Change Your Google Background Image

Do you want to personalize your Google search experience a little more? Maybe add a custom background to the minimalist Google.com homepage?

It's easy, but first you must log into your account at www.google.com.

After you log in, simply click the link at the bottom left of the page that says Change background image.



A window will pop up that gives you a bunch of options that looks like this:



You can upload an image from your computer, grab one from your Picasa album (if you have one) or browse through the editor's picks or public gallery to find your new Google background.

Now just click on an image, hit Select and marvel at the personalization power you have!



If you ever want to remove your Google background, just click Remove background image at the bottom left of the page.

New Google Maps Features

New Google Maps Features

So, I was going to look up an address on Google Maps the other day and I noticed the special "Labs" icon in the upper-right had corner.

It looks like this:



Naturally, I clicked on it. (How could I not?)

To my surprise, and delight, I found that Google had added a host of new features for use in Google Maps. There's an option for a distance measurement tool, interface navigation tweaks, aerial imagery (a'la Bing.com) and even an option to shorten a Google Maps URL, so you're no pasting a link the length of a book to anyone.



Just put dot in the Enable/Disable radio button and hit Save Changes to start enjoying these advanced features! If you find you don't like them, just follow the same steps and put a dot next to Disable.

Personally, I think it's all pretty neat!

Quick Tips Google Talk Bold and Italics

Google Talk Bold and Italics

Do you use Google Talk? It's an integral part of how we communicate here at Worldstart, but I've often lamented that the features it contains are a little...

..sparse.

For example, what if I want to bold or italicize text? How do I get my point across?

Quite a curious case, but thankfully one of my esteemed co-workers knew how and was nice enough to show me.



If you want to bold text in Google Talk, just put a couple asterisks on either side of what you want to embolden. So, if I wanted to say "You need to get over here NOW", I would type:

You need to get over here *NOW*

Italics are just about the same, only you use underscores, instead. So to type "Sure, I'll make it to the office party!" I'd type:

_Sure_, I'll make it to the office party!

Similarly, if you use the Google Mail Chat client, you can use hyphens on either side of a word to cross it out.

Just a few chat formatting facts that are good to know!