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One of the most common frustrations experienced by computer users is the speed of their systems. Startup time extends to several minutes where drivers get loaded, new antivirus definitions are installed and helper applications become memory resident. It is not unusual that a computer that is a couple years old take no less than five minutes to become fully functional and responsive. Strategies to drown this frustration become habits like: pushing the power button, waiting for the welcome screen, signing in, and getting a “latte-macchiato-half-sweet-extra-hot” from the nearby coffeeshop while the machine finishes loading the user environment.

Since the release of earlier PCs, utility software has flourished fulfilling the voids left by Operating System (OS) manufacturers. Swiss Army Knives of the software industry, suites like the Norton Utilities, PC-Tools, McAfee, and others, are permanent companions of power users or performance orientated individuals. Expensive and intimidating are not favoured by average users, that is until the computer slows down to a crawl.

⇒  How can I easily improve my system’s performance?

Please keep reading to find out…

5 Easy Tricks to Speedup Slow Computers

1. Clean That Disk!

It does not matter how big hard drives are, they tend to always fill up. Alongside pictures, music and videos, which are the most space hungry, there are thousands of temporary files created by the operating system and applications, cached web content, logs, system restore points, shadow copies, etc. The accumulation of files is not the problem per se; but how these files relate to the operation of the computer in indexing and organization.

As available disk space dwindles below 15%, the computer will start to malfunction with crashes, “hiccups” and a general decrease in performance.

In addition to moving old pictures and movies to alternative storage devices like external hard drives, clearing off temporary and cached files is the next logical step.

CCleaner is one of the best tools to get the job done, and it is FREE! The standard cleaning process will remove most of the detritus leaving your system with, hopefully, a lot more room to operate efficiently. More advanced options will delete old restore points and more esoteric files that are not needed by Windows and popular applications.

Less mentioned huge files are hibernation containers that match the amount of installed memory. If your computer has 4 GB of RAM and hibernation is enabled, then, there is a 4 GB file sitting at the root of your primary disk. If you do not use hibernation as part of your power management, disabling it will remove this huge file from your system.

2. Defrag it!

Defragmentation was “big” in the days of Windows 3.x/9x/Me when the main file system was based on the old FAT/VFAT (File Allocation Table). Back in those days, computers were left to defrag the 80 MB (yes, MB) hard disk in overnight sessions. The reward was very noticeable and it became a routine IT task for most users.

A disk becomes fragmented when parts of files get stored in non-contiguous segments of the physical disk; as the files are accessed by the OS or the application, the disk heads do a lot of travelling back-and-forth retrieving the data; that overhead has a big impact in responsiveness and performance. Defrag utilities reallocate files by writing them into temporary, contiguous blocks and then placing them back in their final “resting” place (see animated image to the right). More sophisticated utilities place the most used applications and data towards the centre of the disk where linear speed is higher, delivering faster access rates and data retrieval.

NTFS, the more advanced file system introduced with Windows NT and later inherited by Windows XP and beyond, is more intelligent than the old format. In combination with bigger hard drive caches and faster speeds, it does a very good job in keeping files contiguous and minimizing the need for defragmentation.

The newer HFS+ (used by Mac systems) implements advanced algorithms that minimize file fragmentation. If the disk becomes fragmented, third party utilities will have to be used or, in a more extreme alternative, the OS will have to be installed from scratch and all user files will have to be restored from a backup.

Defragmentation is not recommended in SSD (Solid State Drives) as the constant read/write operations will shorten the life of the device.

3. Check for Disk Errors

Disk errors are a common cause of computer crashes, slow responsiveness and data corruption. In addition to physical problems of the disk surface, like bad sectors, logical inconsistencies can be created by power loss, application crashes or the infamous Blue Screen of Death. Many times the computer will fix these issues upon the next reboot; however, there are times where user intervention is required. In Windows, the “Tools” section of the Disk Properties contains “Error Checking”, a utility that can detect and correct logical disk problems (an advanced option can verify the physical properties of the disk). It must run outside Windows and it will be scheduled to be part of the next reboot.

4. Eliminate Malware

Viruses, trojan horses and spyware can have great impact on computer performance, particularly when active capturing user information or behaving as a botnet in an army of spam relays or attacking other networks. For Windows users there are many anti-malware software options, commercial and free. Recently, Microsoft released its own free solution called Microsoft Security Essentials which has received positive reviews. I like, in particular, that it is not “in your face” and it does not require annual subscriptions.

5. Optimize the Registry

As the years go by and software gets added, updated or removed, the Windows registry (which is like a database of settings and configuration parameters) can get polluted with invalid entries that become obstacles for the operating system to load and operate efficiently.

 A new breath of life can be given to a slow system by a registry check. My favourite application is, again, CCleaner. It does a great job finding inconsistencies and fixing them very quickly. A newly checked registry may need up to three consecutive runs to produce a clean report. No matter which application is used, it is very important to make a backup of the registry before any change is applied and most programs will do so automatically or prompt the user for action.

Keeping a regular maintenance schedule for your system is vital for its health and performance. We will be very happy to assist you in becoming more productive by optimizing your computer, and healthy, by reducing your trips to the local coffeeshop.

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A previous newsletter (“Organize Your Digital Life: Clean the Clutter!”) looked into the fact that our library of documents, pictures, music, etc. is growing at a steady pace; this is particularly true of document-based businesses that are required by law to keep client files archived for years. Organization is a key component for finding information when you exactly know what you are looking for; however, for other type of searches (by date, keyword, author, or file format, for example) another approach is required.

⇒ Can you, really, find anything in this digital stack?

Please keep reading to improve your odds…

CAN YOU FIND IT?

For many years, most operating systems include file-searching utilities that work up to certain level of success. Back in the “DOS-days”, where “C:\>”, the command prompt, reigned, third party applications like the Norton Utilities and PC-Tools filled the gap with a text-based graphical interface, which included a comprehensive file search module.

Norton Utilities – Norton Integrator (circa 1989)

PC-Tools 1 (circa 1988)

Document searching, from the user point of view, is a test of patience and luck. In addition to the growing document library, computer and hard disk speeds are always to blame for slow results. But, it does not have to be this way! Programs, like Norton Utilities and PC-Tools, were successful because they had a couple tricks under the hood; once installed, they became an extension of the operating system and found ways of indexing the files as the user created them. This indexing trick allowed very fast access to information about files saved in the local system; instead of traversing the whole disk to locate a particular file, it just queried an index for instant results.

Unfortunately for the consumer, in my humble opinion, Microsoft has been afflicted by late blooming episodes, particularly in regards of security and file management. It is a possibility that its woes as a monopolistic mammoth forced them to leave certain areas open to be filled by other companies like antivirus firms, system utilities, et al.

Seizing the opportunity in 2004, Google announces a new product called Google Desktop that brought powerful searching capabilities to the user’s computer. Complementing the standard file search capabilities (including content for most known formats), it extended its results to emails, chats and browsing history. It was not a novel idea, other products like Copernic Desktop Search (a success story from Canada) predate Y2K; however, Google expanded the simplicity of their web search experience to the local computer (Windows/Mac/Linux).

Currently, each operating system has its own search engine: Windows flags its Windows Search (or Windows Desktop Search), Macs have the brilliant Spotlight and Linux sports Beagle. Learning how to use them properly and understanding their limitations is most important for proper document management.

Technologies

Desktop Search technology is based on the efficacy of the application indexing the information. Index files can grow into several gigabytes; however, their internal nature is ideal for fast access. Building the initial index can take considerable time as each file in the computer (or network) is analyzed; some times the process is not noticeable as it runs in the background when the computer is idle, sophisticated engines can even pause the scanning if the computer is running on batteries to conserve power.

There are three types of information collected by desktop search utilities about files:

1. File name and directory path (folder) information
2. File metadata that is embedded inside the file, which is common in word processing, PDFs, music and graphics: author, title, description, album, composer, lyrics, dates, geographic information, etc.
3. File content. With special filters desktop search applications are able to collect and index the contents of word processing files, spreadsheets, presentations, emails, contacts, favourites/bookmarks, chat histories, PDF documents, help files, web pages, etc.

The suitability of desktop search technology in your office should be in agreement with the type of documents that are collected. Free solutions like Google Desktop or the one supplied with the operating system may fulfill most technology needs; however, there are many commercial products that offer a wider selection of filters or are tailored to particular industry sectors like Law firms, Architecture companies or publishing houses. Network search appliances are available for an easy implementation; these servers connect to the local network and through a web interface are configured to collect information from other computers/storage devices and install small local applets that can integrate into the local system for searching and indexing.

Best Practices

If your business depends on digital information, it is vital to collect as many details about the files as it is possible. The following are some suggestions that can improve the success rate of locating a file in the future:

File naming

1. Use descriptive file names. Instead of “INVOICE004”, try “004-Invoice-ACME Technologies”
2. Use date codes if it is likely you will look for documents by date. For example: “004-Invoice-ACME Technologies” can be made date sensitive by “20100531-004-Invoice-ACME Technologies”, where 2010 is the year, 05 is May, and 31 is the day. It can be argued that this is unnecessary because a search can be made based on the file date stamp; however, there are cases where by mistake, or intentionally, a file is saved in a future date which will affect search results. As an illustration, if I would like to look for invoices created in February 2010, I can make the search criteria: Look for file names that contain the words: “201002” and “Invoice”.

Metadata/Tags

Complete and retain metadata information as much as possible.

For example, to access the document information section in all applications from Microsoft Office 2003 and earlier, select the “Properties” entry from the “File” menu. In Office 2007/2010 click on the Microsoft Office Button, select “Prepare” and then “Properties”.

Similarly, metadata information can be added to PDF files (using Adobe Acrobat or compatible software), images (by keeping/updating the EXIF/XMP information, EXIFTOOL is a good choice), music files (ID3 tags for MP3s) can be maintained by music applications like iTunes, Winamp, Audacity or dedicated programs.

Digital cameras save important information inside each image, configure image editing software to preserve EXIF information when saving the file. Consider expanding the file information by filling in the XMP tags, which can contain things like titles, author, location, people in the photo, copyright information, author contact information, license, dates, etc.

Through the analisys of metadata information is how a document can be traced back to its author. Next time you send an attachment by email remember that you may be disclosing more information than you think. Pictures of your backyard BBQ taken with your iPhone may contain GPS information. Be careful where and how you post your images!

Location of files

Keep files grouped in folders organized by function.

This principle may help you find files without the assistance of search utilities. There is no standard filing convention as it is based on the nature of your business.

To avoid surprises keep files under “My Documents” in Windows, “Documents” in Mac/Linux. This strategy helps, additionally, in backup and encryption policies.

Hopefully this document will help you spend more time working on your business and not looking for things…

Finding us cannot be easier, call us to discuss methods and procedures that will enhance your business!

We are committed to taking professionals to a new level!

NEW!!! Check our growing Library: www.BackOfficeWORKS.net/library

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Copyright 2010 © BackOfficeWORKS! Business Services. All rights reserved.

June 2003 – TransAlta Corp. [TSX:TA/NYSE:TAC], a Canadian energy company based in Calgary, confirms a loss of $24 million as a result of a clerical error. “It was literally a cut-and-paste error in an Excel spreadsheet that we did not detect when we did our final sorting and ranking bids prior to submission,” TransAlta chief executive Steve Snyder says in a conference call…

⇒ Could this happen to you?

Please keep reading to find out…

Spreadsheet Best Practices

Without a doubt, the spreadsheet is a workhorse in business management; it is enormously flexible and, truly, a wonderful tool. It is used by almost all organizations every day and it is fundamental for making any important business decision that requires business projections and analysis.

From the beginning, around 1979, the magical power of VisiCalc (screenshot at left), the first computerized spreadsheet application, shifted the use of computers from hobbyists to business people. Up to that time, inventory control, accounting and forecasting ran on paper-based systems, which were time consuming, error-prone, and, in some cases, very difficult to correct when cascading updates were required.

Close your eyes and take a trip back in time to the first time you sat in front of a computer, I bet you a nickel that while trying the installed programs you stared at a blank Excel sheet, or, if you are from a previous generation, a bright green (or amber) Lotus 123 gridded screen. As it resembles the well known accounting paper worksheet, its use and function is much easier to grasp than databases.

The initial intuitive experience of replacing its paper counterpart, invites the users to experiment with more advanced functions within their comfort zone. A great feature of spreadsheets is that static summary cells (like totals, maximum or minimum values, constants, etc.) can be replaced by mathematical functions and references. It creates an ecosystem of constant change that gets as sophisticated as the programming skills of the user.

However, the “easy” initial spreadsheet deployment comes with a price. Very few people have actually completed formal training in spreadsheet use and design. Knowledge is acquired on as-need basis that, in the majority of cases, prevents a methodical approach to the technology.

The real-life consequences of bad spreadsheets are not easy to collect because affected companies are embarrassed to share their flaws and project an image of poor management.

Frequency of Spreadsheet Errors

It is difficult to evaluate how much informal learning is affecting spreadsheets. Ray Panko, a professor and researcher at the University of Hawaii, has conducted studies trying to determine how common are spreadsheet errors used for business management. His paper “What We Know About Spreadsheet Errors” reveals through formal studies of real-world spreadsheets, including major accounting firms, that 88% of the samples contained errors. Surprisingly, he also finds that, MBA students with more than 250 hours of formal experience in spreadsheets, have a 50% error rate! Other sources reveal that the London branch of KPMG found at least 5 errors in 95% of the financial models reviewed. Consequently, it is beyond any doubt that the error rate in moderately complex spreadsheets is significantly high.

Types of Errors

Software

Software errors originate in the spreadsheet application. Most software errors are caused by the way the program stores numbers internally (precision error) and how it deals with long decimals when performing statistical/financial calculations. Another common source of mistakes are date calculations; a famous problem that has been dragged for many years in Excel is incorrectly treating the year 1900 as a leap year. It has not been entirely fixed as there are many user libraries compensating manually for this mistake. Even competitor products have introduced this error just to remain “Excel Compatible”.

User Errors

Research by spreadsheet experts have identified two main types of user errors: Quantitative (that produce an incorrect result) and Qualitative (latent errors).

Quantitative: Errors in user input are the most obvious mistakes (mechanical in origin), a typo or overwriting the wrong cell are common and easy to locate and fix; however, the majority of errors are entering the wrong formula by flawed reasoning or by using an incorrect cell reference (logic errors). The most difficult errors to locate and correct are caused by information that has been left out of the scenario (omission errors).

Qualitative errors are ticking time bombs that eventually will manifest themselves and become quantitative in nature. These are design errors that can be triggered by updates, standard maintenance, what-if analysis. Typically are shown by hard-coding assumptions and by a lack of understanding of the problem by poor planning.

Cause of Errors

Overconfidence is the biggest cause of spreadsheet errors. It is a normal pervasive human tendency that develops from achieving results with little thought and effort. It responds to what is known as the “Hard-Easy Effect”, which states that overconfidence is at its highest when performance is at its lowest. As difficulty increases, overconfidence decreases, although not at the same rate, and that creates an atmosphere fertile for mistakes to emerge.

The main corrosiveness of overconfidence is undermining risk management and promoting less work and proper testing.

The only way to control it is by detailed group code inspection.

Error Prevention

The most effective method of error prevention is applying the “Standard Check” that is motivated by self-discipline and involves a line-by-line code inspection during the development cycle and by peer audits.

Unfortunately, it extends the development time; however, the return is less troubleshooting and less time correcting mistakes. The biggest advantage with the Standard Check is that it is the only method that can catch complex errors in logic.

Best Practice

According to an IBM document titled: “Spreadsheet Modelling Best Practice” by Nick Read and Jonathan Batson, there are four components for spreadsheet best practice:

1. Easy to use – spreadsheets should be the product of good design, careful planning and driven by a clear specification.
2. Centred on the important issues – spreadsheets should have a well defined scope of work, defined by a clear specification.
3. Easy to understand its function – this can only be achieved by good design and proper programming.
4. Reliable as a tool – consistent and predictable results are most valuable as business tools when supported by a clear specification, proper testing and detailed program documentation.

Spreadsheet Design Guidelines

The following tips can help you design accurate spreadsheets. Some may not be applicable to all cases, but in general terms they will help you build a platform for expansion and sophistication that go beyond spreadsheeting and could define your entire IT plan.

Take a long-term view

Do not limit your spreadsheet application by the current scope. Plan for the future and be prepared for more data and expanded formulas.

The 80/20 rule

80% of the time should be spent on planning and 20% on executing. Planning involves defining the purpose of the spreadsheet, identifying operations to meet its purpose, identifying the formulas needed to fulfill it and defining the variables to be used. Additionally, all formulas will need to be decomposed to understand the logic behind the analysis.

The execution is transposing the planning specifications into the spreadsheet itself. With proper information from the planning stage the implementation it will be a very fast process.

Maintain structural integrity

Keep related data together, in a continuous table. In the future it will help implement more advanced features like pivot tables, summaries, subtotals and worksheet formulas.

Keep the data sorted as it will increase general performance and easier implementation of lookups and formula references.

Never use blank cells to denote repetition as it will break sorting procedures by that column and summary functions will not return accurate results.

Protect the model. Lock the spreadsheet to prevent accidental or unauthorized changes to the data and formulas. Allow only cells receiving user-supplied information to remain unlocked.

Use simple formatting

Taste is relative to the eye of the beholder. Simple formatting, also, improves general performance.

Leave at least three empty rows at the top of the sheet, this area can be used to hold special variables or constants.

Limit the use of the “text” cell format as it will prevent mathematical or date functions to be applied.

Avoid using merged cells, a better alternative is the “Centre across selection” option.

Formula tips

Use dynamic named ranges instead of entire column references in a formula. Refresh calculations can take a considerable amount of time when using the entire column.

Never switch to manual recalculation mode. It defeats the spreadsheet concept and lead to significant errors.

Understand which arguments are required for each formula and verify, by manual calculation, that the results are correct.

Conclusion

It is very clear how important spreadsheets are as a business tool. Equally clear is that the informal design approach is not working and too many errors are present in most samples taken. Fortunately, there are basic guidelines that when followed improve the accuracy and professional results.

Hope this issue is useful in helping you grow your business and do not forget to contact BackOfficeWORKS! for all your spreadsheet needs. We do not leave cells unturned in taking you to the next level!

We are committed to taking professionals to a new level!

NEW!!! Check our growing Library: www.BackOfficeWORKS.net/library

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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!.

Copyright 2010 © BackOfficeWORKS! Business Services. All rights reserved.

The “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mantra is today as prominent as it was years ago when waste management public awareness programs were launched around the world to minimise consumption. Similarly to our physical reality, natural hoarding instincts apply to our digital life. Availability of digital archiving tools and affordability of storage media are responsible for the accumulation of material with no use in the immediate future.

⇒  How can I manage this information overload?

Please keep reading to find out…

Organize Your Digital Life:
Clean the Clutter!

Tim Bray, a brilliant Canadian software guru, co-developer of the XML standard, which drives a great deal of online technologies, in his blog post “The Great Music Migration” decides to deal with the clutter created by one thousand CDs. His approach is to RIP (convert from CD format to digital files) all his music into his powerful Mac Pro system. This enormous task is greatly alleviated by iTunes for its great conversion and organization tools. The explosion of digital cameras opened the market for commercial and free tools that help us manage our treasures; programs like Picasa and iPhoto offer complete workflow solutions from getting the images from the camera, to enhancing, tagging and submitting them for printing. How do we deal with other types of data like word-processing documents, emails, bookmarks, etc.?

Start with your documents. Filing discipline is the first line of approach. Creating a meaningful system should be the starting point. Analogous to a file cabinet, a well organized set of folders are important to keep each file in its place. How this should look like, depends on your business and personal needs; if you have several businesses, start by creating one base folder for each one of them and sub-folders organized by function. For example…

Keep your email tidy. The previous organizational concept applies easily to other applications like your email program. Create a functional folder structure were you can easily drag and drop messages from the Inbox; additionally, set up filters that can do the email sorting automatically as soon as messages are received. For an excellent article on email filtering read “Rule Your E-Mail” from PC Magazine.

Manage your bookmarks/favourites. The number of years of Internet browsing, typically, is in direct proportion to the length of the bookmarks/favourite list. Keeping it neatly organized is a chore that starts from the moment a new site is added to the list. If you use more than one computer, keeping track of your bookmarks can be very difficult, fortunately, there are tools that will help you keep your links sorted and synchronized between computers. My favourite utility is part of the Google Toolbar (reviewed in “My Top 10 Firefox Extensions”). The toolbar is compatible with Internet Explorer and Firefox (Windows, Mac and Linux), Google Chrome has several extensions supporting it; and, it integrates nicely with iGoogle in case you need to access your links from another system like a public terminal (just remember to log off at the end of the session!) A free Google account is required.

Got pictures? Some of you may know that photography is one of my passions and my collection spans thousands of images of all types. There are many applications that are designed to help you manage your digital treasures, some are commercial and others are free. If you need a simple free utility, get Picasa from Google, it is fast and makes complex imaging tasks very easy procedures, as this introductory video demonstrates. In the Mac platform, iPhoto is my program of choice, intuitive and easy like Picasa, adds the flare and style of all Apple products. I invite you to visit colourstudio, my photography site.

Find it! As your document and music libraries grow, your emails accumulate, more birthdays are artfully documented, it is more difficult to manually find what you are looking for. The next logical step is implementing some type of search technology. Newer versions of Mac OS X, Windows and Linux have built in searching utilities that fit the need of most users. Another third party utility for all platforms is Google Desktop that brings a powerful personal search engine with the well-known interface to your own computer (or network). Read here a review of Google Desktop features.

Hopefully these pointers will help you organizing your digital life. There are as many solutions as unique problems and requirements; if you would like us to assist you addressing your unique business needs, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are committed to taking professionals to a new level!

NEW!!! Check our growing Library: www.BackOfficeWORKS.net/library

Visit: www.BackOfficeWORKS.net for more information.

Contact Us! for more information…

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!.

Copyright 2010 © BackOfficeWORKS! Business Services. All rights reserved.

In this weeks instalment I would like to share with you my list of best tips for protecting and dealing with the most common computer problems. Very simple steps can eliminate, or reduce, moments of frustration and improve overall productivity.

⇒  How can I take control over my computer?

Please keep reading to find out…

Best Computer Tips on How to Protect
and Fix Common Problems

Over 20 years of experience in the IT industry has taught me that very simple steps can correct temporary computer problems and prevent headaches in the future. The most difficult part is putting aside our frustration; a positive attitude is a key factor in taking control over the situation and implementing the best possible solution. However, it is important to understand our limits and know when to stop and call for support. I hope the following concepts will help you improve your productivity and achieve your goals by controlling your technology.

• Restart your computer. Most computer problems will resolve themselves after a reboot. That includes printers, scanners, routers and switches. Misbehaving applications can corrupt memory areas that hold data and code, these problems accumulate and eventually can cause the computer to freeze or programs to crash.
• Write down all error messages and describe the conditions prior to the start of the problem. It will be very helpful to have that information to troubleshoot the system. Details can include, which programs were running at the time, what were you doing when the system crashed, etc. Most importantly, take note of the time, this information is vital while checking the system logs.
• Maintain your system current through your operating system update services.
• Protect yourself with anti-malware programs. Keep your antivirus and spyware utilities operative and up-to-date. Verify that a full system scan is scheduled to run weekly.
• Do not open spam. Spam is a very good method for distributing malware to unsuspected victims. By enticing the reader to click on a link, it may install various types of programs that can cause harm to your computer. There is not just the problem of viruses, but also of spyware applications that can record passwords and anything that looks like a credit card number, and, at the programmed time, send the collected information to criminal organizations. A good spam management utility is always recommended.
• Use secure passwords. The best protection is to use passwords that contain a combination of upper/lower case, symbols and numbers. Ideally some randomness can add a great deal of protection. Because our memory is not perfect, it is important to secure where the passwords are stored. A protected Excel document is a start, keep in mind, however, that there many programs that can break document protection set in MS-Office. Beware of passwords recorded inside the browser; if you use Firefox set a master password. There are many password managers that can help you file and recall passwords when needed (do a lot of research and look for audited utilities that are not calling “home” with your valuable information).
• I recommend using Firefox as your default browser. It is fast, secure and has a lot of plug-ins that can protect your privacy in the Internet. Refer back to our previous newsletter: My Top Ten Firefox Extensions for more information.
• There is no free lunch. Downloading free music, movies, and games from file-sharing sites can open holes in your system for others to exploit. Play it safe and use established services like Amazon, iTunes or Napster
• Beware of public WI-FI spots. Under normal circumstances, never use public networks for logging into your bank or sending sensitive information by email. Some wireless management applications can help you create profiles where stricter firewall rules can be set to protect your information.
• Turn off your computer. Shutting down your system overnight will conserve energy, keep your system cleaner, reset RAM memory and delete temporary files that can cause problems over time.
• Be more sceptical No, you cannot use your cell phone to cook eggs or pop popcorn. Before you pass along this type of messages to all your friends and family, check places like Snopes for verification.
• Get a Mac! I use regularly Linux, Mac and Windows systems; personally, without hesitation the Mac gives me most pleasure. Additionally, its solid operating system and security helps me improve my productivity. …Love the ads too

We are committed to taking professionals to a new level!

NEW!!! Check our growing Library: www.BackOfficeWORKS.net/library

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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!.

I cannot imagine my browsing experience without Firefox leading the way. Since the source code release of the of the now forgotten Netscape Navigator to the Mozilla Foundation in 1998, the Open Source business/technology model has improved the original code from the robust, feature-rich Mozilla Suite to the lean and super-fast Firefox Browser. Very important parts of this evolution are user-contributed components (extensions or add-ons) which have enhanced or added features to the browsing experience. In this weeks instalment I will show you my favourite Firefox extensions…

⇒  How can I extend my browser functionality?

Please keep reading to find out…

My Top 10 Firefox Extensions

Extensions (or add-ons) are powerful little utilities that expand the functionality of the programs they “attach” to. By clever programming, they can change the behaviour of the host application and add features that are not part of the “out of the box” version. Popular extensions may be so successful that they eventually integrate into the official release; on the other hand, bad written code can slow down your program and even “break” it. It’s a good idea to install well known extensions and stay away from ones that have not built a positive reputation or rating.

The modular design of the Netscape Navigator set a solid platform for developers from all lifestyles to customize the Mozilla Suite to their heart’s content. Soon after, little utilities started to appear, mostly as an aid for web development; however, colloquially speaking, the cat was out of the bag and the focus changed to enhancing the web experience. Commercial software companies saw the opportunity and released bridges that would connect web information to their application.

The appearance of the leaner Firefox in November 2004, as a standalone browser based on the Mozilla Suite, took consumers and developers by storm displacing the monolithic Mozilla Suite (and, in fact, Internet Explorer) to become the browser of choice for millions of users around the world.

The rapid growth of the add-on segment has been truly amazing. A quick glance to the add-ons (or extensions) page at the Firefox stats web site reveals the staggering numbers of registered add-ons and number of users. Take a look at a screenshot of the site and the number of downloads for a single day (July 26, 2009)… over 74.2 million!!!

If you would like to download Firefox, visit www.mozilla.com and install the latest version.

And Now, My Top 10 Firefox Extensions…

10. Customize Google — Customize Google is a very robust extension that lets you customize many features of the services provided by Google. Customize Google lets you block advertisements on pretty much any Google page (including Gmail). It remaps Google Images search results to point directly at the images (no longer will you need to click through the originating site). Customize Google lets you add links from other search engines directly into your search results. It can also block Google click tracking and allows you to connect to Google Calendar and Gmail securely (https). Try it, you will not be sorry.
9. IE View — Lets you load pages in Internet Explorer (IE) with a single right-click, or mark certain sites to *always* load in IE. This add-on is useful for sites that insist on using Internet Explorer as the only supported browser.
8. Evernote Web Clipper — This extension provides a toolbar button and context menus to easily add a selection or an entire page to Evernote. If Evernote for Mac or Windows is installed – the clips go directly to the local application, if not the clips go to the Evernote Web application via a pop-up. This extension works on Windows, Mac & Linux. Evernote is a wonderful program that helps you to organize information regardless of the format and source, a superb tool that allows you to access your data across computers and even through the web. Try it by downloading it from the Evernote website.
7. iMacros — Automate Firefox. Record and replay repetitious work. If you love the Firefox web browser, but are tired of repetitive tasks like visiting the same sites every day, filling out forms, and remembering passwords, then iMacros for Firefox is the solution you’ve been dreaming of! ***Whatever you do with Firefox, iMacros can automate it.***
6. ReminderFox — ReminderFox remembers things so you don’t have to! ReminderFox displays and manages lists of reminders and To-Do’s and makes sure you remember all of your important dates via easy-to-use lists, alerts, and alarms, right in your browser without the need for a separate calendar program.
5. Flashblock — The Flashblock extension by default blocks flash from playing when a Web page is first opened. Most (distracting) advertisements are written using flash. Flashblock is particularly useful because it replaces the flash from a Web site with a “play” button so you can watch the flash if it something useful (like a video at YouTube) and leave it blocked if it is an advertisement.
4. Google Toolbar — Lots of great features, including enhanced search box, AutoFill, spell checker, and more. I always recommend changing the layout to replace the Firefox search box with the toolbar’s version. The configuration screen will give you the power to turn on and off buttons to fit your needs. As an extra security bonus, it intercepts malicious sites that may infect your system.
3. Tab Mix Plus — Many of the features of Tab Mix Plus were incorporated into the release of Firefox 2. However, Tab Mix Plus allows you to add finer-grained control of your tabs. The following is a description of Tab Mix Plus: “Tab Mix Plus enhances Firefox’s tab browsing capabilities. It includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. It also includes a full-featured session manager with crash recovery that can save and restore combinations of opened tabs and windows.”
2. NoScript — Winner of the “2006 PC World World Class Award”, this tool provides extra protection to your Firefox. It allows JavaScript, Java and other executable content to run only from trusted domains of your choice, e.g. your home-banking web site, guarding your “trust boundaries” against cross-site scripting attacks (XSS) and Clickjacking attempts, thanks to its unique ClearClick technology. Such a pre-emptive approach prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even unknown!) with no loss of functionality… Experts do agree: Firefox is really safer with NoScript This tool requires more interaction with the user in order to have a smooth experience with feature rich sites.
1. AdBlock Plus — Annoyed by adverts? Troubled by tracking? Bothered by banners? Install Adblock Plus now to regain control of the internet and change the way that you view the web. Adblock Plus allows you to regain control of the internet and view the web the way you want to. The add-on is supported by over forty filter subscriptions in dozens of languages that automatically configure it for purposes ranging from removing online advertising to blocking all known malware domains. Adblock Plus also allows you to customize your filters with the assistance of a variety of useful features, including a context option for images, a block tab for Flash and Java objects, and a list of blockable items to remove scripts and stylesheets. Personally, this is the only add-on that has prevented me switching to other browsers like Opera, Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari. My favourite filter subscription is called: Filter von Dr. Evil (Deutschland). It’s very interesting that this add-on is never reviewed by commercial sites as it changes the content by removing ads.

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