"The problem with the Windows clipboard is that you can only copy once before pasting"

If you ever wished you could copy more than a single clip from one document before pasting to another, M8 is for you. With M8 you can copy up to 25 times, and unlike other multi clipboards, M8 shows you a preview of each clip before you paste it. It can also be set to remain on top of your working program. M8 handles all forms of clips including multi graphic Word clips and it allows you to "bulk paste" all of your clips into one document or email. Download a free copy from M8 Software.

So, everyone knows it's a bad idea to use passwords which are commonly found in the dictionary - same for names of family members. One way to create an easy-to-recall but hard-to-figure-out password is to create your own formula for creating unique passwords. One example is to combine family names, with birthdays, and memorable words in unique ways. For example, try using your pets' name with your child's name spelled backwards. Capitalize the first and last letter of each name, and finally, separate the two words with a "!" or "~" or meaningful number. Create your own formula - it's fun and will make your online computing safer. Once you commit the formula to memory you can easily adapt it to new passwords as needed. For more great ideas on creating "perfect passwords," check out this PC World Article.



Password Vault:

Are you looking for a small utility program for creating and storing difficult to crack passwords? Password Safe may be the program for you. Passwords are stored in highly-encrypted database that can be unlocked with one master password. Your usernames and passwords are stored in a local database for easy retrieval later. Download Password Safe, a free, open-source password manager recommended by PC World magazine.

"Brent - I'm traveling via car across the country this summer. What is the best way to "stay connected" with my laptop?"

For those of you heading for the open road this summer, here are some tips that will help you stay connected. If you can afford it, buy a wireless laptop card from your cell phone provider; Verizon offers the fastest network, but AT&T and Sprint have better nation-wide coverage. Check their coverage maps to see which provider will work best for you. Cards cost $80-130.00 and monthly plans start at $45.00/mo but go up to $60.00/mo for unlimited usage.

Here are some ideas on how connect for free using your laptop's built-in WiFi capability. Your hotel or motel is a great place to start since many offer complimentary Wi-Fi in their guest rooms and common areas. Keep in mind, most motels still don't lock their Wi-Fi signals which means you can park near the registration office and pick up their public Wi-Fi connection. Alternatively, many public libraries - even in the smallest towns - offer free Wi-Fi access and signals are often accessible from the parking lot.

If you don't mind paying an access charge, Boingo offers internet access at almost 6,000 Wi-Fi hot spots across the US including every Barnes & Noble, every Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf café and hundreds of other small shops and cafes for 7.95 per day of use. Boingo also offers unlimited monthly plans for 24.95. If you are a Starbucks fan, sign-up with T-mobile for hourly, daily, or monthly plans that are similar, but a little more money than Boingo. View the plans here.

Happy trails!

"Going Green" saves money and is good for the environment. Without getting too preachy, here are four ways to lower your paper, ink, toner, and disposal costs as it relates to printing.

1. Printing emails is usually a waste of time. Same applies to almost every other document you receive that is already in electronic format. If you have a digital copy of the document, why do you need a printed version?

2. If you must print, preview your documents before printing to save time and money. According to Dan Costa from PC World, the average employee prints 1,410 wasted pages per year. Printing from an email or a website is especially problematic since oddly formatted blank pages and advertising stream out at the end of every print job. To easily identify and remove unwanted pages from your printouts, try the free GreenPrint software package or get the ad-free version for $35.00. GreenPrint installs itself as your default printer. At print time, Greenprint gives you the chance to edit out the junk pages and forces your printer into "duplex" (it will prints on both sides if supported) before sending on to your regular printer. Download a free copy from GreenPrint's website.

3. Print to PDF: PDF has become the universal portable document format. Everybody has Adobe's PDF reader now so use it! Quickbooks, Peachtree and most other accounting programs support output to PDF of invoices, statements, etc, so give it a try and save even more over time. We went paperless on all client correspondence last year including invoices, statements, and contracts. The change was very well received.

4. Faxing is simply old fashioned and expensive in comparison to email; you save on paper and telco costs while showing the recipient your consideration of their costs associated with printing and processing the inbound fax. Productivity goes up without having to deal with busy signals, paper jams or failed attempts and the quality is higher.