If you're the type of person who likes to know what the day has in store for them, and you're also the type of person who checks their email first thing in the morning, this week's tip will be a real treat. Set up Agenda Delivery in your Google Calendar and receive a daily email around 5AM with the contents of your calendar.
Step 1: Click the drop-down arrow next to My Calendars and select Settings.
Step 2: Click on Notifications for the calendars that you would like to receive daily emails for. In my case, I keep separate calendars based on the activity type.
Step 3: Check the box for Daily Agenda and click Save. Repeat for as many calendars as you want in your agenda.
That's all there is to it! From now on, your agenda will be delivered to your inbox first thing in the morning to inform you about your day:
Q: I know it's important to be in-the-know and share useful content with my friends and fans, but I just don't have the time to write my own stuff or spend hours searching for valuable articles. I also prefer [email/websites/social networks/using my mobile device]. Isn't there a better way?
A: Regardless of how you prefer to consume information, there's a method to fit your needs. A lot of the options are crossovers as well. For example, you may prefer email, but you probably also receive your email on your smart phone, where you likely also access your social networks. Keep in mind also that this list is by no means exhaustive!
If you prefer... EMAIL About You: You live in your inbox. It's the one place where you know you can find anything, any time. If someone needs to get in touch with you, shooting you an email is the best way to do it.
Ways to Curate:
Newsletter Subscriptions. Find websites that create content you appreciate and find useful and subscribe to receive their regular newsletter. This can come in the form of a blog (like Houzz) or a news website (like NBC San Diego).
RSS Email Notifications. You can receive email updates from nearly any website that updates regularly using RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. These feeds can come directly to a special folder in your inbox in Outlook or delivered as an email via a third party service such as FeedMyInbox or Feed2Mail.
If you prefer... WEBSITES About You: You prefer the convenience of a full keyboard, standard mouse and larger screen. You may not always be with your laptop or PC, but you favor its company to a mobile device.
Ways to Curate:
YouTube Subscriptions. Even if you don't create content on YouTube, having your own account has its perks. When you subscribe to a channel, not only can that content be emailed to you on a weekly basis but you are able to access it in the Subscriptions section of YouTube.
Blog Subscriptions. Similar to YouTube, you can subscribe to blogs when you have an account with either WordPress or Blogger. Simply log into your account and look for the "Blogs I Follow" section (WordPress) or "Reading List" section (Blogger).
RSS Feeds. RSS is a simple and expedient way to have content from various websites delivered to you in one centralized location. Google Reader and FeedReaderOnline are two good choices.
Personalized Landing Page. Unfortunately, iGoogle will soon be extinct however there are other sites waiting to take its place. NetVibes and Protopage are functional as both an iGoogle replacement or a first-time user landing page.
If you prefer... SOCIAL MEDIA About You: You are a champion Facebooker, Tweeter, Pinner or Blogger. Email generally feels clunky, and you tend to keep in contact with people on these sites instead.
Ways to Curate:
Twitter Lists. If you've ever used Twitter, you know how quickly information can pile up. Make sense of the noise by separating who you follow into lists. Lists can be public or private and there's no limit to how many users you can place in a list, or what topics you create. Bonus: Hootsuite can help you digest your Twitter lists even more efficiently.
Facebook Lists & Interest Lists. Similar to Twitter lists, Facebook allows you to sift through the noise and focus on the accounts you want to hear. Friend lists are private and allow you to filter your friends into separate groups. Interest lists are more about topical content.
Paper.li. Paper.li takes your Twitter lists and formats the content into a digital newspaper. Not only can this make it easier for you to digest information, but it also can share with the public via Twitter.
If you prefer... MOBILE DEVICES About You: You are a person on the go and hate being tethered to a desk. You likely access all of the above options through apps on your phone or tablet.
Ways to Curate:
Preferred Source Apps. Many content creators have their own mobile phone apps that will even notify you when there is new content available. Mashable, TechCrunch, CNN and MSNBC are good places to start.
Aggregation Apps. If you'd rather streamline the number of apps you have running, an aggregator is your best option. Check out Zite, Flipboard, Pulse or Google Currents. Besides having an assortment of pre-selected sites available, these apps also allow you to customize your content by adding RSS feeds from your favorite sites or your social media connections.
So, how do you have content delivered to you? Share with us in the comments!
Get the picture? I'm going to be completely blunt here: It's no longer cute or funny to just say that you don't understand technology and are unwilling to change. There's not a snowball's chance that we're going to revert to the Yellow Pages and poofy sleeves any time soon.
If you're in, here are my top five tips for those of you looking to update your digital wardrobe.
1. Make your old email go A(OL)WOL.
Having an AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo email address is the 2012 equivalent of walking around looking like the big-haired, 80's nightmare pictured above. Transitioning to a new email address can be daunting, but it's surprisingly similar to changing your real-life address. With time and patience, it will get done.
Create your new email address. Might I suggest Gmail, or purchasing your own domain and running your email through Google Apps (free version)?
Create an email signature that draws attention to your new email address:
If you subscribe to any newsletters, update your email address in the subscription preferences
Update any accounts that are linked to your old address
If possible, forward your old email addresses to your new email address, or add additional accounts to your Gmail. Just make sure that you always respond from your new address.
If you cannot do either of these things with your old email account, continue checking your inbox. If something needs a response, you can either respond from your old email and notate that you have an updated address or forward the email to your new email address and respond from there.
Send an email to your database informing them of your new email
When you feel enough time has passed, delete your old email account.
I'm sorry, Blackberry lovers (and Symbian and "Other"), it's time to jump shark and join the Androids and iPhones of the world. Certainly, the Blackberry was a game changer when it was first released and I will admit to envy when my brother got one and I didn't, but let's look at the glaring truth: Lesser market share means less interest from app developers, which means that your phone will quickly become less capable to the point of eventually being obsolete. Take the plunge and join the cults of Android or iOS. I promise you won't regret it.
3. Upgrade your internet experience
There is a saying among tech people: Internet Explorer is great... for downloading another browser. Like Blackberry, Internet Explorer has seen a steady decline over the past few years and currently holds an 18% market share, due mostly to its notoriety as a slow and clunky browser. There are 5 main browsers for you to choose from, though my personal recommendation would be Google Chrome. Check out your options here. PS... if your MLS is what's holding you back, try using the Fusion version or an Internet Explorer extension (available for Chrome or Firefox).
4. Make your MVI (most valuable info) available anywhere
Account information, passwords, emergency info... never be at a loss for information again. Use a cloud-based system such as Google Drive or Dropbox to keep this information available to you at all times. Information at your fingers = faster = looks more competent = instant gratification = welcome to 2012.
5. Get familiar with a cool app, site or idea
Choose one thing that's "hip" and just be with the times. First-time homebuyers made up 37% of the market for 2011, and these are the things they tend to thrive on and feel connected through. A few suggestions:
Shazam - mobile app which identifies a song's name, artist and other info
Pandora or Spotify - music services which allow for personalized radio or "every song at your fingertips."
Pinterest - A social website dedicated to sharing and organizing with imagery (see this post).
Memes - in today's culture, a meme is an internet phenomena such as a viral video, catchphrase or image macro and a key way in which Millennials share humor and ideas. For example, this is "Condescending Wonka":
BONUS: Stop sharing that you're out of touch
Perception is reality... so stop spreading the notion that you are a digital dinosaur! Make friends with Google and be a sponge for knowledge.
Q: Ok, so I get that Google is great. What little tricks might I not know that will save me time or help me in some way?
A: Excellent question! There are literally thousands of ways to tweak Google products, but you'll find my top five below. If you're looking for a tip or trick that's not listed... Google it!
1. Google Calendar: Get your day delivered.
If you're anything like me, the first thing you do in the morning is check your email and day's schedule on your phone. Kill two birds with one stone by setting up Agenda Delivery in your Google Calendar. Once this is set up, you will receive an email at 5am with the day's plan.
Step 1: Click the drop-down arrow next to My Calendars and select Settings.
Step 2: Click on Notifications for the calendars that you would like to receive daily emails for. In my case, I keep separate calendars based on the activity type.
Step 3: Check the box for Daily Agenda and click Save. Repeat for as many calendars as you want in your agenda.
That's all there is to it! From now on, your agenda will be delivered to your inbox first thing in the morning to inform you about your day:
2. YouTube Subscriptions: Content you need comes to you.
Are there certain YouTubers that you can't get enough of? These are people or businesses who provide useful videos that are central to your success (or just make you laugh... I won't judge!). When you're logged into YouTube, just look for the Subscribe button:
You will get an email once a week with any new videos uploaded by the channels you subscribe to:
Any sources creating video for your area, like a community newspaper or local businesses
3. Google Alerts: Keep your finger on the pulse.
We all know that it's good practice to know what is out there about ourselves on the internet. Make this easier than ever by setting up a Google Alert! Rather than needing to search the web on a regular basis, the Alert does the scouring for you and will email you when something comes up. Just go to Google.com/Alerts to get started.
Consider creating a Google Alert for:
Your name, phone number, email, address, etc. (Same thing for your kids or spouse)
Your business' name and contact information
Your town or community
Any key words or topics that you would like to keep tabs on
The address of any properties you have listed
This is especially useful if you are worried about Craigslist rental scams on your vacant properties
Never accidentally lose a session again. My favorite Chrome feature by far is the Recently Closed section in the bottom right of every new tab. Even if you accidentally closed an entire mountain of tabs, you can recover them in a snap!
Pin Tabs. If you tend to keep multiple tabs open during the day, you can Pin them (make them less conspicuous):
Start from scratch, with familiar tabs, or return to your last session. Did you know that when you start Chrome, you can start at a blank page, the tabs you had open when you closed your last Chrome session, or with a specific set of pages (Facebook, your company website, the MLS, etc.)? Pick your poison in your Chrome Settings- just click on the wrench on the upper right corner.
5. Google Talk: Keep the convo going.
If you work with a team or have clients who favor Android*, Google Talk is one of the most efficient ways to connect. Reasons I prefer GTalk over texting:
Start a chat on your computer, pick it up on your phone/tablet (and vice versa)
All chats are logged in a special section of your Gmail account ("Chats")
Video chat from your computer or compatible Android phone/tablet
Adding additional chat participants is simple and doesn't result in unwanted text spamming
This video popped up in my YouTube subscription email today and I literally squealed with delight:
So what does this mean? On a personal level, this means that families with shared computers are able to keep their own settings, bookmarks, extensions, etc. separate from each other. For example, if I don't bring my laptop home from work, I could access MY Chrome from my boyfriend's laptop. Seeing as I make use of many more extensions than he does and have a completely different set of bookmarks, this is very exciting.
On a professional level, this means that shared office computers are likely going to become a whole lot more customized and user-friendly.
Want more weekly tech tips? Click here!
