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How To Use Evernote…A Step By Step “Aah Help Me!” Guide

HarriMac — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:00:34 +0000

I absolutely love Evernote. I’m really glad I came across the software. There are plenty of other apps and websites to keep track of your documents, pictures and audio notes but for some reason, the absolute simplicity of Evernote is what makes it stand out for me. I use it to keep up with recipes, fraternity notes, bookmarks, news articles I want to read later, travel info, addresses, etc. I keep thinking of new uses all the time. Maybe it’s the ease of using the website, using the desktop application, or using the iPhone app (or all 3) to keep up and be productive that makes me love it so. There are plenty of tutorials all over the net about specific things to use Evernote for and even some cool videos on their site, but sometimes that info can be overwhelming. Let’s start simply.

1. Where are you when you want to pull up your info? I’m always on the go and not always on a device that belongs to me but I do have an internet connection. But when I’m on a device that belongs to me, I want the info there too. If you use Evernote at work or a public place or even on a friend’s system, you’ll definitely at least want access to Evernote via the web. If you have a smartphone, you might want to have a free Evernote app on that device. And if you have a personal computer (or more), there are free desktop applications. The phone and desktop applications allow you to sync your notes from other places and allow you to work “offline” then sync once you’re connected to the internet again.

Do you want access via:

A) Internet (http://www.evernote.com)

B) Phone (iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7, and WebOS currently supported)

C) Desktop (Mac OS X, Windows; Also supported for Safari, Firefox and Google Chrome)

D) Combination?

They are all free for regular users (premium costs), so mix and match and choose away! But really, pick at least one so we can continue with the tutorial. Download

2. Now that you’ve picked one, you have the urge to make a note, right? Well, more on that in a second. First, let’s talk some Evernote lingo. There are notes (duh) and then there are notebooks. If you’re familiar with your computer setup or current email setups, you’re allowed to have folders to organize your materials. Well that’s what the notebooks are – folders. And of course you can have notebooks within notebooks and even have tags (or labels) to track items within notebooks or between notebooks (if you’re like some of us who are ultra organized).

Example 1: I have a notebook called “Public Health References”. I have notebooks within this – “Epidemiology” “Biostatistics” “Citations” “SAS” “Articles” “General”.

Example 2: I have a notebook called “Recipes”. I didn’t subdivide this one since I personally just like scrolling through the recipes to find what I want. Instead, I can use tags to get a better idea of what is in it. If I tagged all my cheesecake recipes “cheesecake” then when I search for that tag or click on that tag, I see everything that matches, regardless of what folder it’s in.

Another term to know is “clip” or “clipping” (saving different sources in whole or part from files or websites). You can use a browser extension or, if you installed the desktop client, you can highlight a website or just right click on a website and choose to add to Evernote.

What notebooks do you think you might want to start with? You can always add notebooks and delete notebooks (or even combine notebooks), so don’t feel constrained by what you choose now.

3. This is a good point to practice making a note. No matter which client you’re using (web, desktop or phone), click “new note” or the + if you see it. Give your new note a title. For this exercise try “Notebooks I’d like to make”. In the text area, make a list of all the notes you’d like to make. Evernote has some formatting capabilities similar to products you may be familiar with such as Microsoft Word. You can make bulleted or numbered lists, you can bold, underline, strikethrough, italic, etc. You can also change the font and text size, etc. You don’t necessarily need to test all these features now, but if you want to, do it! Playing is always fun. Once you’ve made a list of everything you can think of to make a notebook right now, try making a few.

4. Not only can you make text notes in Evernote, but you can also make audio notes (requires a microphone), webcam notes (requires a webcam), and ink notes (hand write a note in evernote. works best if you are really good with a mouse or have a stylus handy. awesome if you have a touchpad). You can also add photos or files to your Evernote notes. Say you’re working on compiling all your addresses in one place. You might type some in, but if you get a letter from someone, take a picture of the return address, attach it to a new note with the name of the person and bam! you have the address in your Evernote.

Or say you’re working on a statistics project and there is SO MUCH DOCUMENTATION (yes this is a real experience). Save the PDFs, drag and drop (or attach) them to a note and you’ve always got that documentation with you for quick reference. Now speaking of that documentation, you want to search and find out what all in your Evernote you have about “linear regression”. Type that in the search field, hit enter and Evernote will search the text of your documentation attachments as well as what is in your notes (at least PDFs). How cool is that?!

5. The last cool feature I’ll show you how to use in Evernote is to share your notes. You can share notes via email, twitter, facebook, or copy note urls to the clipboard. If you share a note, let’s say via email, it will email the content of the note. If you share a notebook, you can choose to share it with the public or share with specific individuals. This can be helpful if you’re working on a project together. You can always change these settings. I haven’t shared a notebook yet, but I have shared individual notes.

I hope this tutorial broke down enough of Evernote for you to get started. Let me know what you end up using it for or if there is another tool that works better for you!

How To Choose A Digital Camera

HarriMac — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:00:41 +0000

Almost every phone these days has a digital camera built in. But what if you want more? You want better zoom, more precise shooting, or just manually adjusting the shutter speed or aperture? You can’t do that on every phone. So here’s a quick how to for picking a digital camera to use in the place of or in combination with you camera phone.

Ask yourself five questions -

1) What do I plan to take pictures of?

2) Where do I plan to use my camera?

3) How much control over the composition do I want?

4) How much do I want to spend?

5) Do I want to fit the camera in my pocket, in a small bag, or do I want to carry tons of accessories and tripods, etc?

Most people just want something to take pictures of cool stuff they see – people, buildings, flowers, sunset, parties. They don’t care about adjusting settings and don’t want something that could be difficult to carry around. For these people a pocket sized camera will work well. You can get these for under $100 to over $300 and in multiple colors.

Other people want to take cool pictures everyday but also want to take their camera to places where they won’t be able to be within 50 feet of their subject. Think air shows, the zoo, a graduation, a kids soccer game, the street from the Top of the Rock in NYC. Still, though, they do not want to have to lug around big bags or change lenses. They want a point and shoot camera that also gives them the chance to do a little more. In this case, a bridge camera might work best. These cameras have really large zoom lenses, but pack compactly. You can pick up one of these generally in the $300 – 700 price range.

Some people really don’t care how much they lug around, don’t mind changing lenses, and generally want far more control over the composition of the picture than the average user. They shoot pictures for money or their skill has outgrown the bridge camera. They might want to shoot pictures all day long in places like wildlife reserves, national parks, weddings, etc. They also know they can get the bang for their buck by buying a DSLR, which has a >$500 price range.

Some people buy cameras that a) are way to complicated for their skill level with no intention of ever learning how to use it, b) don’t match what they want to shoot, or c) don’t fit where they want to use it. In a search of Amazon DSLR listings, it was surprising the number of parents who bought these advanced cameras to shoot a kids game but complained about the price or the quality. They might have been better served by a bridge camera, as would have the users who bought a non Sony NEX pocket camera and wanted amazing zoom. Some may have gotten exactly what they needed with a DSLR but could have thrown in another $100 for a decent intro lesson (or $20 for a book on how to use this camera or compose better).

I currently shoot with a Sony a55 with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses. I anticipate getting an 11-18mm lens in the next six months. I have been teaching myself the art of photography for five years now and have progressed from a simple point and shoot, to a bridge, to a point and shoot, to a point and shoot and a bridge, to a more advanced bridge and a point and shoot, to a DSLR. I was able to change my camera as I learned more and learned what I wanted to do and how to do it. I have a camera phone but usually only use it in a pinch or to take pics of documents as a reminder. If you want to do a one time buy but really plan on sticking with it, go for the DSLR but don’t rely on factory settings or AUTO shooting. Really teach yourself or take some lessons from a pro.

Check out all your options and think about the five questions I mentioned above when picking a camera. Go to an actual camera store (they do still exist) or go online and chat with customer service at some stores like Wolf Camera or Butterfly Photo to find out what best fits you. Some photographers are brand loyal and will never buy another brand but I suggest buying what works for you. I’ve shot with Fujifilm, Kodak, and Sony. The difference each time was moreso that a great photo depends on the photographer, not the camera!

What kind of cameras do you shoot with? What are your photography dreams?

8 Android and iPhone Apps To Check Out Today!

HarriMac — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:30:27 +0000

We all need more tools for productivity (and procrastination). These 8 apps are all available on both Android and iPhone platforms and prove to be useful for being on the move and keeping track of your business. Most don’t require signing up to use (a couple do even to test the app and we all know no one likes extra signing up or extra email).

Poynt

Poynt is a location based search tool. Using your phone’s GPS, it helps you find businesses, events, restaurants, people, movies, and gas where you are or in a location you provide. Pretty low key and nifty – far less clunky than apps like Yelp. It also gives you the weather in your current location It’s also available on WP7, Blackberry and Nokia platforms. Check out this video demonstration:

Download Poynt – Android iPhone

Hulu+

Given the increase of costs for Netflix and the better availability of current television shows on Hulu, some of you might be interested in upgrading your Hulu account to Hulu Plus. Another reason to sign up might be that you want to watch Hulu on your phone. The Hulu Plus app is easy to use, though the audio-video isn’t always as great as on your laptop (the Netflix app [Android ; iPhone] has the advantage with consistently decent AV). Anyway, you can get a free trial of Hulu Plus if you want to check it out. I am currently using a free month trial since I signed up with my student email address and they have other deals for longer trials as well.

Download Hulu+ Android iPhone

Taptu

I’ve been on the move trying to find a good news source since the NY Times went to a paid system. Taptu isn’t just one news source, it’s as many as you want to add. Somewhat of an RSS aggregator, you can quickly sift through news and magazines such as LiveScience, Apartment Therapy, the NY Times, Sports Illustrated, NPR News, and The Onion. Link Taptu with your Google Reader account to put all your news in a single place (the only limit is that you can only add up to 30 streams from Google Reader). Tap a button to share an entire news stream or just a single article via email, Twitter, Facebook, or Instapaper, or to open in a browser on your phone. You can bookmark news articles within the app to quickly access later. Great source for news.

Download Taptu Android iPhone

Memonic -

Memonic is similar to many other note taking programs. You can write a note, take a picture of something you want to remember, and organize your memories into folders or by tags. You can even create a shared “memonic” with others. That might be really useful if you’re working on a group project or want to share a thought with many friends or family. You don’t need to create an account to use it, but you will if you want to synchronize your notes to the internet (you can also add things from your web browser) or to your computer. If I could use it in landscape mode, I’d probably use it a lot more often since for me it really compliments the list making app Wunderlist which I use to keep track of what I need to do every day. Do note that there is the free version of the service and the paid version – the free has a 100 note/3 group limit while the paid version is $28/yr and has unlimited usage.

Download Memonic Android iPhone

Goodreads -

Everything these days is becoming a social network. So why not books? For centuries, people have read books because others suggested or because they found something interesting about an author, etc. They found a genre they liked and stuck with it. You can now do all those things through Goodreads via the apps or the web. I haven’t branched out much into the community, but I love that I can write my own review of the books, easily find similar books or authors to those I have mentioned I have read, and let others know what I’m reading, who my favorites are, and what I’d like to read. I can even follow my favorite authors that use the service. I’m from a family of bibliophiles so that is a great tool!

Download Goodreads Android iPhone

Firefox -

I don’t know how Android users feel about the built in browser they have, but Safari really is not my cup of tea most of the time on the iPhone. I use Firefox as one of my main browsers on my PC (Chrome and Opera are the others), so I was excited when Firefox released apps where I could access my bookmarks from my computer (and passwords if I choose to sync those too) and browse them in the Firefox app. Pretty simple to use and very clean design. Good alternative to the built in browser. The apps are different between Android and iPhone but both are very useful.

Download Firefox Android iPhone

Springpad -

Springpad requires a login or registration. You can login with an actual Springpad account or via Google, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo. You can save items you want to remember (think Evernote or Memonic) to your phone, the internet, and your computer. You can organize the items you save into notebooks including barcodes, photos, etc and you can search nearby for other notes. Do you forget to organize all the things you save? No more worries – Springpad will do it for you and even find relevant information related to what you’ve saved – price drops, links, etc. You can even use the Board feature to visually plan out projects you’re working on. Definitely a multitasking tool.

Download Springpad Android iPhone

Walk Score -

Linking you up with WalkScore.com, the Walk Score app lets you see how walkable your current location is. Are you in walking distance (with actual sidewalks) of things to do or are you in a barren land? If you’ve lived somewhere for a long time, this app might not be helpful, but think about when you’re trying to pick a new neighborhood or if you’ve just moved and trying to find out what’s nearby. Extremely useful app for those of us that do not like to spend a lot of time in a car.

Download Walk Score Android iPhone

I hope you get to check these apps out soon! If you’ve used them, let me know what you think. Look out tomorrow for the post on helping others out via organ donation, blood/plasma donation, etc. If you know any students, tell them to be on the lookout Friday for the first of several back to school posts

Hello Ultimate Geek Girl readers!

HarriMac — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:35:42 +0000

Hi ya’ll!! *Waves* If you aren’t familiar with me, I am HarriMac, sister of blog owner and primary author Ellie. You may have noticed there haven’t been any updates to the blog for a while. Well, there’s a reason, albeit a sad one -

A couple months ago, Ellie suddenly and unexpectedly passed away (Sept 12). Her death was surprising to us and to those of you in the blogosphere and for a while the other siblings and I haven’t been sure what to do with this blog. We know there are many of you that are regular readers and sharers of the blog and because she loved sharing so much with you, we feel that the blog shouldn’t just stop. So there will be new posts keeping with the theme and feel of the blog. I will continue writing tech and how to posts and will soon be joined by at least two of my other siblings that are Android fans. We can’t fill her shoes, but we can try to honor her in this small way. If you’d like to honor her in a bigger way, please visit the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association page that we’ve set up and contribute financially there, or volunteer your time, talent, or treasure in your own community to causes that were significant to her including homeless shelters, food pantries, rape crisis centers, domestic abuse shelters, and car-free advocacy. Ellie was also an advocate for organ donation and even after she passed was able to give at least six other people the gift of life and sight. If you’d like to learn more about organ donation, please visit http://organdonor.gov and make sure your family knows your wishes. It may be a small gift to you, but a giant gift to others.

If you’d like to keep in touch with me (HarriMac) feel free to add me on twitter (sugyroxdemsox), email me (HarriMac at gmail dot com), or follow my personal blog.

Thanks for being loyal readers of Ellie’s and I hope you continue reading!

What are your favorite Android apps?

Ellie — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:02:27 +0000

Inquiring minds want to know! Let’s hear it in the comments! Tell us the name of the app(s), what it does and what you like about it! Related posts:9 Months Later – My Favorite Android Apps 10 Great Android Apps for the new Android Owner 8 Android and iPhone Apps To Check Out Today! Related posts:

Check me out on Women with Droids

Ellie — Sun, 02 May 2010 01:07:07 +0000

I’ve been busy playing with my new Android phone (Samsung Moment) and writing about Android Apps over at Women with Droids. While all of the contributors are women, the posts are geared toward any Android user who wants to discover tips and tricks, great giveaways and helpful apps.

Check us out, feel free to comment and visit soon!

Looking for a Laptop (again)

Ellie — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:58:35 +0000

I just got word that I am being considered for another position at the company I work for – and it will require me to get another laptop that runs Windows, instead of my trusty MacBook.

I’ve been looking at Toshiba and Lenovo machines as a new work machine. It doesn’t have to be super powerful, just budget friendly and lightweight.

Lenovo has some neat netbooks, but that’s not the size I’m looking for – so I’m looking in the 13.3-15 inch range. The prices online look pretty good, but then again, everything looks great at 3am, right? If I stay within budget, I could probably find a nice machine for around $600, which is a fraction of my MacBook and have a nice work computer.

What do you guys think?

My Top Android Apps for the Geeky User

Ellie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:20:19 +0000

I love the Android platform for smartphones. Not only can I satisfy my need to be connected via Google 24-7, I can use great apps to make my life a little easier. Not in any particular order are my top Android Apps for the geeky user. Let me know in the comments what apps you like to use. I’d love to find out about new apps from fellow Android users!

First, get the awesome barcode scanner to scan the accompanying barcodes: Barcode Scanner

Starbucks Card

eBuddy

Tip Calc

Ringdroid

Startup Auditor

Pandora

NYC Bus & Subway Maps

Seesmic

Calorie Counter

BeMeWeightPoints

Amazon

The Weather Channel

Quick Settings

USA TODAY

Jewels

Twidroid

SMS Backup

Fandango

Backgrounds

Mobile Banking

PayPal

Listables!

Facebook

App Dragon

Why SEO is not as hard as people think

Ellie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:10:54 +0000

There are a lot of SEO (search engine optimization) “gurus” out there, peddling their services to help you become SEO savvy and work on website optimization. They make it seem as if SEO and web optimization is so hard that only the highly skilled can do it, but that could not be further from the truth!

Actually, anyone with a high school reading level and a basic understanding of SEO could optimize a website and generate traffic and business for their website. SEO works off of the theory that properly placed keywords can catapult you to the top rankings in search engines, thus increasing your click-throughs, and potentially people who are going to view your ads or buy your product.

People use keywords when searching using search engines – so try to replicate this behavior by using popular or common (or not so common!) search keywords in your website text or blog posts. Knowing what keywords work best for your target audience is most important. It usually takes using different variations of the same keywords to get the full effect of keywords on your site. For example, if I am writing about Android Apps, I am going to use the keywords Android, Android Apps, Android Applications, Android Programs, etc. Hopefully, the use of different keywords will give me a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results.

Go back and edit old posts or copy to add new or updated phrases and keywords. Watch out for making sentences awkward or completely changing the tone or meaning of old posts or text – but instead enhance the reader’s experience – thus generating more traffic or sales!

Check your website’s stats and see what the popular search terms are; where are people coming from? Is your blog or website about cooking, but you keep getting hits on beach bikinis? Maybe you should stop writing about your summer fun and more about cooking – or change the focus totally to having fun at the beach! It’s really up to you to make SEO fun and easy – and you might not need that SEO expert, afterall!

10 Great Android Apps for the new Android Owner

Ellie — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:10:31 +0000

We’ve covered Apple iPhone apps here quite a few times, but now Android is on the scene in a major way! I’ve gotten the Samsung Moment and I’ve been loving every moment of finding awesome free apps for it that make my life easier or are just plain fun!

Below you’ll find my handpicked list of 10 great Android apps that are a must for new Android owners. Tell me your favorites in the comments! I’d love to hear from you!

Note that I’ve included QR code for each download, too, so you should get Barcode Scanner (go to the Marketplace and search for “Barcode Scanner” and install on your device) before using the QR codes with your phone’s camera.

1. Twidroid is my favorite Twitter application for Android. It comes in a free version and a paid PRO version, but both offer great features. I use the free version because I don’t need bit.ly support or multiple account support, either. The color scheme is a little perky, but you get used to it. If it bothers you, get the PRO version and change the theme!

2. Get your shopping done with the Amazon.com app! Securely log in to your Amazon.com account, view your cart, shop for items and check out all from your Android device. The interface is clean and easy to use, and I have used it a couple of times, including ordering for Christmas.

3. Last.fm is a great music streaming application. The user interface is easy to navigate and the selection of music is as vast and varied as your preferences allow! There are limits to how many hours you can stream music on your phone and online. However, the quality is good and I experience little buffering.

4. Along the same lines as Last.fm is Pandora. When I run out of free listening on Last.fm, then I switch to the very popular Pandora for listening to tunes while I’m on the go. My only complaint is that you can’t save the streams to your phone for listening when you don’t have a data or wi-fi connection.

5. CardioTrainer keeps track of my exercise routines, how much I’ve walked, run or biked using GPS or maps, plus the paid version unlocks more features that would be useful to anyone interested in a healthy lifestyle.

6. Love movies? Fandango makes it so simple to view movie trailers, buy movie tickets, find theaters and read movie reviews from your Android phone.

7. Google Sky Map will make any iPhone user insanely jealous and make you look cool to your friends and kids. By using your phone’s GPS, you can navigate the night sky and show off constellations and other heavenly bodies with minimal effort but a big cool factor.

8. Jewels is a free Bejeweled knock-off, but don’t let the pricetag fool you. You can play in Normal or Timed mode, save games and come back to them later and keep track of your high scores. The game is challenging and the colors pop off of the phone’s screen.

9. Just because Android allows you to run programs in the background doesn’t mean you have to let programs run in the background. Get Advanced Task Killer and quickly exit out of programs that are running. I find it most useful for quitting Sprint Navigation, which comes bundled with my phone but I don’t use. You can whitelist programs from being forced closed by ATK, too. Very helpful for saving battery life and freeing up memory.

10. Google Voice was banned from the Apple App Store, but it is offered in the Android Market for users of Android phones. Make all of your calls via Google Voice or select the option on a call by call basis. You can also view Google Voice voicemail transcripts and text messages on your phone from the native-looking client. It’s a great addition to a good phone.