Business Hacks

Lest you think we’re all about iPhones here at Business Hacks, we’ve got two — count ‘em, two — new goodies for BlackBerry users, both straight outta RIM:

• BlackBerry Media Sync  Nothing wrong with listening to a little music while you’re working, right? This new utility for Windows allows you to sync your iTunes library with your BlackBerry. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it doesn’t copy videos or DRM-protected songs. But if you buy all your music from AmazonMP3 (which can automatically add purchases to your iTunes library), that’s one problem solved.
• Windows Live Messenger  If your organization relies on Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging, here’s your chance to IM on the run. This Microsoft-built app also supports Hotmail, if you’re into that kind of thing.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a huge BlackBerry fan, as I prefer phones with touchscreens. But this is definitely good stuff for the BB faithful.

Kindle, schmindle. The best e-book reader money can buy is the iPhone (ditto the iPod touch). Don’t believe me? Consider: Amazon’s Kindle sells for $349 and has a grayscale screen. It’s way too big to fit in a pocket. It’s good only for reading. And, let’s face it: It’s kinda ugly.

The iPhone, meanwhile, starts at $199, sports a gorgeous color screen, slips easily into a pocket, does way more than just e-books (duh), and looks crazy-sexy. So, just how do you get books on your iPhone or touch? Start with eReader (iTunes link), an e-book viewer that Palm and Windows Mobile users may recognize. The iPhone/touch version lets you download and view books purchased on the eReader or Fictionwise Web site (which, in addition to fiction, each carry a wealth of popular business titles). To find out more about eReader, read my full review of the program over at MacLife.

For the moment, eReader can’t open PDF and other e-book files you might already have on your PC. For that, look to Stanza (iTunes link). It’s great for reading public-domain works and the like. And it’s free. (So is eReader, but you have to buy books for it.)

The Kindle does have an edge in that you can download books from Amazon on the run — no PC required. But seriously, how often do you really need to do that? I am loving using my iPod touch as an e-book reader, and I’m quite confident you will, too.

Are you the unofficial IT person for a small office? Then you’ve probably heard this before (if not said it yourself): “My PC is running really slow and acting really weird.” In cases like those, some kind of malware (viruses, adware, rootkits, etc.) is almost always to blame. If only you had some magical plug-and-play gizmo that could help eradicate those infections.

Build one yourself. Confessions of a Freeware Junkie shows you how to build a system-fixing flash drive stocked with free malware-fighting utilities. All you need is a 1GB-or-larger drive (here’s an 8GB drive for just $18 after mail-in rebate) and programs like Clamwin Portable, a virus scanner; Panda Anti-Rootkit; and Glary Utilities, which David recently raved about.

Of course, having the right tools is only half the battle. If you’re not sure how to combat malware, check out the author’s related post. Very helpful stuff.

Your flight was delayed and you can’t make it to an important meeting. Sure, you could dial in, but wouldn’t it be better if you could “video” in? You can with Qik, a free service that streams (and records) live video from cell phones.

Assuming someone in the meeting has a supported phone, they can just fire up Qik and start streaming the proceedings. The key word here is “supported” — at the moment, Qik is available for a couple dozen Nokia models, the Motorola Q9c and Q9h, and the Samsung SGH-I600 and BlackJack II. (Support is in the works for the iPhone and various HTC phones.) If you have a compatible model, just enter your number at the Qik site and click Sign Up — you’ll receive a link on your phone that gets you up and running.

I don’t have a Qik-compatible phone at the moment, but I’m hoping some Business Hacks readers do. Take this nifty-sounding service for a spin (it just entered public beta), then report your findings in the Comments. To me it sounds like a terrific way to transmit live video from meetings, trade shows, and other events. Of course, if you have a notebook with a Webcam, you can always use Ustream.tv. [via jkOnTheRun]

Regardless of your feelings on voicemail (and I think I’ve made mine pretty clear), there are still times when leaving a message for someone is preferable to actually talking to them. (Think: checking in late afternoon with the boss, dealing with cantankerous clients, reaching someone you know is in a meeting, etc.) 

So now there’s a way to get straight into someone’s voicemail without actually talking to them or having their phone ring. It’s called Slydial. Here’s how it works: Dial (267)759-3425. At the prompt, dial the person you want to reach. After you listen to a short ad, you can leave your message.

As several people in the Slashdot forum explain, there are lots of ways to do this without having to use Slydial, but it varies depending on your service provider. And in my experience with Slydial, I got a busy signal more than half the time, which was annoying. (Though that will probably go away as the initial wave of publicity passes.)

 But overall, it’s a useful service.

(Photo via Silas216)

If you don’t mind breaking the rules, you can use your iPhone 3G as a wireless broadband modem for your notebook. Lifehacker explains how: It starts by “jailbreaking” your phone, meaning hacking it a bit so it can run software from sources other than the App Store. This is a do-at-your-own-risk operation that’s not for novices (and not allowed by Apple or AT&T), so proceed with caution.

With that step done, it’s a simple matter of creating an ad-hoc networking on your Windows or Mac notebook, then following a few additional steps outlined in the Lifehacker post. Alas, I haven’t been able to put this to the test myself (my BNET bosses still haven’t given me the iPhone bonus I so richly deserve), but it should work. I’ve successfully “tethered” my Palm Centro, and it’s a thing of beauty: High-speed Internet access via the phone in your pocket.

Regular Business Hacks readers know that the go-to freeware for Adobe Photoshop-style image editing is Paint.NET. What you may not know is that there’s also a freeware application that can take the place of Adobe Illustrator: Creative Docs .NET.

Available for Windows only, Creative Docs .NET (yeah, weird name) is a vector-based graphic design tool for creating illustrations, manuals, flow charts, icons, and the like. It offers advanced features like Bezier curves, styles, convert-to-curves, and curved-path text. In short, it’s an extremely robust application, one that’s being actively developed (several updates have been released in just the last couple months).

Still not convinced? Check out the sample gallery of illustrations created with Creative Docs .NET. Needless to say, this program offers some serious graphics power. Hard to believe it’s free. [via CyberNet]

The FOZI Tripod is a polypropylene plastic stand suitable for digital cameras, iPhones, and other small gadgets that benefit from being propped up.

When not in use, the credit card-size tripod folds flat for easy carrying in a pocket, bag, or wherever. The two ends slot together to create a sturdy stand, with notches cut into the sides so you can angle your device to your liking.

Looks like a perfect little helper for shooting self-portraits or long-exposure shots with your camera, or for watching iPod videos on a plane. Thankfully, the FOZI is available in colors other than pink, including blue, red, black, white, and clear. Each one will cost you $8.95 (airmail-from-Australia shipping included), or you can get a five-pack (assorted colors) for $35.

Gmail Redesigned 2.0 gives everyone’s favorite Web-mail service an extreme makeover, transforming it from ugly duckling to sexy starlet (make that applet).

To use this free Gmail “skin,” you’ll need two things: Firefox 3 and the Stylish extension. After installing the latter and restarting Firefox, head to the Gmail Redesigned site and click install. Don’t be alarmed to see a rather stark-looking page of text: Just follow the instructions, which essentially boil down to clicking the Stylish icon in the bottom-right corner of Firefox and then clicking Add Style.

Finally, fire up Gmail and be prepared to say “Wow.” It may be just a skin, but it’s like dropping a Ferrari frame over a Honda Element body. This is how Gmail should look. I can’t wait for the developer’s upcoming skins for Google Calendar and Google Reader — no prize pigs themselves. [via Lifehacker]

A recent article in Slate highlights a lighthearted issue that is often a source of angst for folks with online profiles: what picture should you use? Unless you’re the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal, you probably don’t have a stately black and white stipple drawing to fall back on.

As the article notes, social networks from Facebook to LinkedIn almost demand a photo, and your job’s website might also call for one. (Here’s mine. Hint: you probably don’t want a PBR to appear in yours.) If you’re having a lot of trouble deciding, Slate suggests you import a few photos into Facestat to get some feedback from the great online hordes. Failing that, try what the Guardian calls a “hand job” in which your face is supported or framed by your hand. Supposedly, it makes you look quizzical, which I guess is a good thing…

(Photo via totalcd.)