PCTechBlog

New Gmail Account Setting for Encryption

The Gmail team announced an account setting to always encrypt your email during transmission. Although Google has always encrypted the login process that didn’t mean your email was encrypted during delivery unless you explicitly used the https:// in your browser’s address bar. The option is easy to invoke, but it does come with a price — performance.

Continue Reading July 25th, 2008

Create Auto Reply Emails with Outlook Rules & Template

This week I got an email from a friend who changed his email address and contact information. He asked me the best way to notify his contacts. I sent some suggestions and then remembered Microsoft Outlook rules could compliment his solution. Outlook could send an automatic reply using an email template to people based on certain conditions. You might think of this as a conditional auto-reply.

Continue Reading July 21st, 2008

Secunia PSI Finds Software Vulnerabilities

Most Windows users know they need to regularly update their operating system. Some even mark “Patch Tuesday” on their calendars. But, how do you go about updating software from other manufacturers? For many, the best solution might be a beta program called Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector). You might think of it as a personal patch management program for known software vulnerabilities.

Continue Reading July 13th, 2008

AddThis

This tweet mentioned AddThis, and I went to check it out.  AddThis is a serivce that will generate buttons for web pages or blogs, where readers can use them to bookmark or share links. 

I have been using my port of Sociable for LifeType, but AddThis looked interesting enough that I created a LifeType plugin for it.  I will try it out for a while.  One concern that I have about AddThis over Sociable is that the javascript needs to be loaded from their servers.  So if there servers are loaded, this could affect my page load.

I will post a link to the wiki page for the LifeType plugin, once I create it.

Continue Reading July 12th, 2008

Parrot 3200-LS

Since is is now a requirement to use hands-free devices for use in cars, I started to look for a solution for our van.  I wanted to find something that would connect to the main headunit, where it would automatically mute the audio, to allow the call audio to be heard.  Also, I wanted the device, when installed, to look releatively stock. The Parrot 3200-LS looked like it would work perfectly.  

I had it installed a few weeks ago, and the install looks nice.  It was easy to configure with my Samsung iSCH-760.  On the Parrot, I went into the setting menu for pairing, and selected Windows CE, and the Parrot displayed a password.  Then on my phone, I searched for Bluetooth devices, and then selected the Parrot 3200-LS.  Once paired, the phone numbers on my phone automatically appeared on the Parrot 3200-LS, so I could select phone numbers directly from the Parrot’s interface.

I didn’t have as much luck with my wifes Palm 750wx.  I was able to pair just as easy as my iSCH-760, but none of the contacts appeared on the Parrot.  After doing some searching, I discovered that Windows Mobile 5 doesn’t include support for syncing contacts with the Hands free profile.  I found JETware Hands-free extension for Windows Mobile that solves this problem.  Once I installed that the contacts appeared on the Parrot 3200-LS. In addition to contacts, the JETware extension allows phone battery status to appear on the screen.

Continue Reading July 11th, 2008