Upgrade Your RAM (Memory)

My laptop had begun to get sluggish with the installation of the latest version of Adobe CS3, so I decided to do a little memory upgrade.

I already had 1GB of RAM, but that just wasn't enough, so I upgraded to 2GB. Holy cow, it was the best $110 I've spent in a while (at least for work). All of my programs are now running leaner and faster than before and I can even have multiple programs open at one time!

So if your machine (especially a laptop), is a bit sluggish, then upgrade your memory and you'll be in great shape.

I used Crucial.com which also has a program that will scan your machine and tell you exactly what kind of memory your machine has, its capacity, and recommends the best fit.

And don't worry, it's easy to upgrade. Just take out a couple of screws and then pop-out the old and pop-in the new! It takes less than 5 minutes!

2 Websites Launched in 1 Week

I like to think of myself as a busy person, but last week, I felt like I was back in Boston working my crazy hours again.

We launched two websites last week! One of them, NH Adventure Boot Camp, was designed, developed and launched in 3 days! Additionally, their registration form was one of the longest forms I have ever created. It was also integrated with PayPal.

The other website, B.E.A. Associates, was launched on a Saturday, as their audience is international. Since we were switching web servers, we wanted to minimize the amount of down-time they would experience with email. The move went flawlessly.

I had (almost) forgotten how exhilarating those type of "firedrills" can be! I certainly did have a wonderful sense of accomplishment by the end of day on Saturday.

Anyhow, congratulations to the new site owners!

Keep Your Inbox Tidy

As I opened up MS Outlook this morning and found more than 1,000 emails cluttering up my inbox, I thought it was time to do some housekeeping. Here are a few of my secrets.

1. Create folders and sub-folders
   There is nothing wrong with saving old emails. I save EVERY email (except spam) that I receive. I have every email that I have received since about the year 2001. Back in 2004, someone asked me for information on something from 2 years prior and I was able to go back to my folders and find that info. In some cases, it can prove someone is right or wrong! You can see the general hierarchy of my folders with the pictures on the right.
   
   To create a new folder right click on the main folder and select "New Folder...".
   
   
2. Create Email Filters (RULES)
   I have joined numerous email lists (since I've been in the email marketing industry) so I created filters to put the ones I don't read every day into a special folder. Then I can always go to that one for reference.
   
   To create a new rule, go to TOOLS > "Rules & Alerts..." and follow the prompts.
   
   
3. Stay on top of it.
   Every month, I create a new sub-folder under "To-Do's Done" and then archive last months. I then go through my inbox putting messages in their appropriate folder, until I have no more than 25 emails in my inbox.

Everyone has their own strategies, but this one has worked for nearly 7 years! Keep things tidy!

Cool Summer Camps for Adults

I have found myself not able to sleep tonight, as I have been suffering from a bad case of bronchitis and a cough that has me banned from the bedroom.

Anyhow, after watching Nazi 101 on the History Channel, I flipped around and came across a special on the Travel Channel called: Cool Summer Camps for Adults.

I have been racking my brain to figure out what I want to do now that I hit the big 30 and what a perfect list. So I just may be taking a couple of weeks off to explore some summer fun!

These were my top favs:

1. Space Camp - I too wanted to be an astronaut growing up and my parents couldn't afford space camp, but now, for just $899, I can spend a week as an astronaut without all of the hassles. Certainly beats falling in love with a fellow astronaut and driving cross-country to revenge the love!
   
   
2. Skip Barber Race School - When my mother is in the car with me, she refers to me as "Mario A". Who wouldn't want to learn how to drive a race car (crash and burn baby).
   
   
3. Camp Winnarainbow - This is a camp for those wanting to learn the ropes of the circus business (oh sorry, performing arts).
   
   
4. Sankey Rodeo School - Well I am a Taurean Bull, so perhaps I should take the bull by the horns. But then again, I do bruise easily.
   
   
5. Aloha Surfer Girls - Did you see Blue Crush? Can I just be a spectator?
   

So, I now have additional options. I was originally going to go on a cross-country photography road trip, but frankly, I with the price of gas right now, I could go to TWO summer camps and still have money left over. Now that's what I call a bargain!

Floyd the Office Cat

A few weeks ago, a cat mysteriously started lingering outside my office when Clementine and I arrived each morning. He would come up onto the deck and craved attention. I, of course, indulged him until Clementine got too close and scared him off. Well, yesterday, the cat became pretty ballsy and wandered right into the office!

I have affectionately name him Floyd (although I think he's a she). I made sure that Clementine gave him some space and he went around the entire office sniffing and jumping on everything. He climbed on the quilts, jumped up onto the bookcases, drank from Clem's water bowl and seemed quite at home!

It was beautiful outside so I kept the door open all day and Floyd came and went as he pleased. So, we now have two official mascots at WebGamut, our sweet Clementine and Floyd the cat! Come by and visit us soon!

Here are a few pics of Floyd's escapades at WebGamut:

Synchronization Software to the Rescue

I recently had to send my laptop in for repairs. Fortunately, I found a great piece of software that allowed me to back everything up to my external hard drives quickly and easily.


The software is called GoodSync. I originally bought it to "sync" up my RoboForm Identities, but after using that, I started using it to back everything up.

And the great thing is that it will check both the original and the destination for changes so it is only going to change the file if it has been modified.

You can also do two-way syncs, so if you modified something on a USB key on another computer, you can then sync up that file to your computer.

Anyhow, GoodSync is the best synchronization software I have found and the price is ideal - $19.95! Get it!

New Website Launch

I am always fascinated by people who can speak more than one language (let alone multiple). I took a year of French in high school and could barely utter my name when I was in Paris a few years ago.

Where am I going with this? Well, we launched a new website this week for the Law Office of Daniel Satinsky. Daniel has been practicing law in the Boston area for over 20 years and assists clients in the areas of real estate transactions, creation of condominiums, formation of new businesses, and business contract preparation and review for existing small businesses.

Another part of his practice is devoted to assisting Russian-speaking clients, both residents of Boston and residents of Russia with legal matters.

Over the next few years, I predict we will see more and more niche companies like Daniel's that cater to specific foreign markets - especially those that have an interest in technology on American soil.

We are waiting for the Russian translation of the website, but this site eventually be multilingual (another service we offer). So, if you are need of a well-versed attorney who caters to the Russian-speaking community, check out this website at: www.satinsky-law.com