Ten of my best tech tips

Jeremy Wagstaff   |  Mon, 10/05/2009 11:28 AM  |  Sci-Tech

I spend a bit of my time teaching folk how to use technology, and I’m often surprised by how few people spend time to learn things that would make their lives a lot easier.

So, as a favor to you, dear reader, I’ve compiled 10 of my favorite tricks to speed things up for you and, hopefully, to make your online life more pleasant.

1. Install a different browser. Most people stick with the browser that comes with their computer, which is a bit like buying a car and not altering the seat. If you’re a Windows user you’re not stuck with Internet Explorer; if you’re a Mac user you’re not stuck with Safari. There’s Opera, Google Chrome, Flock or Firefox. Try them all until you find one you like. Customize it. You’ll spend a lot of time in your browser so make sure you’re comfortable.

2. Install extra RAM on your computer. Whatever your computer comes with, double it. Speed is not just about the latest chip. It’s also about memory (not to be confused with storage, which is the hard drive. Memory, or RAM, is the bit where programs and data sit when you’re using them. Think of storage as a cupboard and memory as the sideboard when you’re cooking.)

3. Organize yourself. To continue the culinary analogy, know where things are. A tidy computer is like a tidy kitchen. You won’t come up with anything worthwhile if you can’t find your files or your emails are all over the shop.

4. Have alternatives. You should have more than one way to get to your data. Email, for example, allows you to have copies both on your computer and online. Use webmail services like Gmail to store your stuff online so, if need be, you can get at it. But make sure you’ve got two browsers available in case one doesn’t work properly.

5. Back up. I’ve said this 100 times: Back your stuff up. Things can go wrong, and you’ll only have yourselves to blame if you lose data. (This includes your cell phone too.)

6. Don’t scrimp. Don’t settle for a bad keyboard, or an unresponsive mouse. Spend whatever it takes to make sure you’re typing, and clicking, with good tools — responsive keyboard, light but accurate mouse. And if you don’t like using the touchpad on your laptop, bring a mouse and mousepad with you.

7. Extra monitor. I won’t work without a second screen because I find it so useful and find that I’m a lot less productive without it. Most of us work from one document or have to refer, or copy from, something else, and it’s so much easier to see that on a separate screen than to have to have one window atop another.

8. Bring your gadgets and cables with you. I always pack extra cables, chargers, adapters and gadgets like my trusty Flip video camera, an audio recorder, USB key drives, a laser pointer and remote slide changer, a small scanner and an extra laptop power adapter. I use them all. The extra weight is nothing compared to knowing you have what you need to get the job done.

9. Make the most of your phone. If you’re lucky enough to have an iPhone or a BlackBerry, you probably don’t need this advice. But pretty much every phone now can let you access your web, which means being able to read email. And yet I find very few people do this, or know how to do this. It makes a lot of sense to spend half an hour figuring it out. Might buy you an extra half hour of lunch if you know that spreadsheet you’re waiting for hasn’t landed yet.

10. Be curious. The best way to be productive is to look for tools that help you and to try them out. There’s no Dummies Guide to Being Technologically Productive, although there should be. It’s really down to you: How serious are you about squeezing more out of your day, and reducing the pain of an unresponsive mouse, a slow computer, a lost file, a missing cable, a phone that won’t access your email?

Let me know your tips. I’ll publish the best ones.

(c) 2009 Loose Wire Pte Ltd


This story cannot be reproduced without written permission from the writer. Jeremy Wagstaff is a commentator on technology and appears regularly on the BBC World Service. He can be found online at jeremywagstaff.com or via email at jeremy@loose-wire.com

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