Author: Carl Natale

  • SugarSync isn’t such a sweet alternative to Dropbox

    SugarSync isn’t such a sweet alternative to Dropbox

    Dropbox is one the most useful tools that I use. Being able to easily access files from any computer is a must for anyone who works remotely, but it’s good to have alternatives to Dropbox sometimes. One of those alternatives is SugarSync. At first glance, it looks like it can do a better job than Dropbox. However, there […]

  • How to find out if your Mac is infected with malware

    How to find out if your Mac is infected with malware

    One of the favorite Mac vs. PC myths is “PCs are slow, they always crash, and get viruses!” The corollary to that would be “Macs never get viruses.” That’s getting harder to say with a straight face. In April, research firm Sophos released a study that found one in five Macs was infected with malware. […]

  • Privacy: Ghostery helps you elude online trackers in all browsers

    Privacy: Ghostery helps you elude online trackers in all browsers

    Browser cookies are the black helicopters of the Internet age. Everyone seems to believe they’re only used for a secret, evil purpose. I guess it depends on your definition of evil. Companies use cookies  to store information about Internet users. That information is coupled with other data collected via “tags, web bugs, pixels and beacons […]

  • Simplify list making and note taking with WorkFlowy

    Simplify list making and note taking with WorkFlowy

    There’s another free productivity tool that harnesses the power of simplicity. WorkFlowy is probably the simplest, most powerful web app you will find. Basically it’s a list maker that can be used as a task organizer and project management tool. To use it, just start typing. Automatically you’re creating a bullet point. Press “return” and you […]

  • iTriage helps people find medical care on their mobile phones

    iTriage helps people find medical care on their mobile phones

    There are mobile apps that will help you improve your  health, but what about when you’re sick or injured?  You need to know what is wrong with you and where to get it treated (probably more important). The iTriage app for Android, iOS, and Palm will help you diagnosis what ails you. If you don’t […]

  • “Focus on the User” inserts competing social network links into Google search results

    “Focus on the User” inserts competing social network links into Google search results

    When Google launched “Search Plus Your World”  (SPYW) it took a big step toward becoming the company that everyone loves to hate. By integrating search results from the Google+ network into your regular search, plenty of people cried foul. And not just the ones working for Twitter and Facebook. By excluding results from other social […]

  • How to create, format and self-publish your own eBook

    How to create, format and self-publish your own eBook

    When Apple rolled out iBooks 2, it also released a tool to create interactive ebooks called iBook Author. It’s free and supposed to be easy to use. The catch is that you can only use it to sell books via Apple’s iBooks store, although you can use it to create ebooks that you can distribute […]

  • Create better online videos with the YouTube Creator Playbook

    There are two ways you can use YouTube to gain fame and fortune: Create a viral video that gets viewed by millions of people. Create a YouTube channel that drives traffic to your brand over time. Viral videos rely a lot on quirkiness and luck. Despite that randomness, there are some best practices that will […]

  • Clearly: Chrome browser extension cuts distractions from web pages

    Clearly: Chrome browser extension cuts distractions from web pages

    Evernote has created a tool for people who are easily distracted. Clearly is a Google Chrome extension that strips out navigation, links and advertisement from any Web page and presents you with a cleaner, less distracting online reading experience. The Clearly reading experience is customizable: you can choose between three styles of background and typography – […]

  • Create a WiFi signal strength map with NetSpot for Mac

    Create a WiFi signal strength map with NetSpot for Mac

    Finding the best spot for wifi access in your home or in a public place is pretty much trial and error. Turn on your laptop, and see what happens. NetSpot is a free wireless survey tool that makes it more of a treasure hunt. Once you install it on your Mac (OSX only), your laptop […]