Don't Agonize. Organize! » technology

Get cash for your stash.

A. J. — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:18:24 +0000

Got a stash of old cellphones, video game players, cameras, e-Readers, laptops or other electronic devices cluttering up your space? If you do, then now is a great time to do some Spring cleaning & decluttering and get cash for your stash at the same time. Online companies like NextWorth and Gazelle make it easy and convenient for you to get additional value out of your used electronics equipment, while being environmentally responsible by keeping them out of the landfills.

Here’s how it works. Go to the website, list what you have to sell and receive back an offer. If you like the price you’re offered and accept it, you’ll receive a check, a Pay Pal credit card or a gift card and your electronics will be refurbished and resold or recycled. Warning: remove all of your personal data from any devices you sell before sending them on their way to new users.

For the technologically challenged in your life

A. J. — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:20:06 +0000

Do you have family members, friends or other loved ones who are technologically challenged? Are you their one-man (or woman) tech support team? Now there’s a way to help them get their tech groove on. A website created by Google to Teach Parents Tech (so you don’t have to!) – TeachParentsTech.org – offers more than 50 2-minute videos with step-by-step instructions on topics such as how to send emails, cut and paste copy, change wallpapers, make text bigger or smaller, create a blog and take screenshots, among other things.

So, the next time you’re asked to lend a technological hand, let Teach Parents Tech help you empower those in need to become more technologically self-sufficient. Think of it as the tech version of Jesus teaching a man to fish instead of just giving him one! Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime! If recipients get the idea, you may be off the technological hook (pun intended!) forever!

Back up your files before it’s too late.

A. J. — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:41:58 +0000

Poof! In a split second, all of your computer data is gone. Emails, photos, music and other essential documents…gone in the blink of an eye. If your computer is damaged, stolen, infected or corrupted, that’s what can happen unless you have a reliable backup system in place. Thefts happen. So do fires and water damage from floods or leaks. And hard drives fail out of the blue and for seemingly no reason. If the thought of losing your data scares you then you should be backing up your files…NOW.

Incredibly, many people have no backup of any kind and many people only start backing up AFTER their first major catastrophe. Well, if that’s what it takes to get you to protect your data, OK, but that’s walking a bit too much on the wild side for me. Given that more and more people have their lives in the box that is their computer, you need to think about all the possible “what if” scenarios that can happen to that box. That’s just being sensible, smart and saving yourself a lot of potential aggravation and emotional and financial pain.

If you don’t backup because it’s time consuming, too hard to remember or you’re not sure how or what to backup, then you should check out Carbonite, available in PC and MAC versions. Carbonite provides UNLIMITED online backup for just $59 a year and all of your files are backed up to a secure, offsite location. Recover lost files anytime, anywhere with just a few clicks. Carbonite also offers remote file access. Just log into your account on the Carbonite.com website and securely retrieve single files over the Internet no matter where you are – away on vacation, traveling on business, at school, in the office or anywhere else you can get online.

But don’t take my word for it, experts like David Pogue, Technology Reporter for The New York Times, say that Carbonite is the easiest online backup software to use. Try Carbonite free for 15 days and enjoy the benefits of secure, easy, hassle-free online backup.

What are you waiting for? Your computer to crash?!

Upgrade your web browser to be more productive, save time and be safe on the Internet.

A. J. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Your viewing experience on the internet is dictated by two things: which web browser you use and which version of it’s installed on your computer. In upgraded versions of web browsers, new features are added, bugs are fixed and security holes are patched.

If you’re having trouble viewing websites, you may need to upgrade to the newest version of your browser. Installing upgrades is easy; just go to your browser company’s website and look for their download/upgrade info or click on the links below. No matter which browser you prefer – Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, etc. – using the latest version ensures that you’ll have the safest and best viewing experience in two ways:

1. By preventing malicious viruses from infecting your computer

2. By allowing you to view websites – by properly interpreting the code used to build them – the way their owner meant for you to view them

There’s no better time than now to upgrade your browser and be safe, more productive and save time.

We invite you to join us on Facebook & Twitter.

A. J. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:15:00 +0000

In addition to this blog and the column that I write for a local newspaper, I am delighted to have two new forums in which to spread the word about how getting organized can help you to reduce your stress, increase your productivity and save you time and money. Please join us on Facebook and Twitter for more great information and tips!

Another reason to love Costco

A. J. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Costco has teamed up with Gazelle to offer its members a Trade-In & Recycle Program. Members receive a cash card for their trade-ins good for anything at Costco warehouses or online. Laptops, cell phones, LCD monitors, external hard drives, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, movies, camera lenses, streaming media, projectors, Blue-Ray players, home audio, calculators, PDAs, GPS devices, gaming consoles, satellite radios and video games are all welcome. Trade in your old computer through 10/15/09 and get a 10% bonus. Every item gets an offer and personal data will be wiped from all items. There’s no limit on the number of items you can sell; the more you sell, the more cash you make. Gazelle even offers free shipping and packaging, within the continental U. S., on all qualifying items. They’ll send you a prepaid shipping box or label and insure packages up to the value they offered you for their contents. Cash card payments normally arrive within 10 business days after an item has been received, inspected and approved.

Gazelle has also built a network of local recyclers to help you with some items that are not currently accepted online: televisions, CRT monitors, printers and fax machines. You can search by zipcode to find the drop off location nearest to you.

If you’re a Costco member, it couldn’t be any easier to declutter and get rid of unwanted or unused electronic items so act now!

The joy – and convenience – of clipless coupons. New ways to save money in tough economic times.

A. J. — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:29:00 +0000

So, I’m in The Container Store recently working on a client project with a very lovely salesperson. He notices my bag from the Apple store and asks me what I bought. I tell him a new iPhone. Then comes the life-changing revelation. (OK, maybe it’s only life-changing if you’re a Professional Organizer because we love, love, love The Container Store!) The salesperson tells me about Yowza!, a FREE mobile coupon application. Loading it onto my iPhone (or iPod Touch, if you have one of those) and showing the coupon to the cashier at checkout – who will scan the bar code off of the iPhone screen – will give me a 15% discount at The Container Store. Wow, I’m stunned. Recently, the Container Store started offering discounts to Professional Organizers like me who are members of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). The discount they offer is 10% on non-Elfa purchases and 20% on Elfa. While organizers and their clients were pretty pleased with that, hearing about Yowza!’s 15% discount is music to my ears! It gives me – and my clients – an additional 5% off everything that isn’t Elfa or on already sale. It gives everyone else 15% off all of their non-sale purchases.

For more about mobile coupons, see today’s (August 29) article in the N. Y. Times technology section. It’s called Coupons You Don’t Clip, Sent to Your Cellphone. Click here for more about Yowza!