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Dear [subscriber-firstname], We're three months into 2009 already! How did you go with your New Year's Resolutions (if you made them)? Most are probably broken already by now. Why is that? It seems experts agree: most New Year's resolutions fail because they are either too big, too daunting, or not clearly defined enough.
Most people resolve to lose weight, quit smoking, or get in better physical shape. All noble resolutions. But according to Jennifer Brunn, RN, you need to plan for your success. Her suggestions are included below.
 Other big news this quarter were the devastating bush fires in Victoria with an unprecedented loss of life and damage to property. Australians rallied behind the cause throwing not only money (amazing in these difficult times) but also goods and services behind the people affected by the disaster. My little community of 10,000 people have donated over $40,000 so far plus container loads of stock feed, toiletries and vet supplies. The Red Cross continues its bush fire appeal. You can donate online here. It will take some time for these communities to rebuild their lives. Years in fact. They need as much support as we can give them continued for as long as we can sustain it.
(Pic: The ruins of a house and forest near Kinglake after the fire of 9 Feb. Credit: Paul Crock/AFP/Getty Images)
In the spirit of flexibility - and to support the presenter of the AVBN Webinar on using social media/community networking sites for building business, I've taken my first tentative plunge into Facebook. I've always used LinkedIn, Ecademy and Cagora for networking, but decided to see what all the fuss was about with Facebook. I've now been able to create two business pages in Facebook for business building. You can see the AVBN page by clicking here. If you would like a page created for your own business please contact me - it is possible to do so without being a Facebook member - so this is a service I will now offer to clients (and potential clients) should you want to embark on this new approach to business building. If you're not sure about whether it's for you, come along to the April 15 AVBN webinar which will talk about what advantages can be drawn from using this medium for business promotion.
Till next quarter!
Virtually yours
Lyn PB
PS: Don't forget: click here if you want to be unsubscribed. If you have a friend/colleague who may be interested in the content of our newsletter pay it forward and forward the newsletter to them.
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Maintain XP after Microsoft Ends Support |
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You may have heard that Microsoft intends to end support for Windows XP on 14 April 2009. Unfortunately this means that users who have stuck with Windows XP in favour of the Vista operating systems will have to pay for support - and that includes those who only bought systems about 18 months ago when you could still buy a new PC with the XP OS. That on top of being told by Microsoft's CEO that we should all stick with XP until Windows 7 ships late this year.
Here are some tips from Stuart Johnston over at Windows Secrets for those who'd like to maintain XP after support ends.
Microsoft's policy is to support each version of its operating system for 10 years. For the first five years, users get "mainstream" support, which combines free help and fee-based services. This is in addition to the standard patches and hotfixes that Microsoft periodically releases.
The second five-year period constitutes "extended" support. During this time, users must pay for support, aside from critical patches that continue to be offered by the company for free.
XP will reach the end of mainstream support on Apr. 14, 2009, despite the fact that Service Pack 3 for XP was released just last spring. (XP first shipped in late 2001, so the end of its mainstream support is coming more than two years later than is typical - a testament to XP's popularity.)
After April 2009, XP moves into the extended-support period, which is expected to last through Apr. 8, 2014.
Under extended support, if you encounter problems installing a security patch or other critical fix, tech support will help you free of charge. Any other help from Microsoft tech support, however, will be on a pay-per-incident basis. Microsoft currently charges $59 per incident for help with operating system problems.
If you bought a new PC with XP preinstalled, it's important to note that you must contact your PC maker for all support.
Even though Microsoft has cut off retail sales of XP, the company will continue to allow PC vendors to sell XP Professional on new systems at least through the end of January 2009.
Today, that's usually done by opting for the vendor's "downgrade" license, which lets the buyer choose between Vista and XP Pro.
There are plenty of XP resources out there
Of course, you aren't stuck with Microsoft when it comes to your XP support options. If you're looking for an XP device driver, and you're not having much luck with the vendors' sites, try browsing through the posts at various PC community forums.
Forums are great places to post questions and (hopefully) receive answers from other users who have experienced the same problems and found solutions. Microsoft's XP newsgroups are a good place to start.
Other useful XP support sites include the TechArena community, BoardReader, and AllExperts.
You'll find all types of XP support from the members of PC user groups, many of which offer live, in-person meetings where participants exchange tips and solutions. Listings for Microsoft user groups are available at the Microsoft Mindshare site.
These are by no means all the support options available to XP users, but they provide a starting point to help you keep XP alive and well until something better comes along - whether another flavor of Windows or something completely different.
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The AVBN's first webinar on insurance requirements for virtual businesses went fantastically well and we're geared up for a great 2009 series. If you need some motivation to kick start 2009 you won't want to miss the March 18 webinar "Dare to Do It" presented by New York comiedienne and Guiness Book of World Records Holder Fran Capo. And in April how to use Facebook, Ecademy, LinkedIn and other social media/community networking sites is on the agenda. There are also sessions on Blogging to increase business, media relations and more. Be sure to check out the Webinar Page at the site for full details.
And as always, recordings of all sessions are available should you miss a topic of interest, and 2008 sessions will also continue to be available.
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International Podcasting Expo 2009 |
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 Penny Haynes of The Commercial Creation Center presents the International Podcasting Expo 2009 showcasing 20 online classes related to podcasting and marketing your business with audio and video. There will be a beginner's track and an advanced track, together with networking sessions so you can meet potential interviewees and cross marketing partners.
All registered attendees will get to vote on classes they want to take and the most popular classes will be chosen. Registrants will receive any freebies donated by sponsors. All registrants will also be entered into the draw for prizes (even if they are not there) and can be listed on the attendee list for networking and publicity purposes.
Pre-registration is only US$9.00 through March - but increases to US$19.00 in April.
Some suggested topics so far:
Beginner's Track:
- Way Basic Lighting: Create fabulous lighting for your videos with stuff bought from the local hardware store!
- What music can I use in my podcast and where can I find it?
- The SEO Power of RSS Feeds : Using Podcasts To Increase Your Search Engine Rankings
- Using Free Teleseminars To Create Podcasts (and Sell More Products and Services)
- Using Social Media & Social Networks to Market Your Podcast
- Podcasting on the CHEAP : Inexpensive Podcasting Tools, Tips and Resources
- Corporate Podcasting
- Podcasting Ideas To Promote Your Business
Advanced Track:
- Running Your Own Podcast Network : Networking & Cross Marketing With Other Podcasters
- Professional Videography using green screens, keying and professional lighting
- Producing Multi-Camera Shows using Mogulus
- Advanced Audio Editing Techniques
The expo runs for 12 hours and in Australian Eastern Standard Time commences midnight on Saturday 25 April running through to midday Sunday 26 April. Register now at the site to be kept informed on proposed topics, have your say and receive your freebies.
(All registrants will receive recordings of all sessions, so if you can't make the time, you won't miss out.)
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How to KEEP your Resolutions |
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 As mentioned in my Welcome message, odds are you've probably broken your New Year's Resolutions already - just three months into the year. Why? According to Jennifer Brunn, RN it's simple - "Most of the time we set unrealistic goals or fail to plan adequately for how we can meet our challenges."
Here are her tips on how to succeed - no matter when you make your resolutions (and who says it has to be just at New Year!):
- Make a list of reasons why a change is needed. Make sure that the change you want to make is for the right reason. For example, wanting to lose weight to please someone else is not a valid reason; the impetus for change must come from you. Make the change because the change will benefit you, and you will be more likely to succeed. Refer to your list whenever your resolve wavers and remind yourself why you wanted to make the change in the first place.
- Plan for how you are going to meet your goal. Want to quit smoking? Plan your quit before you quit. Ask yourself when you will quit, what methods you will use to help you quit, and have a contingency plan in place for when the cravings hit.
- Surround yourself with people who can help you meet your goal. You will need a cheering section for when times get hard. Enlist your friends and family as resources to help you fulfil your needs to help you succeed. Avoid those who are not invested in helping you to succeed.
- Envision your end goal and plan a reward for when you meet your goal. Quitting smoking? Plan a vacation or reward yourself with something you have always wanted with the money you will save from not buying cigarettes. Losing weight? Reward yourself with a makeover or a new wardrobe when you have met your goal.
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Reprinted from Office Watch
Recently we heard about 60 Gmail users who lost all their email when a glitch hit the popular service. Sixty people out of the millions using Gmail isn't many but it's a reminder that you should not rely on any online service to reliably store your data.
Just like the email on your computer, you should backup your webmail regularly.
Gmail
Gmail is easy to backup because it supports both email forwarding and POP services. You can use either or both to make a copy of incoming messages to your Gmail account.
Login to your Gmail account, click on Settings then choose 'Forwarding and POP' there you'll find both options.
Gmail POP and Forwarding options
Forwarding
Any messages received (after you enable this setting) will be forwarded to the address you nominate. That can be any email address you have.
Many people use their Gmail address as an alias and have messages forwarded to their normal email address, so the Gmail messages appear in your regular Inbox. This can be a backup option, a way to easily receive email from a different address or simply as an effective spam filter (only non-spam is forwarded).
You have the choice of keeping the forwarded messages in Gmail, moving them to the Gmail archive or deleting entirely.
For backup purposes you can forward messages to another address, perhaps just another webmail account. You don't have to check the forwarded account, just make sure it doesn't fill up.
POP
Choosing the POP option simply means that your Gmail account can be accessed by your email program just like any other email account. Most email accounts from ISPs are accessed via POP so the setup is easy. Google makes it easier with configuration instructions for popular email clients.
In addition, Windows users with can download a POP Troubleshooter which helps with Outlook Express 6, Thunderbird 1.5 plus Outlook 2000, 2003 and 2007. Outlook 2002 is mentioned but presumably will work.
Forwarding or POP works for the Gmail Inbox but not for other folders especially Sent Mail. This is a severe limitation that the recent trouble has highlighted and an opportunity for some enterprising programmers.
Contacts
While there is no automatic system for backup of Gmail contacts, you can export contacts manually.
Go to the Contacts folder and look in the right corner for the Import and Export links.
Choose the 'Outlook CSV' option, even if you don't use Outlook, because that's a format that is commonly accepted by other programs.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail doesn't support POP access anymore but you can make it happen again with YPOPs - a free tool which grabs Yahoo Mail and make it available via a POP connection to your email program.
Use YPOPs to grab your email from Yahoo Mail in a similar way to Gmail described above.
Hotmail
Hotmail is even less helpful than Yahoo mail with a very closed attitude to external access.
If you have a paid Hotmail account or an MSN account you can access it from Outlook 2002 (XP), Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007.
Web2POP
Getting POP access from a variety of webmail accounts is made easier with Web2POP which will work with many, many webmail services including the major ones; Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.
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Thanks to my brother for sending me this pearl of wisdom from Adair Lara ... I finally understand - and my time is coming!
THE CAT YEARS
I just realized that while children are dogs - loyal and affectionate - teenagers are cats. It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.
Then, around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat.
When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry - then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.
You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings.
Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.
Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away.
 Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.
One day, your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you." Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again.
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