Technology

Using Gmail’s new “Priority Inbox” to overcome email overload

Michael Rose | Editor's Blog,Technology

74 unread emails! Since last night? Are you kidding! We all know what email overload feels like, especially if we’ve been away on holiday or if our American cousins don’t realise that Bank Holidays are sacred. It’s hard enough working out what work has priority but even worse when client email are hidden within an inbox cluttered with newsletters, calendar reminders and “special offers”.

If you use Gmail you might be interested to know that Google are working on the problem.

Gmail is great at filtering out spam but today the Google gmail team announced that they will use similar technology to automatically sort your emails by importance.

Review: Portfolio To Go — iPad app for freelance photographers & artists

Michael Rose | Technology

Portfolio To Go is a fantastic iPad app for artists and photographers who use Flickr.com to showcase their photographs online.

Lovingly created by Brighton-based freelance developer Nick Kuh, easily allows freelance photographers, graphic designers and artists to present their portfolio offline to clients — perfect for use with a wifi iPad.

Just sync and go.

The quickest broadband providers for the home office

Mel Dixon | Technology

Ofcom has recently revealed the results of its latest broadband speed tests and it makes interesting reading for any freelancers looking to achieve the swiftest possible broadband connection in their home office.

Testing out a Cloud Net VoIP phoneline

Mel Dixon | Technology

I’ll be honest, I’d never set up a VoIP phone before. So I decided to try out a Cloud Net telephonic solution which enables you to make calls via a broadband connection. The good news is, it was pretty simple to set up and provides an effective service for small businesses.

There was, however, one small problem which every prospective purchaser of a VoIP needs to keep in mind before they make the leap…

Home Office Review: Weak wireless signals solved by ethernet over the mains

Jon Aizlewood | Technology

If you’re like me – a freelancer who occasionally works from home and who happens to live in an old, listed or converted flat – you’re no stranger to fluctuating wireless signals, and the headache they can cause when you’re trying to work.

Thick concrete walls, organic (horsehair) insulation and poor telephone infrastructure make working from home in these types of flats something of a struggle. It makes matters worse when the one room in your flat where you get the most work done just happens to be out of range from your wireless router. So, when you run a business that relies heavily on a stable internet connection, what’s a freelancer to do?

Save on calls with Skype over iPhone

Michael Rose | Technology

If you use Skype and have an iPhone then this week’s announcement via the Skype blog will come as very welcome news.

Thanks to the new update, available on iTunes, calls now go over 3G so you no longer need to be at home on a wireless network to make and receive calls.

60-second review: Teux Deux – simple task manager

Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out,Technology

Teux Deux is a super-simple, sleek and stylish to-do list manager. If you like great design with a tiny pinch of minimalism then this might be for you.

Built entirely for the web you just sign up for a free account and start typing in your to-dos. To add a task you just type and hit return. That’s it.

Create a quick website mockup with the best wireframing tools

Michael Rose | Technology

Earlier this week we featured online presentation tool Spiceynodes as a great way to present information to clients or customers, in person, on a screen or directly embedded on your website. Today we look at a few tools for making quick website wireframes, prototypes and mockups.

From simple, free rapid drafting and prototyping tools to more complex and outright technical offerings we give you a quick overview of the options for freelancers needing to quickly create a mockup for a website or landing page.

A tool to spice up your website?

Mel Dixon | Technology

Over the last few days I’ve been fiddling about with a new online tool which could provide a fun new way of presenting information on your website, or alternatively, help you with some online brainstorming.

The interactive service offers a range of potential uses, but can it really be more than a fun diversion for freelancers and contractors?

Compare broadband options for working at home

Michael Rose | Technology,Working From Home

If you occasionally work from home then getting a decent broadband connection can really help you get your work done effectively.

Thanks to modern-day technology, working from home is no longer a second-rate way of staying in touch with clients and colleagues and broadband has become a vital lifeline for many home workers, allowing them to email or browse the web in comfort while also being able to send and receive large files with ease.

If you’re not up to speed with Broadband at home Chris Marling of Broadband Genie gives you a a few things to consider.

Got a website design? Get professional feedback.

Mel Dixon | Technology

For those who are trying to find ‘the killer concept,’ perhaps the following will be of interest…

Concept Feedback is a handy resource for freelance designers and anyone who’s in the business of creating a logo, website or brand concept. The idea of the site is to create a professional online community where designers and visual creatives offer feedback on the design projects of others. It’s particularly useful for freelancers who are not in a position to gather feedback from their own personal sources.

Review: All-in-one, full-colour, quick & easy wireless printing

Michael Rose | Technology,Working From Home

Brother MFC-255CW – Wifi Multi-function Printer

If you’ve got a wireless network at home then a Wifi printer is a no brainer. With just one wire for the power supply the Brother MFC-225CW can sit anywhere — I had mine out of the box and sitting on a shelf, ready to print within just 5 minutes.

Charge for your time by adding appointments to your website

Michael Rose | Technology

PROBLEM: You have limited, often fragmented time to meet clients and contacts. You might have a free spot for two hours this afternoon, time between finishing one project and starting the next, and it’d be great to generate some new business in that slot — if only people knew you were free to talk.

Setster solves this problem beautifully — perfect for consultants or small businesses.

Should I sell advertising on my website?

Alick Mighall | Managing Business,Technology

If your website IS your business and it’s offering products, services or information then it might be something that you might seriously consider.

However, if your business website is just ABOUT your company then it’s probably not such a good idea. There is of course a thin line between the two, so another way of judging whether you should take advertising is by looking at some of your competitors and seeing what they do.

Launching a website: a simple checklist for you and your clients

Michael Rose | Technology

Checklists are an essential part of finishing any project and when it comes to website launches there are a whole host of checks, fixes and tests that need to be done to make sure your project is firing on all cylinders, with valid HTML, CSS and javscript, that works in every browser, at different resolutions and on all platforms.

Launchlist.net is your one stop web checklist. Simple enter your details, project name and your clients email address, then set to work checking all the boxes.

Home Office: Keeping those wires under control

David Howell | Technology,Working From Home

If the underneath of your desk looks like a bird’s net of tangled cables, power bricks, and distribution sockets, now is the time to tame your wires and create a tidy environment in your home office.

Here are a few quick ways to tame those cables…

Dropbox have done it again!

Michael Rose | Technology

I’ve long advocated Dropbox as the absolute best file-sharing tool for Freelancers, Contractors and just about anyone who needs to backup their important work files and share content across multiple machines or locations.

But the best of the best has just added a killer new feature.

How to back up your business phoneline

Mel Dixon | Technology

With the threat of BT strike action looming, the communication facilities of small businesses may be in peril if a fault develops on a business line with no BT technicians on hand to save the day.

But instead of being at the mercy of industrial pay disputes, freelancers and contractors in the modern age have a whole range of alternative telephonic technologies which can be accessed online.

Let’s take a look at what’s out there…

The only way to stay on top of Twitter

Michael Rose | Editor's Blog,Technology

A few years ago getting heard on Twitter was easy. When I first joined there were less than a million users and it was easy to find friends with common interests and it was even possible for a couple of friend to create a trending topic.

Now with 70m+ users (sending 50m tweets a day) the story is a little different…

Need to get a quote to a client ASAP? You need Quote Robot

Michael Rose | Technology

If you need to quote for a job and want to get a slick proposal back to the client before the end of the day then Quote Robot is your fantastic, futuristic, proposal-producing pal!

#GreenOffice: Use the sun to power your prose

Michael Rose | Technology

As part of our #GreenOffice series we’re looking at neat tips and technology for keeping costs down and running an efficient eco-friendly office.

While most new PCs come with a decent keyboard and mouse these days (Dell’s keyboards are still a personal favourite of mine) the Solargizer package has all you’d expect from a keyboard (you know, keys with numbers and letters on them, all in the right places) but adds a nice little ‘solar powered’ feature for anyone concerned about chewing up batteries.

Freelance Review: Pretty pink Pogoplug powers unprecedented personal productivity

Michael Rose | Technology

The guys and girls at Cloud Engines are my new best friends! As a roaming freelancer (working on contracts in other people’s offices, working from home and, sometimes, working from bed) the problem of where to keep my data has always been a difficult one to solve. Not any more.

Pogoplug is a great solution. It’s got 4 USB slots and it connects to a home WiFi router and, yes it really is that simple, now I have access to my portable hard drives wherever I am in the world.

Getting Started: How do I make my website happen?

Alick Mighall | Guides,Starting Out,Technology

If you want a website for your small business or to show off your freelancing work AND know what you want then you are almost ready to contact the designers but thinking clearly, focusing on objectives and writing a good, clear brief can make a world of different when it comes to getting a quote.

You’ll not only save yourself time and money but you’ll also make developers and designers like Alick Mighall really happy.

Using Google AdWords to find new clients and customers – part 3

Rob Watson | Guides,Technology

Part three of our guide to Google AdWords for beginners:

Yesterday Rob explained how to set up your first Google AdWords campaign. Today he looks at some of the best practices you should follow.

Using Google AdWords to find new clients and customers – part 2

Rob Watson | Guides,Technology

Part two of our guide to Google AdWords for beginners:

Yesterday Rob explained the basics of GoogleAdwords. Today he looks at setting up your first AdWords campaign and some of the most common mistakes in setting up.

Use Google AdWords to find new clients and customers

Rob Watson | Guides,Technology

Whatever it is that you (or your clients) do, you can always find new customers over the internet – even if you’re a niche business or you only work in a specific area or region. In this 3-part guide to AdWords Marketing Manager Rob Watson tells us how to increase our clicks

Setting up a home office: Look no wires!

David Howell | Technology,Working From Home

Having your own home office, or a small rented place to do you work is fantastic. It sets you up for the day, helping you create a distraction-free space and a professional venue to meet your clients.

As your business grows, however, unless you are lucky enough to be able to afford new premises then space may get tight, and, if you like gadgets and gizmos then it won’t be long before you’ve got wires all over the place, dangling from your desk and tying themselves in knots.

There are two simple solutions… go wireless… or, when you need power, hide the wires.

ReceiptFarm takes the hassle out of receipts and expenses

Michael Rose | Technology

ReceiptFarm turns all those horrible scrappy bits of paper with numbers on into a single, online database of your recent expenses. They scan, scrape, sort and send them back to you in a few days and everything, from VAT amounts to payment type are all captured online.

Brilliant stuff!

SPECIAL OFFER: 20% off for Freelance Advisor readers.

Freelance Lifestyle: Laptop tip – get a stand

Jo Blood | Technology

The laptop. A useful tool for portable working or an ergonomic time bomb? Nowadays with many of us relying on our portable friends as our main computer, the laptop has thrown up a new set of ergonomic challenges. By its very design the laptop is disastrous for the back, particularly if you use it as it’s meant to be used on a table hunched over the keyboard peering at the screen. At the end of the day you straighten up and wonder why you’ve got backache or neck ache.

Freelance Technology: Computer security

Jim Hatley | Technology

If Hollywood sensationalism is to be believed, then every man and his dog are advanced cyber-terrorists who want nothing more than to drain your bank account, max your credit card, and maybe initiate nuclear war with an unspecified superpower. The truth is that the world of computers isn’t actually as dangerous as many people think, as long as you take a few simple precautions against potential threats.

Freelance Reviews: Fujitsu Siemens S6420 Laptop

Jim Hatley | Technology

Getting the job done in a timely and professional manner is a combination of both knowing how to do the job, and having the right tools with which to get the job done. If you are carrying around a battered old consumer notebook and struggling with a shortage of processing power or connectivity, then it [...]

Freelance Advisor reviews: Bluetooth headsets

Jim Hatley | Technology

If you wanna get ahead, get a headset Bluetooth headsets get a lot of stick from a lot of people, largely because the general public seems to have taken issue with the idea of somebody going about their business with a hi-tech gadget so visibly attached to the side of their head. I wonder if [...]

Working from home: creating the perfect home office

Jim Hatley | Technology,Working From Home

If you’re freelancing from home on a regular basis a well-lit, well kitted-out office is essential – not just a luxury. Freelance Advisor’s resident gadget guru Jim Hatley takes a look at some home office must-haves. Home office heaven: Screens, scanners, DAB and desk-lamps Last year I have covered a few bits of kit to [...]

Freelancing on the move: 3 essential tools for roaming freelancers

Jim Hatley | Technology

Off on his travels again… tech-loving freelancer and electronic evangelist Jim Hatley grabs some essential items for work on the move (and gives us some novel uses for a digital camera). Essential items for your briefcase Continuing on from my briefcase fillers piece of last month, Id like to run through a few of the [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Top 5 technology applications of 2008

Emma Jones | Technology

Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones gives us her review of the best applications for freelancers. Top 5 technology apps of 2008 As we enter the month of December, I can’t help but look back at the year that was. The thousands of new businesses started, the people we’ve profiled, [...]

Freelancing on the move: 3 essential briefcase fillers you can’t afford to be without

Jim Hatley | Technology

Off on his travels again… our tech-loving freelancer and electronic evangelist Jim Hatley grabs some essential items for work on the move. Essential items for your mobile office Today I am going to look at a few more items that are essential for life on the road. Working from home is fantastic, and is certainly [...]

3 tips for disaster recovery: Backup, backup, backup

Jim Hatley | Technology

Resident gadget guru and reviewer for The Times Jim Hatley shares some invaluable advice on disaster recovery for freelancers. If you have a home office and don’t have an IT helpdesk… Who you gonna call? If your entire operating system went belly-up on the first day of an important contract, how would you deal with [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Two great new mobile phones for freelancers on the move

Jim Hatley | Technology

Free-roaming freelancer and technology evangelist Jim Hatley has been out and about putting a few mobiles phones through their paces finding out which work best for freelancers and contractors who need to stay connected on the road. Time to upgrade? Two great mobile phones for freelancers Mobile phones are big business, both for those who [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Beautiful Bose SoundDock

Jim Hatley | Technology

Freelance Advisor and Gadget Guru Jim Hatley loves his home hi-fi, but when freelancing work takes him out on the road he needs a powerful portable musical system to keep his music playing at the quality and volumes to which he’s become accustomed. Today Jim looks at how the Bose SoundDock provides a good-looking, great [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Super Sony Laptop

Jim Hatley | Technology

Gorgeous gadget: the Sony VAIO AW11XU/Q Life on the road can be tough. The contents of a suitcase are certainly no match for the comforts of home, but if you pick and choose your gear with a little care it doesn’t have to be all bad. We all need cutting-edge technology for the work that [...]

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