10 Apps to Install On You New iPhone

It's contract renewal time and you've finally decided to make the leap.  You've got your self a shiny new iPhone. One the the best things about the iPhone platform is the thousands of applications you can install on the device.  These apps do everything from allow the user to play games to tools that let you see how level your bookshelf is.

Here are my top 10 apps to install on your new iPhone (all links are iTunes links)

How to make Firefox or Chrome browsers open mailto links in Gmail

Web based email is becoming more popular than email programs such as Outlook and Mail.app.  It seems like most everyone has a Gmail, Yahoo, or Windows Live mail.  Ever click on an email mailto link only to have your email opened in Window's mail?  If so, this trick is for you.

Let me direct you to this cool Lifehacker.com article that shows you how to set up Firefox to open Gmail when you click on email links:

http://lifehacker.com/392287/set-firefox-3-to-launch-gmail-for-mailto-links

Once you set everything up, click on a link and then set gmail as your default mailto program.  Just remember to "middle click" these mailto links because they will open in the same window as the link.

Using Google Chrome as your web browser?  Try this extension for Gmail: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/dgkkmcknielgdhebimdnfahpipajcpjn?hl=en

or this one:
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/ahldefgplekckalfcolhhnljbbgaiboc?hl=en

or for Hotmail:

https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/ejehbgbfdfnchemfndgkiggeiibmgeic?hl=en

Finally, you can get some use out of those pesky mailto: links, enjoy!

How to Install Ubuntu Linux on Your Computer: Part 2, Try Ubuntu No-Risk With a Live CD

If the idea of installing an entirely new operating system without first trying it out concerns you, this tutorial is for you.  Ubuntu provides a way for you to preview what the OS is like without ever having to save anything to your hard drive or make any changes through the Live CD option.

If you're wondering why you would want to install another operating system on your computer, check out my previous post.

How to Have iTunes Organize all your music into one folder

If you're a big user of iTunes, this tutorial is for you.  Many times people have their music scattered all over their computers which makes it hard to locate the files if you ever need to.  With iTunes, you can set all your files to reside in one folder and automatically copy anything added to the library to the iTunes music folder location.

Interested?  Check out the video below.

I'm on Twitter

If you use the social networking tool Twitter and you would like to follow updates to this blog you can follow me: @mmstuffwork

The new Twitter feed will give you blog updates as well as screencast videos so you can learn how to better make your stuff work.

How to Install Ubuntu Linux on Your Computer: Part 1, Why?

Windows, Mac OS, Linux?  The first two are familiar for most of the modern world, the third is - well, only for computer hackers, nerds, and socialists right?  What people think about Linux is that it's an old operating system that isn't relevant to computing today.  It's left to the realm of hobbyists and computer servers.

The truth of the matter is that Linux isn't really that well known in the United States.  It's almost non-existent in stores (because it's FREE), and is most popular with a younger, geekier crowd.  But Linux has a lot to offer and might be enough for most people's everyday computing needs.  Enter Ubuntu Linux.  Ubuntu is a flavor of the Linux OS that is centered around being easy to use.  "Linux for human" beings as they say.  Even if Ubuntu is easier to use and understand than other Linux-based operating systems, why would we want to use it?

How to Make your Computer Run Faster Part 4, Install Extra RAM

You have tried all the tricks. You’ve closed or uninstalled programs you don’t need or don’t use. You have reduced the programs that run at startup and in the background and you still are running low on RAM. What’s left to do? Well all you have left is to upgrade your RAM.

In the first post of this series I showed you that your computer speed is often tied to your RAM.

In the second post in our series I showed you how speed your computer by getting rid of unneeded program baggage.

In the third post I talked about how to optimize your startup programs and processes to speed things up