The Geek Weekly: Blog

From the Editors of The Geek Weekly

Save a tree in five easy steps

We may be years away from a truly paperless office, so the least we can do is be smarter about how we use (or rather, abuse) the mountain of paper memos, invoices and reports.

Xerox Corp. -- one of the world's largest suppliers of papers for office printers and copiers -- says office workers throw away 45 percent of documents within 24 hours of printing them. So isn't there a more environmentally respectful way to handle this problem? Xerox has put together some suggestions. The following are five simple tips for smart paper use:

• Use both sides of the paper It's often referred to as "duplex printing," and it is the single best way to reduce paper use. Therefore, choose copiers, digital printers and multifunction devices that can print on both sides of the paper, and add duplex as your "default" mode.
  
• Go digital While computers and monitors can also consume energy, save on postage by sending electronic files, and let your recipient decide whether to print them. Replace paper files with electronic ones using the scan-to-file option on all-in-one multifunction devices.
  
• Be selective Print only what you need, and only when you need it. For example, print only the portion of the report you need (e.g. page 1) and not every page out of a 10-page PDF. Preview your print to avoid printing pages with boilerplate. Print on demand. Don't stockpile forms, letterheads or instructions that will go out of date.
  
• Reach for the right paper Some papers are better to the environment than others, says Xerox. The company recommends its high yield business paper, which is produced using half the number of trees compared to conventional paper. Print on papers certified through global organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, both of which have strict international standards for sustainable forestry. Or use paper with recycled content.
  
• Recycle Don't toss paper in the trash can. Collect used paper so the fiber can be used again. Recycling the fiber saves trees, reduces energy and water use, requires fewer chemicals and keeps paper out of landfills.

"It may be a surprise that Xerox is concerned about excessive paper use. After all, we're in the business of putting marks on pages," said Wim Appelo, president, Xerox Strategic Services, which manages Xerox's paper business as well as its company-wide environmental programs. "But the hallmark of our business has always been operating in an environmentally responsible way.”

Eight ways to improve battery life for iPhone, iPod touch

Mobile music lovers know all too well a portable player is only as good as its battery life. But many who purchased the iPhone or iPod touch have voiced their concerns over the device's relatively weak battery life. If you love your iPhone or iPod touch but doubt you have enough juice to make it through an extended remix of Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," take heed to the following tips to maximize your battery life -- without having to buy one of those snap-on battery packs.

Keep in mind many of these tips apply to other MP3 players and cell phones as well.

1. Dim the brightness on your iPhone or iPod touch using the slider, as the brighter you keep your screen the faster it'll eat away at your battery.

2. Built-in radio technology, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, can be draining on the battery when in use, so if you don't need it, turn it off in the Settings options. That said, iPhone users who like to surf the Net might extend the battery's life by using Wi-Fi instead of EDGE.

3. Disable push mail on your iPhone if you don't need it. Go to Settings, then Mail, Advanced and then set Use Push Mail to Off.

4. Using the equalizer (EQ) settings for your music can decrease battery life, so turn this option to Off (Settings > iPod > EQ), if you can.

5. Don't leave your iPod touch or iPhone in the heat, such as in a car on a hot day, which could compromise the battery life for your iPod (and its overall longevity).

6. Always download the latest software upgrades for the iPod touch or iPhone, as Apple engineers try to find new ways to extend battery life.

7. Load up your iPod with compressed songs (e.g. AAC or MP3 files) as opposed to larger or uncompressed songs (including WAV or AIFF files).

8. Make sure you lock the touch screen before putting your iPod touch or iPhone away into your pocket, purse or backpack, as you may inadvertently drain the device of its power by hitting the Play button.

Make it look like you're working OT

Setting an email timer is one of my favorite tricks for making your boss or colleagues believe you're hard at work while they’re enjoying their beauty rest. Ahem. Here's how to pull it off:

You can write an email message at, say, 2 p.m., but configure Microsoft Outlook (sorry, not Outlook Express) to send the email at 1:31 a.m. What praise you may receive from the boss for your tireless work ethic! Or if it’s Friday afternoon and your boss is on the golf course, cue up a bunch of emails to be sent at 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. -- even though you ducked out at 2 p.m. for a pint with your friends.

Step one is simple enough: Write your email message. You can refer to the fact that it's quite late/early if you want (in case they don’t read the time it was emailed).

When you're finished writing your text, click the "Options" button in Outlook, and from the list of delivery options, click the box beside the words: "Do not deliver before." Here you can select the date and time this message should be delivered.

Once a date and time is chosen, the last step is to click "Close" and then "Send." You should see this email message pending in your Outbox folder! Oh, for this to work, you need to keep Outlook open and your computer turned on.