Let's face it, backups are essential. Most of us don't do them enough. One of the problems we here at GottaBeMobile.com experience is that in testing lots of software, drivers and such, with varying degrees of success and desired results, we have need to be able to quickly restore our systems to a pre-experimental state. Imaging software allows us to do that with a fraction of the time involved to otherwise partition, format, install OS and application software and then restore user data, etc. We, like everyone else, also need to keep current backups for the inevitable failure of a drive. Throw in virus infections, "critical updates" that aren't, etc. Well you get the picture. Imaging utilities are a great time saver. Trying the latest Vista OS tweeker... better back it up!

Check out this How-To for suggestions on how get started creating your backup image. Here's how...

GBM How-To Series #16 : Imaging your Tablet PC/UMPC Hard Drive

So just what is an hard drive image anyway? Well "imaging" is the process of making an EXACT copy of a specified hard drive. Every little bit (no puns intended) is copied to a single file or multiple files if specified. When you elect to restore from an image, you are able to return the drive to the exact state in which you backed it up. Partitions, OS, programs, data, the whole works. Remember that there is a difference between "imaging" and "cloning" a drive. Cloning a drive involves copying the low level information from the source drive to another drive during an upgrade to a larger drive, etc. This is a very useful tool, but one that you don't use often. So before your drive goes down in flames, be sure to back it up.

Step 1 : Choose your software for the job

There are several packages on the market today. Symantec Ghost, and Acronis True Image are a couple that I personally have experience with. For years, I used Symantec/Norton Ghost with great results but I now prefer the Acronis product due to it's reliability, price and ease of use. Install the software on the system you wish to image by following the manufacturers instructions. In my experience, installation of both of these products is flawless and completes as expected. The steps outlined below follow the Acronis software closely.

Step 2 : Prepare your system (and your wallet) for backup

As a matter of practice, I don't trust that one backup is enough, that's why I like to do a couple. Just in case. The down side to doing extra backups is the extra (and sometimes significant) capacity required to perform them. For imaging backups, the only practical way to do them is to mass storage device such as a Zip Drive or USB external HDD. With the prices of mass storage dropping every day, you can pickup external drives that are completely USB powered (such as this Western Digital Passport 160G from Costco) and therefore very mobile for around $120.00. I like to delete any files that I know are not necessary to save disk space and time. You can save a bit more space by deleting temporary Internet files and disabling hibernation if it is turned on. Disabling hibernation will free up the space that your hibernation file would normally occupy and therefore not have to be backed up.

Step 3 : Performing the backup

Performing the backup is generally a painless process that is aided by a wizard in the application. About the most significant decision to be made is the type of backup you are going to do. Complete computer, data only, program settings, email, etc. You get the idea. Next select the drives and/or partitions to include. Select if you will be doing a Complete, Incremental or Differentiation backup. Explanation of each backup type follows..

Complete is as the name implies, complete. Everything is backed up regardless of date or archive bit.

Incremental backups only get changes that occurred since the last backup and you must create a full backup before you can create an incremental. Each incremental backup will record only those changes since your last incremental backup. They require less storage space, but for restoration from the archive, you will be prompted to provide the base full archive and all subsequent incremental backups.

Differential backs only pick up changes that occurred since the last full backup. They require less storage space than a full backup but more space than an incremental one. For restoration from a differential backup, you will be prompted to provide the base full archive and differential backup only.

Select any options that are available such as passwords, priority, compression levels, verification, notification, comments about the backup, etc. Now, proceed with the backup. As you are hopefully backing up to a HDD device, you should be talking about minutes, not hours.

Step 4 : Verify the backup

I am paranoid about backups. I do a couple and then I still have butterflies in my stomach when it's time to rely on them. For that reason, I also do a native OS backup of my data as well. In Windows XP, I use NTBACKUP; in Vista, use Backup and Restore Center. I know, it's most likely not necessary, but it makes me feel better knowing I am not relying on a single technology to ensure my precious data is safe. With both backup techniques, I like to restore a file or two to verify that the backup can be successfully read from. Acronis has a handy feature that allows you to mount the image as if it were a physical drive. If you are successful in restoring from the backup, chances are good that you will be able to when it's really needed.

Tips and Notes:

• Make backing up a part of your normal scheduled daily tasks
• Don't count on anyone else to back your data up for you
• It is a good idea to have at least three different backups of your data and think about where you keep your backup
• Store a full backup at another location to protect against fire, theft, or other disaster
• If your data is critical it may be a good idea to have a quarterly and yearly backup as well so that you can recover files that may have been deleted, but not discovered until months later
  

After two long week's at MCSA/MCSE boot camp, the How-To's continue...

I just love my Verizon EVDO card. I borrowed Dennis's card so much be made me go and get my own. The problem is that as I get to test and own (new OQO-Model 02 in da house!- Yeah!) more systems, I cannot afford to activate the WWAN on each. To compound my misery, I find that for testing units and working mobile, I cannot be without it. I believe I have found a solution. Create a mobile, wireless access point. It's really a lot easier than you might think, works really well, and is affordable. Check this out...

GBM How-To Series #15 : Creating a Mobile WLAN with EVDO

The solution to this problem revolves around a wireless access point that supports EVDO. There are several on the market, each with it's own strengths and weaknesses. I did a bit of research on the available models and decided on the Kyocera KR1 Mobile EVDO WiFi Router from the guys at 3GStore.com. With the KR1, I am able to use my single EVDO card on multiple systems AND it allows me to take my own WiFi network (secured of course) with me everywhere. Simply provide a supported (and activated) EVDO card and you pretty much have instant mobile WiFi access. Think of the possibilities.... anywhere you would have EVDO access for one system, you can have it for multiple systems.

Kyocera KR1 Broadband EVDO Router Features:

On with the How-To:

Step 1: Un-Box the unit

This unit is for the setup challenged. Pretty much all you have to do (aside from taking it out of the box) is to determine if you are going to plug it into the wall or take it out to your vehicle. OK, maybe it is a bit more complex than that. Read on...

Attach the antenna, insert your activated EVDO card (WITH THE POWER OFF), select your power option (WALL or DC), plug the included ethernet patch cable into one of the 4 available ethernet ports.

Step 2: Plug it in

Come on.... Need I say more?

Step 3: Configure your WiFi and router options

Using the included ethernet cable, and perhaps the most difficult for anyone who has not done anything like this, is configuring the options. 1st option to set is the Router password. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS change the default password. I can't  tell you how many times I find un-secured access points with the default password still in place. How do I know, I look. I mean, if the ID of the access point is still "Linksys", then it amuses me that 9 times out of 10, the password is gonna be the default. I mean I have less of a problem with sharing than I do with someone being able to re-tool my router. So, if you do nothing else, please secure your router configuration with a password. Next, setup the SSID of your KR1 if you are going to enable WiFi access. You can also configure the router for advanced features like a virtual server and Dynamic Domain Name Servers like TZO and MyDNS.org. The KR1 includes a comprehensive wizard for guided setup.

Step 4: Connect and enjoy!

Fire up the WiFi on your system(s) and you are off. Remember you are sharing the bandwidth of the EVDO channel, so don't try to over due it. I easily attached my X60, the Samsung Q1 Ultra, a Toshiba M200, and my OQO Model 02 to the KR1 at the same time with no noticeable degradation of my ability to surf and email normally. Admittedly there was a slight lag when I tried to download several files at once which I did expect. However, it was still a great experience considering the KR1 was sitting in the back of my Yukon in my driveway! So think about it, if you need high speed access for multiple users that is as mobile as your EVDO card then this is a great solution. Some of the uses I have discovered are using it for high speed group access for offsite meetings where no traditional service is available, access while on vacation or traveling, backup access for your home systems if your high speed DSL or Cable fail, the list goes on. If you are like me and have a limited budget for cellular based high speed access, the KR1 may be right for you.

Tips and Notes:

• Remember that you are sharing the EVDO access. It's not gonna be like your DSL experience. Shared or not.
• The EVDO card can be removed from the unit quickly and with no loss of setup information
• If installing your KR1 in a vehicle, don't enclose the unit in your trunk
• Mobile EVDO router not enough? Add GPS to your KR1!
• Check out EVDOInfo.com for everything you could want to know about EVDO
• For more information on the mobile EVDO solutions, check out the guys at 3GStore.com
• The KR1 can be purchased for $199.00 from 3GStore.com

Hello again. Eddie here with another installment of the GBM How-To series. I am at an Intense School in Ft. Lauderdale for the next two weeks studying the MCSE/MCSA material. Whew! What a pace. There is a guy in my class that reminds me of one of the best co-workers I ever had. Pat. Pat was a freak about getting the most performance out of his system. He could not stand "Bells and Whistles" or "Curb Feelers" as he called them on his OS. I mean no desktop background, nothing! He was a purist. So today, Pat my friend, this how-to is for you.

GBM How-To Series #14 : Getting a handle on Vista Bells & Whistles

Hey, I love the bells and whistles. But there are some, like Pat, who want to get every bit of performance they can from a system; even if is is only a few nano-seconds here and there. (Yes Pat, that was for you.)

Here's how. Start by right-clicking Computer on the Start Menu. Then select Properties. Then on the left side of the System Control Panel, click the link to "Advanced system settings". If you have User Account Control turned on, you will have to authenticate. The System Properties window will appear. Click on the Advanced tab, then select the Performance Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will be presented with all manner of effects customization. Have fun. If you prefer to do it the easy way, simply click "Adjust for best performance" and let Vista do all the work for you. Now you have a mean, lean computing machine, just like Pat would like.

Just in case you were wondering, the nib is that plastic or felt insert at the end of your tablet PC pen that comes in contact with the screen. Depending on how frequently you use your tablet to ink, you may be due for a replacement. Today's 2-step how-to will show you how to replace that worn out or broken nib and restore your handwriting and inking experience to like new condition.

GBM How-To Series #13 : Tablet PC Pen Nib Replacement

Replacing the nib in your tablet PC pen is pretty easy. Perhaps the hardest part is finding the removal tool and replacement nibs that came with your tablet.

Step 1: Removal of the old nib.

For this step you will need the nib removal tool that came with your tablet. They generally look like a chrome ring about the size of a dime and about 1/4" thick that has been split to form a clamshell. Notice that there is a cutout on one side of the clamshell, and a single "tooth" on the other side. Let me correct myself on something. Finding the removal tool and nibs is not the hard part; for me, holding onto the blasted things is. Remove the old nib by sliding the removal tool over the end on the nib. Kinda reminds me of playing PacMan, but not as fun. Then firmly grasp the old nib with the tool and gently pull it out of the pen. If your nib is the hard plastic type you might find the tool slipping as you pull. Apply just a bit more pressure as if you were trying to clip it with the tool. Remember not to squeeze to hard. You don't want to break it. Once the nib is removed, you are ready to replace it with a fresh one.

Step 2 : Replacing the nib.

If you can hold onto the new nib, replacing it is easy. I seem to be always dropping them and they fall into the couch, or under the desk. Simply slide the new one into the pen with gentle pressure. Once you fell a bit of resistance, it's time to stop. Most pens have a spring like feel in them to allow for pressure sensitivity. Be sure not to push the nib to hard into the pen. That's all there is to it.

Tips and Notes:

• If you cannot find your removal tool, use a pair of needle nose pliers or nail clippers. Be careful NOT to break or clip the end of the nib off. You would have a tough time getting that little thing out of the end of your pen if you do.
• Different nib types (plastic vs felt types) will change the feel of your inking experience.
• If your nib is damaged, it could scratch your tablet. Replace it with a new one.
• Put your nibs and removal tool in a place you will remember. Do as I say, not as I do!
• If you are looking to upgrade your tablet PC pen, check out these.

If you have suggestions for future GBM How-To's, send be an email describing what you would like to see. If we use your suggestion, we will send you your very own Splotch. Yoo-Hoo!

"...I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT..." (Jake Blues) Oops, it was my fault. Ever had those times when "life" seems to run you over? I do. I did. Did you miss the How-To Monday? The truth of the matter is, I got caught up in "Monday", and dropped the ball on this How-To. Better late than never I suppose. Today, let's talk about some ways and things to consider for getting the most out of your battery.

GBM How-To Series #12 : Maximizing Battery Life

Face it, many of us want it all. You know, that whole newest, fastest, biggest and baddest thing. Often when we get it, we are disappointed with the battery life we get in our new purchase. Makes me want to say "Well Duh!". If we had put some thought to it, we would have realized that we set ourselves up for the problem. I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to this. Here are some things I have learned from past experience about how to maximize your existing battery and some things to consider when selecting that new mobile system.

Processor Speed. Slow it down. The speed of your processor is one of the largest consumers of your battery's limited power. If battery longevity is a must have for the way us use your system, consider a system that has a slower processor. Remember that unless you utilize your tablet or UMPC for speed intensive applications, slower could be big plus. With a system you already own, slow the processor down in order to conserve those electrons.

LCD brightness. This is another big battery zapper. When on battery, learn to use only the brightness you need. If considering a new system, remember to consider the size of the screen as it relates to battery consumption. Again, bigger is not always better. Remember that most current systems have a hot key combination to adjust brightness on the fly. I have read that backlights on an LCD panel can draw as much as 10-15 watts of power.

Hard Disk Drive speed. If upgrading your HDD or purchasing new, consider a slower HDD to conserve power. That is why we see so many manufacturers offering slower drives in mobile systems. The hard fact is, the faster they spin, the more power they use. The difference may be small, but every little bit counts.

Prevent unnecessary programs from running. Try to prevent any programs that you really don't need from running. Any processor activity you can prevent will result in less HDD access and processor utilization.

Don't work your battery in extreme temperature. Trust me on this one. I have seen first hand what extreme cold can do to battery's. An associate of mine was working in a walk in cooler for a retailer we were servicing, and could not believe that his new battery's only lasted about half the time. We placed a rubber pad between his system and the freezing metal tray he was using for a desk and his battery jumped to better than normal performance. As I observed, then the battery was insulated from the extreme cold, battery power benefited both from operation at a normal design temperature and due to the fact that the systems cooling fan did not have to run. Conversely, when temperature climbs, the heat that your system generates will require that the systems fans run. Been there, done that as well in a warehouse operation that we were working in. High temp working environments will make your system eat a battery faster than Dennis eating an artichoke. (Side note: If you find yourself around Dennis while he is consuming a grilled artichoke, keep your fingers away.)

Power Plans. Utilize a pre-defined power plan or profile as your operating system and system allow. Adjust your power settings to allow the system to sleep or hibernate in order to conserver power during those times you get distracted.

Power'em Down. Power off any unnecessary hardware devices like radios (WWAN, WiFi, Bluetooth). When shopping for that new purchase, check to see that devices can independently be powered down by means of a physical switch or software interface. Your battery will thank you. If you have any PC cards , USB devices, or extra memory cards installed, pull them as well. If your system has a DVD or CD-ROM, be sure to remove it from your system if possible. As referenced in the Microsoft battery life article below, watching DVD's will eat up a battery in a hurry. Check it out.

Tips and Notes:

• Check out this good article at the Microsoft Small Business Center tips on Battery Life
• Remember to experiment with your battery and power options BEFORE you find yourself needing them.
• Purchase an extra battery to ensure that you will have the juice when you need it!
• Lastly, make sure you do your "pre-flight" checks BEFORE you venture out. All the battery life in the world does you no good if you leave your power accessories at home.

Today's How-To is another "short and sweet" that illustrates just how natural the ink experience can be. I mean, what could be more natural than written expression? I remember the wonder of getting ink' ed emails from Dennis Rice before I had become "Ink Smart". So, with those who may be new to the inking experience on their new tablet or UMPC purchase, this one's for you! Inking in Microsoft Outlook 2007 is a piece of cake.

Here's how...

GBM How-To Series #11 : Inking in Outlook 2007

Getting Started

To ink in Outlook 2007, assuming you are either in folder view and have an email folder selected, OR you are in email view, begin by clicking the New Mail Message button at the top left of the Outlook toolbar. Also, you MUST compose the email in HTML to include ink. If you are having trouble, check to see that you have HTML composition enabled by choosing Tools,Options then Mail Format tab and select HTML to compose email in the message format section.

Next, address you email using the TIP (Tablet Input Panel, come on; use it!) to enter the email address of your recipient. This takes a little getting used to, but is very powerful once you are "Ink Smart". Enter your CC's and subject using the same method.

Time to Ink!

OK, now comes the real ink fun. After you have your who-to's and such completed, you are ready to ink the body of your email. To do this, with your pen or stylus, select any area inside the body of the email. You will see a normal cursor. Then on the Outlook Message toolbar, notice that the Start Inking button becomes active. Go ahead and select it.

Once selected, an inkable region will be placed into the body of your email. Now, ink away! Notice that the Ink Tools toolbar comes up and gives you options for selecting the type of pen you wish to ink with, color and line weight control, eraser, and the ability to select inked objects and insert more inkable space. When you are done inking, click the Close Ink Tools button. The Select Objects tool can be used to resize, recolor, and move inked objects

Inking in Outlook is a great way to communicate ideas and provide a personal touch to your email. Hey, it's fun too!

Happy Inking!

Tips and Notes:

• Remember ONLY recipients that can read HTML will be able to see your ink.
• For more help using Outlook 2007, click here.

Today's How-To is brought to you from the road. At this moment, I'm blogging from the parking lot of the Tampa Bay Land Rover dealership. Ah, the wonders of EVDO. (Thanks for the AirCard Dennis, you are not getting it back!) :) And no honey, I'm NOT shopping for a new vehicle here. I will be at the BMW dealership after I finish this post. That's a joke Beth. Ha-Ha. Get it, a joke. She has no since of humor.

Now, back to work. Inking in Excel; not as apparent as you might think. Let's take a closer look.

GBM How-To Series #10 : Inking in Excel 2007

The inking experience in Excel is not limited to the tablet input panel, you can also ink comments and drawings in Excel freehand with your tablet. By the way, have you trained your TIP?

Inking in Excel 2007 is a bit tucked away in the review tab. To begin inking in Excel 2007, from your worksheet, click on the Review tab, then Start Inking.

You are then presented with the Ink Tools toolbar that contains all of your ink controls for Excel grouped by Select, Pens, Format, and Close. You can now add ink anywhere in you worksheet. Remember that these inked comments and annotations can be hidden or shown as needed.

To hide your inked comments, on the Review tab, in the Comments section, toggle display of ink on and off by clicking the Show Ink button.

Ink in Excel is a great way to illustrate ideas with sketches and handwritten notes that do not alter the original document. 

Tips and Notes:

• Digital Signatures can be added to any Word or Excel document to provide authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation (signer cannot deny signing) by utilizing Digital ID's or Certificates. For more on Digital Signatures, click here.
• Make sure that any "personal" inked information that you do not want published is removed by clicking on the Review tab, in the Tracking group, point to the Display for Review arrow, and click Final Showing Markup. In the Tracking group, point to the arrow next to Show Markup, and make sure that all of the following are selected: Comments, Ink, Insertions and Deletions, Formatting, and Markup Area Highlight.

In my last How-To, I illustrated how to train Vista to recognize your own style of handwriting. In the ensuing discussion, it became apparent that with all the time and effort spent training Vista, there was not a really good way to back up all that hard work.

 Think about it, you spend hours training the handwriting engine, what are you gonna do when you have an inevitable mishap of some sort. Use more than one system that you want the same recognition capabilities on? What about just good old piece of mind for if you "over train" your system. Face it, as good as is may be, this is a very large problem for anyone who rely's on the handwriting recognition features of Vista. So, how do we solve this huge problem? Never fear, the GBM community stepped up and illustrated a very good solution. GBM'er Bruce Miller (bmhome1) offers this easy tip for using the Windows Easy Transfer system to create a backup of your precious handwriting files. Way to go Bruce!

GBM How-To Series #9 : Backing Up Vista Handwriting Recognition

Getting Started:

Open Windows Easy Transfer by clicking the Start button , click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Windows Easy Transfer. Or you can do it the easy way and click Start , and enter Easy Transfer in the search box then Enter to kick it off.

From Bruce...

Backing Up your Handwriting:

1. Follow next two prompts. Remember that ALL applications must be stop before creating system file backup.
2. Select Start new transfer to iniciate the backup process.
3. Select Old Computer to CREATE archives.
4. Select Other removable media as we want to make sure that our backup is on another device.
5. Select External hard disk
6. Choose where to save profile backup. As the file should only be a few meg in size, the choice is yours. Bruce advises NOT password protecting the file.
7. Select Advanced options
8. Expand System check box.  Deselect every box leaving ONLY the "Tablet PC Settings" checked within Windows Settings. Uncheck both Applications and Shared boxes above.
9. Next uncheck All user's boxes except 2nd Tablet PC Settings inside Windows Settings for User. Uncheck Files in other locations.
10. Those two remaining checked boxes will create the handwriting profile backup. Bruce reported that his showed a estimated 55Mb Transfer size.
11. Click Next and backup will be made in seconds. Close Easy Transfer.
12. For our use of Easy Transfer, backups are made this way each time. Unfortunately, the check box deselect process are repeated each time.

Restoring Your Handwriting Files:

1. A restore of handwriting profile is simply clicking on .MIG file chosen and pressing Transfer. Takes only seconds and offers detailed report.
2. I've chosen to include all Tablet PC Settings in backups. Could turn down to single Recognition, but haven't experimented further happy with tested results.
3. The. .MIG archive files can be freely renamed tagging dates, etc. They can be stored anywhere and being so small in actual size just 3MB, I restored just copying to desktop.

Once again, my hat is off to GBM forum member Bruce Miller (bmhome1) for providing this tip on backing up the Vista handwriting engine!

Tips and Notes:

• Click HERE for more information on the Windows Easy Transfer system from Microsoft.
• Click HERE for more helpful Vista Help and How-To's from Microsoft.

OK, I admit it. I have horribly funky handwriting. Well it's not all that bad, just a mix of cursive, block, all caps, you name it. I dash my seven's, zero's, just to name a couple of oddities. Old habits are hard to break. Go Vista! Finally, someone that actually knows what I'm writing! Handwriting recognition his has to be hands down one of my favorite Vista / tablet features. Wow, Vista handwriting recognition has come a long way since XP!

GBM How-To Series #8 : Training Vista for Handwriting Recognition

Start the recognition process by entering "Handwriting Recognition" into the Vista search bar. Hey, isn't the search bar great!

Select "Teach the recognizer your handwriting style" to get started.

Then select either "Sentences" or "Numbers, symbols, and letters". Numbers, etc is short an sweet. Eight entry pages. The sentences training is much longer. About 50

If you select "Sentences", read the instructions on how to get your best results then , select Next. You will be prompted to enter 50 different sentences. Be sure to write them once and in a normal (not your very, very best) handwriting. The goal here is to give the handwriting engine a chance to see your "normal" style. You can stop at any time, but remember the more you train the better our recognition will be. Simply click "Save for later" if you need to ditch the training.

Successful update of the handwriting recognizer is indicated by this info bubble.

Select "Numbers, symbols, and letters", and you are immediately prompted to enter 8 screens of Numbers, common symbols, and Upper and Lower case letters.

Once you have Vista trained for your handwriting, your input panel experience will be much more accurate. However, it is not perfect. This is due in part to your handwriting not being exactly perfect. Don't take it personally. When mistakes are made, be sure to correct them as not only will your document be correct, but Vista will be less likely to make the same mistake in the future.

Tips and Notes:

• To enable "Automatic Learning" click Start, Control Panel, Mobile PC, Tablet PC Settings, then the Handwriting Recognition Tab. Enable personalized recognizer and automatic learning.
• Note that you can specify whether you are Right or Left handed by specifying your selection on the General Tab of the Tablet PC Settings as well calibrate the screen.
• Take your time and try to complete the 50 sentences, practice makes perfect!
• You can even train Vista for another language. Click Here.

 Flicks are a new Vista feature that allow you to navigate documents or change data using only your stylus. So you may ask, what's the difference between a gesture and a flick. There are only eight flicks available. Up, Down, Left, Right, and of course, the four diagonals and they are not bound by the input panel. You can use a flick anywhere on the tablet screen.

GBM How-To Series #7 : Using Vista Pen Flicks

1. Open the Pen and Input Devices dialogue by selection Control Panel, Mobile PC, Pen and Input Devices, or if you would like, on the Start Search input, enter 'Pen and Input' and press Enter.
2. Select The Flicks tab, and make sure that Flicks are turned on by ticking the Use flicks to perform common actions quickly and easily.
3. Now, if you want to use flicks for navigation only, simply select the Navigational flicks radio button. If you are up for a bit more in your flicks, select the navigational flicks and editing flicks radio button. You will now be able to customize your flick assignments to any of the eight directional's. By default, you have (clockwise order, starting with the northerly position) Drag Up, Copy, Forward, Paste, Drag Down, Undo, Back, and Delete.

To customize your flicks, simply click on the Customize button, and assign your flick to any of the 20 pre setup functions.

If you want to create your own, select the flick that you want to customize, select (add), at the bottom of this window, Give your new flick a name, and assign a key or key combination directly from your keyboard. You can also adjust the sensitivity of your flicks by moving the slider between relaxed and precise.

Now that you have your flicks ready, give them a try in your browser or any other all that you use. I find them especiall useful when using my tablet to read educational materials or reading newpapers online.

Flicking takes a bit of practice, and is not supported well in all applications. To give yourself a little practice with flicks, try the Practice using flicks link on the bottom left of this window.

Tips and Notes:

• The Pen and Input Dialogue allows you to control your Pen Options such as translating you pen action into an equivalent mouse action as well as controlling allowing the pen button to be used as a right-click equivalent and specify that the top of the pen is to erase ink. (the Tablet PC kind)
• Pointer Options allows you to specify the Dynamic feedback of pen actions to allow for visual confirmation of you pen inut such as Single-tap, Double-tap, Press-the-pen-button, and Press-the-pen-buton-and-tap.

Our next How-To: Vista Handwriting Recognition and Gestures.

In my last How-To  I referred to changing your indexing options as a way to improve battery life. That got me to feeling like I really did not completely understand the Vista indexing service enough. Well, I did some homework and discovered a few things that might be of value to some of our GottaBeMobile.com readers.

GBM How-To Series #6 :Changing Vista Indexing Options

OK, let's start with the basics for those who may need them. Just what does this indexing thing do for you? Well, think of it a a table of contents much like a book or manual would have to keep up with it's contents and allow for a more efficient way to find content. The Vista index contains information about the files on your systems hard drive. Stuff such as filenames, properties modification dates, author, tags, etc. Thank goodness you don't have to manually manage the index, it is all (for the most part) managed behind the scenes.

Now that we know what it does, how can we manage it? In my last how-to, I pointed out that you could modify indexing so as to help with battery life. That's easy enough, but let's look at this a bit closer. There are two lines of thought when it comes to indexing and battery life. Disable the service, or optimize it. For me, disabling the service is out because I guarantee that I will save a PDF or MDI of a receipt somewhere that seems like the place to put it, but forget about it an hour later. I want to be able to efficiently find the darn thing next time I need it. So, that leaves optimization of the indexing feature.

Vista Index Optimization 101

One of the best ways to cut down on index activity, is to put the types of files Vista keeps indexed on a diet. It would stand to reason that if you are indexing fewer files, you will have less index activity, less activity and there will be less hard drive usage, less hard drive use means less power consumed and therefore, more battery.

1. Click on the Start  bubble, type "indexing" in the search field and press Enter. I know, you can also get there by going to Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Indexing Options, but hey, let's make the index thing carry it's weight!

 2. The Indexing Options window will appear. Click Advanced, and if you get a UAC (User Account Control) , click Continue. The Advanced Options window will now display.

3. In the Advanced options window, click the File Types tab and un-check any filetypes that you know you won't want to do a search for. Make sure that you understand the ramifications of deselecting certain file types.

4. When you have finished deselecting filetypes, click OK and let Vista rebuild the index. After Vista begins the reindex operation, you can close the Indexing Options window.

It will now take a few minutes (this process will complete much quicker if you will let the system alone for a while; say 20 minutes or so) for the new index to re-build itself. If you cannot do without the system while this process takes place, no worry's, continue to use the computer and the indexing service will slow a bit and hopefully you will not notice.

In tooling around with my X60, I was able to eliminate about 6,000 files from the index by just telling it not to index my Visual Studio file types (about 7 or 8 flavors) and MP3's that I NEVER search for. (Famous last words)

Another thought I had about cutting down on hard drive access is to change the location of the index file. I had grand ideas on re-locating it to the ReadyBoost compatible SecureDigital card in my X60. No luck. The Select New dialogue only sees physical hard drives, not removable devices. I'll keep hacking away at that to see if there is a way to allow this.

Additional Indexing Tips:

Add a file type to be indexed for search

You might remember the famous Mark Twain quote "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it". So it goes with Dennis and his battery woes in his recent post. I feel his pain. While we can't change battery technology, we can learn make the best of what we have. Having supported many users who worked allot in airports when traveling or standing in a supermarket, we refined getting the most out of a battery into an art. Today's How-To is about helping you get the most out of your battery for the way you use your tablet or UMPC.

GBM How-To Series #5 :Vista Power plan creation

Battery life is for the most part dependent on three things. Display size and brightness, hard drive , and wireless radio usage. Minimize your utilization of these, and you will see great improvements in battery life. If you want to really max out battery life, create a custom Power Plan. What's a Power Plan anyway?

From our friends at Microsoft...

A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer uses power. Power plans can help you save energy, maximize system performance, or achieve a balance between the two.

You can change settings for any of your power plans, including the three default plans—Balanced, Power saver, and High performance. The default plans meet most people's computing needs. If these plans don't suit your needs, you can easily create your own plan by using one of the default plans as a starting point.

Here's how...

In Vista, open Control Panel, select Hardware and Sound, Power Options, Create a Power Plan. On the Create Power Plan page, select a plan that will be the closest to the one you will use as a starting point. Give the plan a name, then click Next.

On the Change settings for the plan page, choose the display and sleep settings that you want to use when your computer is running on battery and when it's plugged in, and then click Create. Note that the plan you just created, becomes the active plan. Your plan will now be available on the battery meter and the plan you based you plan on will be moved to Additional Plans.

Click on the Change Plan Settings then Change Advanced Power Settings to customize many more settings and get the most out of you battery.

Turn off or customize as many power options as possible to extend the life of your battery. Some areas of opportunity are to disable Indexing, wireless, and USB while on battery. Customizable options are Hard Disk, Wireless, Sleep, USB, Power buttons, PCIExpress, Processor, Indexing Service, Display, Windows DreamScene, Multimedia and Battery.

Tips and Notes

• Remember to choose a power plan that saves power.
• Prepare for your power needs BEFORE you get in a tight spot.
• Reduce Hard Disk utilization by turning on off the Indexing Service while on battery. 
• Reduce display brightness and timeout settings. LCD Displays utilize more power than any other component of your tablet PC or UMPC.
• Shorten the length of time before Windows turns off the display.
• Turn off or remove any devices that you aren't using. Flash Drives, Hard Disks, etc.
• Remove any unnecessary PCMCIA devices.
• If utilizing Cadmium based batteries (Ni-Cad), completely discharge before re-charging.

Have you ever wished that the screen rotation button on your Tablet PC processed the rotations in a different order? It's called Orientation Sequence Settings and you can most certainly change it! Take a closer look at today's How-To and find out more.

GBM How-To Series #4 : Specify Screen Rotation options in Windows XP or Vista.

To specify the order (and current orientation) of you screen rotation button, begin by launching the Windows Control Panel from either Windows XP-Tablet PC Edition or Vista.

Once in the Control Panel, if in XP Category View, select Printers and Other Hardware, then Tablet and Pen Settings. If you are in Classic View, simply scroll down towards the bottom of the list of available icons and select Tablet and Pen Settings.

If you are using Vista in Control Panel Home view, select Hardware and Sound, then Tablet PC Settings. In Classic View, scroll down the list and select Tablet PC Settings.

Now with both XP and Vista, you click on the Display tab, then just right of the Sequence label, select Change. 

You are now presented with a window that allows you to change the order your preferred orientation sequence settings.

Specify the order of Primary Landscape, Primary Portrait, Secondary Landscape and Secondary Portrait rotation options. Click OK to close the Sequence Settings window, then Apply, then OK  to close the Tablet PC Settings window, and you are done.

Now when you do a manual screen rotation, it will be in the order you choose.

Have you ever needed to create a task or appointment that included the details that are contained in an email you received? Unless you know this handy little how-to, I bet you did the old copy-paste trick. There is an easier way. Check this out.

GBM How-To Series #3 : Creating an appointment from an email in Outlook 2007.

1. From your inbox, click on an email that contains the task or information that you need and drag it to the Tasks or Calendar tab on the left hand panel of Outlook.
2. A new task or appointment is automatically created and includes the body of the selected email.  Be sure to edit the task details by filling out Subject, Location, Start/End times, and Attendees, etc. Also edit out any extraneous information that's not needed in the appointment.
3. If you are inking notes in your appointment, pay close attention to this. After you create the appointment, click Start Inking, then Insert Space to place an inkable area in the appointment. Expand the ink space to allow sufficient room for you to contain your inked notes. Then ink away. I mention this because it took a while to figure out why I could not ink on the newly created appointment. Thanks to Dennis for helping me figure it out!
4. Click Save and Close and you are done.

There you go. A quick and easy trick for getting the details in your email into an Outlook appointment without doing the old "copy-paste shuffle".

Tips and Notes:

• Starting next week, the GBM How-To series will be posted twice a week. Look for them on Monday's and Wednesdays!
• Remember that this trick works equally well for appointments OR tasks.
• Click Here for more information on Microsoft Outlook 2007 and the Microsoft Office 2007 suite
• Download the Microsoft Office 2007 Trial Version

This week's How-To is one that I have found extremely useful for keeping your Outlook 2007 appointments and OneNote 2007 notes organized. Like many, I have used Outlook for managing my calendar, and OneNote for keeping my notes organized. I never considered joining the two. When I first used OneNote to record audio on OneNote some years ago, I was WOW'ed at how effective this could make my meeting time. Needless to say OneNote changed not only my effectiveness in meetings and such, but solidified my commitment to tablet PC technology in my life. Sorry, I digress. Linking my appointments with my notes is not quite that significant, but it really does help me to keep my notes (and recordings, etc inside my notes) organized and allow me to find them easily when I need them.

GBM How-To Series #2 : Linking to OneNote Meeting notes in Outlook 2007.

This How-To is pretty short and sweet.

UPDATE: Before linking your appointment to OneNote, BE SURE TO SAVE THE APPOINTMENT. I found that every time that I clicked "Meeting Notes" it was taking me to a new OneNote page. That's because I had not saved the appointment BEFORE moving the OneNote page. Thanks to OneNote Guru Chris Pratley for the clarification.

"You don't have to click the "Link to Outlook" link to establish the connection. That isn't "Create link to Outlook", it is "follow link to Outlook". It will work all the time, as you can see if after you do step 1 you go back to Outlook and click "Meeting Notes" again - you are just taken to the page. The link actually points directly to the Outlook item by its guid ("serial number") and is placed there when you click the button in Outlook.

Effectively there is *always" a page in your notes about each meeting because if you click the Meeting Notes button, that page will be found if it exists or it will get created (much like in a wiki where a page is created if one doesn't exist if you simply make a link to it.) We couldn't get in a feature to tell you in Outlook if notes have already been taken for the meeting."

1. Right-click on the appointment and select the Meeting Notes option at the bottom, or open the appointment and select the Meeting Notes button.  This automatically creates a new un-filed OneNote document to store your meeting minutes, notes, etc.

2. Assuming you have saved your appointment BEFORE opening the linked OneNote page, the link is now complete and you can organize the page as you like.  Once the un-filed page is created, click on the Link to Outlook Item that appears in the body of our note page. The Outlook appointment that is to be associated with your notes will open and you simply click the Save and Close button on the appointment. This establishes the link between the appointment in Outlook, and the notes in Onenote. Now, take you notes as you normally would.

You can now organize your OneNote page, section, or notebook however you like. In the future rather than remembering where you filed the associated notes, simply go to your Outlook calendar, open the appointment and click Meeting Notes or simply right-click the appointment and select Meeting Notes, and there you are.

Tips and Notes:

• Remember to click the "Link to Outlook Item" in OneNote and save the appointment in Outlook to establish the link. UPDATE: The key here is to SAVE THE APPOINTMENT BEFORE you start you meeting notes.
• Before taking notes, try to organize your OneNote notebook before the meeting or lecture.
• Try to start each new OneNote meeting or lecture on a new page, and make sure the date is correct on each page. You may find that the sequence of content in the lecture or meeting may become important.

• Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever possible.
• Leave blank spaces. Blank space can be you friend. This allows you to add comments or indicate questions for later. Change pen colors to indicate follow-up items.
• Make your notes as brief as possible. Try not to use a sentences when you can use a phrase, or use a phrase when you can use a single word.
• Highlight any unfamiliar concepts or words you don't understand. You can always go back and look them up later.
• Click Here for more information on Microsoft OneNote 2007
• Download the OneNote 2007 Trial Version
• Click Here for more information on Microsoft Outlook 2007 and the Microsoft Office 2007 suite
• D