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Chat, transfer files, and make VoIP calls from Google Talk

Google Talk is an instant-messaging service from Google that you can use to send messages, files, or e-mail or make VoIP calls to people on your contact list. Since Google Talk is based on an open protocol (XMPP), it can be used to connect to any device that supports this protocol; this currently means Windows, Android, and BlackBerry devices, although other clients are bound to appear soon.

Google Talk reads your Gmail contact list, and the tight integration between Google Talk and Gmail allows you to send IMs to contacts in your Gmail account. Any chat conversations you have through … Read more

View, save, or convert your e-mails with Winmail Opener

Winmail Opener could be useful for anyone who sends or receives e-mail in one of the older versions of Microsoft Outlook such as 97 or 2000 (winmail.dat). This utility allows users to view and extract the contents from messages from these sources. The rich-text message contents and attachments from these Outlook applications are not supported by several e-mail clients that are used today and Winmail Opener is a freeware solution to this problem.

Winmail has a traditional Windows look and feel to it with drop-down menus. It also has full Windows drag-and-drop capabilities so it is easy to move … Read more

How to set up the Mail app's VIP list in iOS 6

Managing an e-mail inbox or two can be a full-time job in and of itself. If you find yourself having to continually apologize to people who ask, "Did you get my e-mail?" because you have lost control of your ever-expanding inbox, perhaps iOS 6's VIP inbox feature can help.

Open the Mail app and from the general Mailboxes view, you'll see a VIP line wedged between All Inboxes and your mail account(s). Tap on the VIP line and you'll see two buttons: Add VIP and VIP Alerts.

Tap Add VIP and you'll be … Read more

AOL's twist on e-mail: You've got stacks

Thursday's CNET Update is checking your away message:

Just when you've given up all hope of having an organized inbox, along comes AOL with a new e-mail client called Alto. Today's tech news roundup looks at how Alto manages multiple accounts and sorts messages into stacks. The service is in beta test now (so you have to sign up for an invite to try it), but it could be open to everyone by February.

In other news, Yelp is cracking down on companies that pay for reviews. If Yelp sees that a business is trying to inflate … Read more

How to get less e-mail spam from Twitter

Twitter has added several new e-mail alert options, and these new settings are creating more e-mail traffic for you. Some of these notifications are useful, like an update about new followers or a direct message, while others are just an annoyance.

All of these new options are enabled by default and if you normally access Twitter from a mobile device, you may have missed the opportunity to disable them before the e-mail started coming. Thankfully, reducing the amount of unnecessary e-mail from Twitter is fairly simple through its Web interface.

To access Twitter's e-mail notifications, just log in to … Read more

How to manage Mail notifications in iOS 6

With iOS 6, you are given more granular control over your various e-mail accounts. Just as you can set up a custom signature for each of your e-mail accounts, you can adjust notifications on a per account basis.

To get started, go to Settings > Notifications > Mail and you'll see your e-mail accounts listed along with a line for iOS 6's new VIP feature.… Read more

Ten simple, common-sense security tips

A friend took me to task last week for a post I wrote back in January on preventing Google from tracking you when you search. His alternative solution: "Just use Bing."

That got me thinking about other no-brainer approaches to security that thumb their noses at the conventional (and often convoluted and time-consuming) advice of the experts.

Search without footprints via the 'other' search engines Truly anonymous Web surfing requires the use of a VPN service that blocks your IP address as well as other personal information. (For more on VPN, see the tip below.) If you simply … Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week readers wrote in with questions about how to roll back to a previous version of Safari after experiencing compatibility issues with a newer version, how Time Machine manages full backups in multidisk setups, and concerns about both Mail syncing errors and security with e-mail account names being shown. I welcome views from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Rolling back to a previous version of Safari MacFixIt reader Clark … Read more

Apple says iPhone 5 purple camera halo is totally normal

Apple has told at least one customer that any purple halos found in photos taken on the company's iPhone 5 are considered normal and due to the angling of the device.

Gizmodo today posts what it says is a reply from an AppleCare support representative named Debby to an iPhone 5 owner who called the company complaining about the issue.

"Our engineering team just gave me this information and we recommend that you angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures," AppleCare rep Debby writes in an e-mail. "The purple flare in the image provided is considered normal behavior for iPhone 5's camera." … Read more

How to free up storage space with Mail in OS X

While large storage capacities from e-mail providers make the need to manage storage less of an issue these days, there are times when people may still run into storage limits or need to clear out thousands of messages that are cluttering their inboxes. This may be especially true if one's storage plan changes to a smaller level, as is the case with Apple's basic iCloud storage plan for people who transitioned from MobileMe.

If you need to clear out e-mail messages to free up space in your inbox, you can do so manually by first clicking on the … Read more