How To See all your Google Contacts on a Google Map

Create a Map of your Google Contacts

If you have been using Google Contacts (or any other address book*) to store the postal addresses of your friends and colleagues, you can easily create an online Google Map with all these address or even view them inside Google Earth. Here are the steps:

1. Make a copy of this Google Sheet in your own Google Docs account.
2. From the Google Contacts menu in the sheet, choose Initialize and authorize the script  (see source code) to access your Google Contacts.
3. Next choose Generate KML under the same menu and the script will send a KML file to your email account.

Go to your mailbox and download the KML file to the desktop. You can double-click this file to directly open it inside Google Earth. You can click the pin /marker to read the full address and name of the contact.
Alternatively, you can upload the KML file to the web  and copy-paste the URL of the KML file into the Google Maps Search box as shown below (see a sample map).

Also see: Google Maps Address Lookup
Internally, the Google Apps Script reads the home /work postal addresses of your Google Contacts and then uses the geocoding service** of Google Maps to transform these human-readable address into latitudes and longitude values. These points (or placemarks) are finally put in a KML file that you can open inside Google Earth or Google Maps.
[*] If you aren’t using Google Contacts, you can still use the script. Export the contacts data from your existing address book (like Hotmail or Yahoo Mail) as a CSV file and import the file into Google Contacts. [**] Google’s Geocoding service allows you make 2,500 requests per IP per day.

Source from http://www.labnol.org/internet/google-contacts-map/26107/

Tips From Guiding Tech : 15 Killer Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts That Might Surprise You

Written By Abhijeet and published on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010. Abhijeet Mukherjee is the founder and editor of Guiding Tech.

One of my personal favorites among the new features that Windows 7 came with was the introduction of some awesome and long awaited keyboard shortcuts. I personally use them as much as I can to save time, and I recommend the practice of using keyboard shortcuts to others too.
This article talks about 15 really cool keyboards shortcuts that are specific to Windows 7. I can bet that you don’t know all of them. Check them out, some of them will surprise you for sure.

1. Ctrl+Shift+N to Create a New Folder

Creating a new folder in Windows explorer is something we all need to do on a frequent basis. And until now, there was no default shortcut key available for this task. But Windows 7 changed that.
You could now use Ctrl+Shift+N to quickly create a new folder in Windows or anywhere on your computer where a folder can be created.

2. Ctrl+Shift+Click to Open a Program As Administrator

There are many instances when just clicking on the icon of the application and opening it doesn’t solve your purpose. You need to right click on it and click on “Run as Administrator” so that you can make the required changes to the app.
In Windows 7, this can be done with a keyboard shortcut. You just need to point your mouse cursor on that program and then click on it while pressing Ctrl+Shift keys to open it as administrator.

3. Shift+Right-Click Enhances Send to Menu

The above screenshot shows the default send to menu that I get when I simply right click on a program.
Now, if I press the Shift key, and while having it pressed, I right click on the icon, I get an enhanced send to menu. See the screenshot below to check how it looks.

Nice, isn’t it?
Also check 2 Useful Tools To Add Items & Customize the Windows Right Click Menu.

4. Shift+Right-Click on a Folder to Open Command Prompt

If you do Shift+right-click on a folder, you’ll find an option that says “Open command windows here.” If you love working with the command prompt, this option should come in handy.

5. Win+Space to Quickly Show Desktop

Remember our quick tip on hiding open windows in windows 7 ? Well, this is the keyboard shortcut version of that mouse cursor trick. Pressing the Win key and the space bar simultaneously shows you the desktop immediately.

6. Win+Up/Down/Left/Right for Moving the Active Window

If you intend to quickly move the active window to make space for other apps, you could do that by using the Win key and one of the arrow keys. Each arrow key would move the window in the direction it is meant to.

7. For Dual Monitors: Win+Shift+Left Arrow Key to Move Active Window to Left Monitor

If you are on a dual monitor setup using Windows 7 then you could press the Win+Shift+Left arrow key combination to move the active application window to the left monitor.

8. For Dual Monitors: Win+Shift+Right Arrow Key to Move Active Window to Right Monitor

Similarly, if you need to move the current window to the right monitor screen, just press Win+Shift+right arrow key.

9. Win+T to Get to Taskbar Items

You could use the key combination Win+T to toggle through the applications pinned on the taskbar in Windows 7.

10. Shift+Click on a Taskbar App to Open a New Instance of the App

Let’s say you’ve got a bunch of Chrome windows open. And you need to quickly open a new blank window of the browser. Here’s the way – point your cursor to the chrome icon on the taskbar, hit Shift and click on it. There you go!

11. Win+B to Move Focus to the System Tray

In a previous article, we talked about a technique to add more clocks to the default Windows clock in the system tray. Now, if you need to get there without using your mouse cursor, how’d you do that?
Answer – Win+B. That would move the focus on the system tray, and then you could use the arrow keys to cycle through the items, including the Windows clock.

12. Win+P for Quickly Connecting Your Laptop to a Projector

Windows 7 has a nifty projection menu feature which enables you to quickly connect your laptop to a projector or an extended monitor. Win+P is the keyboard shortcut for that purpose.

13. Win+1, Win+2..so on for Opening Taskbar Programs

Want to quickly open a program that’s pinned to your Windows 7 taskbar? You can press the Win key and the number corresponding to the location of the app on the taskbar.

14. Win+Pause helps you check System Properties

Need to take a quick look at what’s the processor model you are using, or may be check the device manager, or advanced system settings? You could use Win+pause key combination to open the system properties window.

15. Ctrl+Shift+Esc Can Quickly Open Windows Task Manager

I think this was in Vista too, I am not sure. But it’s a cool shortcut nevertheless. Just press the Ctrl key, Shift key and the ESC key simultaneously and you have the task manager pop up right in front!

Read more at  Guiding Tech

Apartment Therapy Tip : How To Clean Your Jeans Without Water (In the Freezer!)

 By : Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan 02.22.10 4:30PM

I recently bought my first pair of "serious" jeans. The reason I know this is because as I was standing at the register about to pay A LOT of money for them, a cool dude who was standing next to me at the register said, "Oh, you're going to like those." "Do you have a pair?" I asked him. "Nope," he said, "But you're going to like those." I felt like a first time drug buyer or as if I was buying a Ferrari, not a pair of jeans. And then he said, "Don't wash them."
"Don't wash them?" I asked, thinking he was joking.
"Nope." he said.
"Oh, you mean I should only dry clean them?" I tried again.
"Nope." he repeated. "Never wash them. You'll ruin them."
It was at that moment that the woman behind the register piped up and explained that they only "get really good" when they're not washed. In a pinch, she said, you can wash them in cold water inside out.
And then she said, "But I freeze mine when they start to feel dirty."
Now I felt as if I were really entering a new land. Washing is not something I'd ever considered optional with clothing, particularly something as prone to dirt as jeans. And while I could quickly grasp that it was coolest to do nothing, I was fascinated by the notion that freezing a piece of clothing might somehow "clean" it, or at least simulate the cleaning process.
Apparently, although I'm new to this, washing jeans is really verboten and freezing has popped up as one alternative. While it doesn't make for lots of instructions in a How To, I thought I had to get this down in our archive. This is what the woman at G-Star Raw told me she did at home.
What do you do?

What You Need

Materials
A pair of dirty (feeling) jeans
A large Zip-Lock Bag
Equipment
A Freezer with Some Room

Instructions

Fold your jeans neatly and place inside bag. Seal bag and insert in freezer. Remove after one week and wear as new. While this process won't remove stains and isn't really intended for "work jeans" (I think), it is touted to kill any living organisms and make your jeans FEEL crisp and clean again.
Personally, after taking my jeans out this morning, I have to say they did feel crisper, though it may simply have been the cold. Other that that, I can't say I was fooled into thinking that they had been washed in any way, BUT they did - after all that time away from me - feel fresh and I'm glad to have them back.


How to Freeze Your Jeans & "Clean" Them

By : Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan 09.16.11 7:45PM

How to Freeze Your Jeans from maxwell gillingham-ryan on Vimeo.


Welcome to the latest episode in our new series of How To Videos. This one features a unique home cleaning tip. When I bought my first pair of "serious" jeans, the salesperson told me not to wash them if I wanted to keep the raw denim intact. Then she recommended the freezer method. It sounds like an urban myth, but I've found that it actually works (in a way).

What You Need

Materials

• A pair of dirty (feeling) jeans
• A large Zip-Lock Bag

Equipment

• A Freezer with Some Room

See More Home Hacks tutorials from Apartment Therapy

Tips From Lifehacker : 10 Great Clothing Tricks in 60 Seconds

Tips From Lifehacker : 10 Great Clothing Tricks in 60 Seconds

Uploaded by lifehacker on Mar 26, 2012 

A quick look at the simple tricks you can with your clothing.

Author : Thorin Klosowski from Lifehacker

No matter how hard you try, one thing you can't get away from is the need to take care of your clothes. Whether it's taking care of clothes that are falling apart or simply learning how to fold, store, and keep them, this video will show you the easiest, quickest ways to do a whole slew of clothing related activities.

The video above covers a few of our favorite tips. If you want to learn more, hit up the Lifehacker links below.

• Hang shirts quickly with a simple technique.
• Button the top button of a shirt to keep the collar looking good.
• Fold a t-shirt super fast.
• Use the Savile Row fold to keep pants from falling off a hanger.
• Quickly remove wrinkles with a spray bottle.
• Rethread a drawstring with a straw.
• Keep a loose zipper up with a key ring.
• Freeze jeans to clean them and help them last longer.
• Rehab old shoes with a baking soda and laundry detergent.
• Stretch tight shoes with a hair dryer and a few extra pairs of socks.

For more great Lifehacker videos, check out Lifehacker YouTube channel.

10 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Life in 60 Seconds

Watch This Video to Learn 10 Simple Everyday Life Hacks in 60 Seconds

You may think you know the best way to keep your kitchen clean, remember how to put on a fitted bed sheet, or spit used toothpaste into the sink, but there are better ways to do all of these things and more and you can learn them all from one video in 60 seconds. When you watch the video above, you'll learn the following tips and tricks:

• Need help waking up in the morning? Do pushups and you'll jump start your day.
• When you've finished showering in the morning, quickly defog the mirror with hot or cold air from your blow drier.
• Got a dusty ceiling fan? Put a pillowcase over the blade and pull to clean it in seconds.
• If you have trouble remembering which way the fitted sheet goes on your bed, mark the tag with the corresponding corner. Mine is a down arrow and a left arrow to indicate the bottom left corner.
• After brushing your teeth, run the water first and then spit the used toothpaste into the stream so it won't get stuck in the sink.
• Maybe your home could smell a little better. Just hide bars of soap in stinkier areas to make them smell nice.
• When doing your laundry, toss a pinch of salt into the wash to keep your colored clothing more vibrant.
• If you tend to make a mess when cooking in the kitchen, use two bowls for cleanup. One can hold garbage, and the other can hold soapy water for washing everything down when you're down.
• You can also use two bowls in the microwave to avoid splatter.
• Finally, if tight spaces are hard for you to clean, wrap a chopstick with a paper towel and bind it with a rubber band. Then you can use the chopstick to clean nooks and crannies.

For more great Lifehacker videos, check out our YouTube channel.

repost from lifehacker.com  "Watch This Video to Learn 10 Simple Everyday Life Hacks in 60 Seconds"