How to Add Your Signature to PDFs

Ever need to “sign” a PDF, meaning insert your signature in a document as though you’d handwritten it? Productivity501 shows how you can sign PDFs using Adobe Acrobat’s stamping feature:

It turns out you can import an image file and use it as a stamp as well. If you follow the instructions from our post about how to create a scanned signature, you’ll find it imports nicely. The transparent background lets you sign on a line without covering it up.

See the post for more complete instructions — and keep in mind that this stamping option will work only if the document in question supports commenting. Still, between this and the option to remember the last PDF page you viewed, I’m seriously considering going back to Acrobat. It may be bloated, but it offers several compelling features over Foxit Reader. Hmmm. Photo by TonivS.

By Rick Broida – BNet

Using Acrobat to Sign Documents

Acrobat is capable of doing two types of signatures. Technically the best way is using a digital signature. Not only can the signature show that you signed it, but it can also prove that the document wasn’t changed after you signed it. If you deal with a lot of people who use digital signatures, this is a great way to go.

Personally when I sign something it is usually to fax or mail. While I like the digital signature idea I just don’t interact with enough people who could actually use it.

Originally I was signing documents in Acrobat by creating my own digital signature and then attaching an image to the signature. Acrobat will use the image anywhere you place the digital signature so things look normal when you print it.

While this works, it can take a bit of effort to setup. You have to generate a public and private key and then import them into Acrobat, etc. Also when you sign something Acrobat adds an additional graphic showing that it is a digital signature. This doesn’t show up when you print it, but it can be confusing for someone who gets the PDF.

Today I discovered another feature in Acrobat called “stamps”. This is a way to stamp parts of the document with an image like “Confidential”, “Past Due”, “Top Secret”, etc. You simply select the stamp and then you can go through your document just like you would with a rubber stamp.

It turns out you can import an image file and use it as a stamp as well. If you follow the instructions from our post about how to create a scanned signature, you’ll find it imports nicely. The transparent background lets you sign on a line without covering it up.

Once you apply the stamp you can use the tool to resize it or move it around for better placement.

To import your signature as a stamp go to Tools > Commenting > Stamps > Create Custom Stamps.

I am using Acrobat 7 Standard. If you are using a different version there is probably a slightly different process.

by Mark Shead – Productivity501.com

Using the Terminal Services through Internet Information Server

Although many administrators think of the Windows Terminal Services primarily as a mechanism for hosting user sessions, it can also be used as a very effective remote management tool. For example, if you need to work on a server that is not in close geographic proximity, you can use the Terminal Services as a way of remotely accessing the server’s console. It’s true that most of Windows Administrative Tools will allow you to manage a remote server, but the Terminal Services have the advantage of allowing you to see the remote server’s desktop. This is advantageous because sometimes there may be an error message displayed on the server’s screen and you would never see the message if you were accessing the server solely through Event Viewer, or one of the many other management tools.

The problem with establishing a Terminal Service session between your machine and a remote server is connectivity. Imagine for a moment that you are at home, in bed, blissfully asleep. The phone rings and wakes you up. You groggily notice that it’s 3:30 AM as the voice on the phone starts explaining to you that there is a problem with a server that’s in an office a hundred miles away.

At this point you’ve got a few choices. You could ignore the call, go back to sleep, and get fired (not a good choice to make). You could road trip it to the remote facility (not fun at 3:30 AM), or you could establish a Terminal Service session with the ailing server. This is where the connectivity issue comes into play. Your company probably has WAN links between the various offices, but that does you no good right now because you are at home. If your company has a VPN, you could establish a VPN connection and then establish a Terminal Service session over the VPN. Another alternative that most people seem to be unaware of however, is that you can interact with the Terminal Services over the Internet.

OK, before I get into the nitty gritty details, let’s stop for a reality check. From a security standpoint, making a Terminal Service session with your servers available over the Internet is probably a bad idea. A Web Based Terminal Service session isn’t completely insecure though. SSL encryption is an absolute requirement and anyone who connects must have a valid set of credentials that are authorized not just to log on, but to log on through the Terminal Services. You can also lock down IIS so that only machines with specific IP addresses are allowed to connect. There are dozens of other things that you can do to make the server more secure, but the thought of being able to remotely control my server through the Internet still makes me a little nervous.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of the ability to use the Terminal Services over the Internet though. If you feel comfortable making your server available through the Web then go for it. If you’re like me and you don’t feel comfortable doing that, then you can use the same technique and the same security measures to make the server available across your corporate Intranet.

What good does that do? Well, let’s go back to my earlier example that involved you sitting in front of your computer at home in your pajamas in the middle of the night. Rather than driving to the office or to the remote facility, you could dial into your remote access server at the office and then use a Web browser to establish a Terminal Service session with the Remote facility.

Right now you might be wondering why you would ever go through all that trouble when the Windows Remote Desktop client is actually a Terminal Service client. True, you could dial in and use the Remote Desktop client to establish a Terminal Server session without ever having to install the remote access Web component. Still, there are at least a couple of reasons why it’s a good idea to have the Web component on hand. First of all, the Remote Desktop client comes with Windows XP. If you happen to have an old PC at home that’s still running Windows 98, then your machine won’t have a Remote Desktop client. Another reason for using the Web interface rather than the Remote Desktop client is that depending on how your network is set up, firewalls may prevent you from using the Remote Desktop client. The Remote Desktop client communicates across port 3389. If there is a firewall anywhere between you and the server that’s having the problem, that doesn’t have this port open then you are out of luck. The Web interface for the Terminal Services also uses port 3389, but you can reconfigure it to use any port number that you want.

Setting up Web Based Remote Administration

Now that I have talked about some of the philosophies behind Web based Terminal Service access, let’s take a look at the setup process. The component that does all the work is technically known as Remote Administration through HTML (formerly known as the Terminal Services Advanced Client (TSAC) in Windows 2000 Server)

Begin by selecting the Add / Remove Programs option from the Control Panel. When the Add / Remove Programs applet starts, click the Add / Remove Windows Components button. This will cause Windows to display a list of Windows components that you can install. Select the Application Server option and click the Details button. Select the Internet Information Service (IIS) option and click Details again. Now, select the World Wide Web Service from the list and click Details one more time. At this point, select the Remote Administration (HTML) check box , as shown in Figure A, and then click OK three times, followed by Next. Windows will now install the necessary files. You may be prompted to insert your Windows installation CD, so be sure to keep it handy. When installation completes, click Finish.

Figure A: Select the Remote Administration (HTML) check box

Now that you have installed the necessary files, select the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager command from Windows’ Administrative Tools menu. When the IIS Manager console opens, navigate through the console tree to Internet Information Services | your server | Web Sites | Administration. Now, right click on the Administration Web site and select the Properties command from the resulting shortcut menu to see the Administration site’s properties sheet. Now, select the Web Site tab and make note of the port numbers that are listed for the TCP and the SSL port. The default values for the TCP port and the SSL port are 8099 and 8098 respectively, as shown in Figure B. If you need to change the port numbers because of the way that your firewalls are set up, this is where you do it at. Now, select the Directory Security tab and click the Edit button found in the IP Address and Domain Name Restrictions section. If you want to restrict Terminal Service access by IP address, then this is where you would enter the addresses that you want to either allow or block. Click OK when you are done.

Figure B: The default values for the TCP port and the SSL port are 8099 and 8098 respectively

Now, let’s look at how to manage the server through a Web browser. Open Internet Explorer and enter HTTPS:// followed by the server’s IP address, a colon, and the port number. For example, https://192.168.0.1:3389 When you do, you will be prompted to log into the server. You must use an account with administrative credentials. After logging in, the Administration Web site will be displayed. To initiate a Terminal Service session, click on the Maintenance link found on the blue bar along the top, and then click the Remote Desktop button. Internet Explorer will install the necessary ActiveX component and the remote desktop will be displayed within a browser window, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C: Enter HTTPS:// followed by the server’s IP address, a colon, and the port number to access the Terminal Services over the Web

Conclusion

Setting up Web based Terminal Service access is not without risk. However, when properly secured, Web based Terminal Service access can be an extremely valuable management tool.

by Brien M. Posey – MSTerminalServices.org

Handing Out Business Cards – You Mean There’s a Guide for That, too?

Handing out business cards is one of the most annoying things that you can do to another person. Neil attended a lunch-n-learn session on Networking in his building last year. As some people entered the room they made a performance of putting their business card in front of each of the other attendees in the room and the empty seats in the room. Neil’s eyes scanned left then right to see what other people were doing with the cards as he wondered, “Should I be distributing my business cards?” Of the 12 people at the session, 6 had piled their cards in front of him. What is he going to do with those? What would you do with them?

Neil was doing the best thing by seeing that he connected with someone before exchanging cards with them.

Putting your business card in someone’s hand before you have a good reason is:

• Confusing. Why are you giving a total stranger your card?
• Useless. Without some sort of credibility there is no reason for the recipient to keep your card.
• Wasteful. Is there is a possible return on the investment of even this little inexpensive card?
• Risky. You might just be offering your contact information to someone who wants to recruit your for their multi-level marketing project and now you’re on their recruiting list.
• Good for firestarting. Most people could start a blaze with the box of ‘dead’ business cards they have around their office. But is that why you gave them your card? People just don’t throw out the cards of people who handed it to them but they don’t do anything with them either.
• Misguided. Someone along your career path said, “Get your card into as many hands as possible, you never know what will come of it.” Come on people, nothing will come of it. That’s the ‘throw it on the wall and see what sticks’ technique. You appear desperate doing this.

The key to good form when handing out your business card is the mindset of exchanging cards. You’re offering your card as a second step to connecting with another person. The first step is talking so you find that you have something in common, a follow-up action to take, or other connector. Similarly, you’re asking for someone’s business card because you have something he values to give to him. That something could be business, information, a referral, or other useful thing. Using this approach you might walk away with only one or two cards from a business gathering. However, they represent the start of real relationships not just passing of paper.

When you’ve determined that you have a reason to exchange cards with someone you could do the following:

• Initiate the exchange by saying, “May I have one of your cards? I’d like to get an article to you and this will ensure that I do.”
• If you’ve only had conversations on the phone with someone
  (the initial connection) and are seeing them face-to-face for the first
  time it is appropriate to offer your card as you’re shaking hands. This
  verifies you are who they expected and is a touch of credibility.
• State: “It sounds like I could help you by introducing you
  to my accountant. Why don’t you give me your card and I’ll write an
  email making the connection.”
• Suggest you’ll call to follow-up on your conversation so,
  “Let me give you my card and I’d like one of yours. When I have my
  calendar in front of me we’ll find a day in the next two weeks to have
  breakfast.”

Finally, it is possible that you should just skip exchanging cards. If someone interests you be thorough in getting their name and employer. Then, do a Google search, locate him, and write a thoughtful email as follow-up. Business cards are a method of communicating and exchanging information you must follow-up with cards you receive or they are valueless. But that’s the topic of a different article.

by ProductivityCafe.com

Use Color-Coding to Highlight Important E-Mail

Hot on the heels of the excellent suggestion to use rules to simplify your Outlook inbox, Productivity Cafe’s Susan Sabo serves up another valuable tip: Use color-coding to make important e-mail stand out and grab your attention.

For example, you could configure Outlook to automatically “colorize” messages that come from your boss or a client. Assign another color to mail received from team members, and so on. (Obviously you don’t want to go overboard with the color-coding, lest your inbox turn into something resembling a box of crayons. Limit yourself to two or three colors.)

See the complete post for details on setting up color coding in Outlook; it’s an extremely simple process. (Outlook Express and Thunderbird users can accomplish more or less the same thing using message rules.) For my part, all new messages I get from my beloved editors will be coded red so they get immediate action! (That’s right: I know how to suck up.)

By Rick Broida – BNet

Outlook Feature Most of Us Should Use – Color Coding

What does a red color-coded sign or folder mean to you? Many of us think ‘Urgent’ or ‘Stop’ or ‘Hot’. We know that our attention is needed for something. We can use red to mean that when an emali has arrived in your inbox from a VIP. Usually my clients make the emails from their boss and/or key customers turn red when they arrive. Then, the red-titled emails get their attention right away.

Similarly, team leaders color-code the emails from their team members so they stand out from their general correspondence.

Other times you might want to color-code are:

• Personal messages
• From financial institutions (green representing money for this group)
• Vendors & suppliers
• Particular Projects

Remembers, usually it’s best to move emails into related folders. That’s explained in this post: Moving Emails in Outlook. For those emails that still make it to your inbox color-coding will catch your eye and increase your productivity and effectiveness in handling the most important messages.

Here are the steps to color code your messages in Outlook 2002/3:

1. Click on the email message you want to use as the example for the colorizing. For example,

1. you might want all messages from Susan Mrugal (your boss) to turn red.
2. Click on tools then organize.
3. A box ‘Ways to Organize Inbox’ will open. This menu will appear like this:
   

4. Click on Using Colors along the left margin.
5. Select the from / to in the first box to the right of ‘Color message’ drop down menu.
6. Select the color (red in this example) for these messages from the drop-down menu.
7. Click Apply Color.
8. Verify that the color coding was done by looking in your Inbox.
9. You’re done!

by ProductivityCafe.com

Turn Your Cameraphone Into a Productivity Tool

If your cell phone has a camera built in, you can use it for more than just the occasional snapshot of the kids and dog. Indeed, you can put it to productive use during your workday, especially when you’re traveling. Here’s how:

• Remember where you parked. When you arrive at airport parking, take a snapshot of the nearest signpost so you can easily find your car again.
• Insure your belongings. Business Hacks reader Weaver1 offered this great tip in response to our post on packing light for business travel: “When laying out clothes for a trip, I take a photo with my cameraphone to document clothes/shoes/etc. for the airline in case of lost luggage.”
• Send a fax. Using a service called Qipit, you can snap a photo of anything — say, a whiteboard or secret company documents — and have it delivered via fax. The service can also deliver cameraphone photos via e-mail and store them online for future reference. Amazingly, it’s free.
• “Scan” a business card. Similar to Qipit, ScanR (also free) adds the option of capturing business cards, which are then delivered to you via e-mail in vCard format (ready for importing into Outlook or another contact manager). The only hitch? You need a 2-megapixel camera for this to work.
• Create a visual to-do list. Blogger Steve Rubel throws out the idea of making a to-do list consisting of photos rather than text. To me it sounds like more work than it’s worth, but as a “visual” person I can definitely see the appeal. Maybe you will, too.

What’s the most productive thing you’ve ever done with your cameraphone? Click that Comments link up top and share your brilliance! Photo by Thomas Rockstar.

By Rick Broida – BNet

Use Google Spreadsheets to Conduct Surveys

One more reason to love Google Docs: You can take advantage of the new spreadsheet forms feature to conduct surveys and collect other customer data. Here’s the scoop straight from the Google Docs Blog:

Create a form in a Google Docs spreadsheet and send it out to anyone with an email address. They won’t need to sign in, and they can respond directly from the email message or from an automatically generated web page.

Creating the form is easy: Start with a spreadsheet to get the form, or start by creating the form and you’ll get the spreadsheet automatically. Responses are automatically added to your spreadsheet. You can even keep a closer eye on them by adding the Google Docs forms gadget to your iGoogle homepage.

I’m curious to know how you might take advantage of this cool new feature. Hit the Comments to share your thoughts. [via Download Squad]

By Rick Broida – BNet.com

It’s Apple Mac-Guyver: pocket sized detective tool hacks into computers

May 4, 2007 SubRosaSoft’s MacLockPick is a USB sized gizmo that can extract passwords, e-mail addresses, recently accessed files, search strings, bookmarks and internet history from running or sleeping computers. But the US$499 device can only penetrate the defences of Macs running OSX – apparently, anyone who manages to build an empire of crime using Windows deserves to keep it. The “live forensics tool” is based on Flash drive technology and is available only to law enforcement officials – amateur gumshoes will have to tread the mean streets of the internet superhighway without it.

MacLockPick takes advantage of the fact that the default state of the Apple Keychain is open, even if the system has been put to sleep. It also makes use of the openly readable settings files used to keep track of your suspect’s contacts, activities and history. These data sources even include items that your suspect may have previously deleted or has migrated from previous Mac OS X computers. The MacLockPick extracts data from the Apple Keychain and system settings to provide the examiner fast access to the suspect’s critical information with as little interaction or trace as possible.

A database of the suspect’s information is compiled on the Flash Drive to allow for easy transportation away from the suspect’s system. This database can be read by the included log readers on Microsoft Windows, Linux, or Apple Mac OS X computers back at base.

The following is a list of file items that can be extracted using SubRosaSoft’s MacLockPick:

Apple Keychain Passwords

System: The user password of the logged in user. General: Includes (but is not limited to) passwords for encrypted disk images, wifi base stations, iTunes music store, iChat login and Apple Remote Desktop. Internet: Includes (but is not limited to) login and password details for web sites, email accounts, some peer to peer networks, online services and stores, auction sites, and .mac accounts. AppleShare: A list of login and password details for appleshare servers this mac has connected to.

Files and Folder details

Folder Dates: A list of all the key user folders along with their creation date, date of last modification, date of first access, and date of the most recent access. Disk Images: Paths to the most recent disk images that have been mounted on this mac. Preview: Full paths to recent files that have been viewed in the preview program. QuickTime: File names for recently viewed movies for the QuickTime player applications Recent Applications, Documents, and Servers: Program names for the most recently used items on this Macintosh computer.

Instant Messaging

Default Login: For iChat instant messenger system. Complete buddy list: Includes buddies who have since been deleted.

E-Mail

Account Details: Login names and server addresses used. Address Book: Address details for entries in the address book including contacts that have been deleted. Opened Attachments: Paths to files that have been received as an attachment then saved or opened including the date and time of opening.

Web History and Preferences

Search Strings: The most recent items that the user has searched for using the Google toolbar in safari. Cached Bookmarks: Sites that have been bookmarked in Safari, including items that have been deleted. Current Bookmarks: Sites that are currently bookmarked in Safari. Cookies: A full list of cookies include the server address, the cookie value and the date and time of assignment. History: Complete details of browsing history including the number of times visited and the date and time of the most recent visit.

Hardware Preferences

iPod: Serial numbers of any iPod that have been connected to this Mac along with the date and time it was first used. Bluetooth Devices: Hardware address of any bluetooth devices that have been paired with this mac along with the most recent time these devices have been paired. Wifi Connections: Listings for wifi base stations that have been used on this computer including the base address and the date and time of the first connection. Network Interfaces: MAC address for each integrated network interface on the suspect’s machine.

Purchasers will be required to provide proof that they are a licensed law enforcement professional. Users are required to ensure that the use of this technology is legal on federal, state, and local level. Licensed Investigators can purchase MacLockPick for US$500. State and Local law enforcement professionals can purchase MacLockPick for US$500. Federal law enforcement professionals and purchases of 5 or more can purchase MacLockPick for US$400.

by Gizmag

Loc8tor ‘Lite’ makes losing your keys a thing of the past

Loc8tor Ltd has released a new addition to its personal homing device range. Significantly smaller and lighter than previous models, the credit card sized Loc8tor Lite helps to find any lost or mislaid possessions and fits easily into a wallet or purse. Dubbed the Loc8tor Lite, the 6mm thick device, uses active RFID technology to guide users to within an inch of any tagged item using audio and visual cues to point users in the right direction. The unit can help locate lost possessions that are within 400ft (122 meters).

The Loc8tor Lite is supplied with 2 mini homing tags that are similar in height to a paper clip. The tags can be attached to almost anything from keys to pets using the key ring loop or the adhesive strips provided. These tags also give off an audio beep and flashing LED to further help in locating an item. An option to register two additional tags means that the Loc8tor Lite can locate up to 4 different items.

by Gizmo

Simple Secrets to Saving Money in Australia

When you get on top of your spending habits by using the tips at Simple Savings anything is possible.

Could you use an extra $50 EVERY WEEK? It is easy to attain – much easier than you have ever imagined. The tricks are simple. The techniques are basic – things that thousands of Simple Savings members use every day.

Simple Savings can show you how to save money on groceries, gifts, holidays, cars and phone bills. You name a product/service you want to buy and the odds are that Simple Savings friendly community of clever, frugal shoppers will have listed a way to get it cheaper than you can

You are probably throwing away thousands of dollars each year and never ever realised it. Well, that is about to change. You could buy yourself anything. A car, a holiday, a house, your son’s shoes… everyone’s goals are different. As you start to reduce the amount you spend, you will suddenly find all this extra money.

Most people think that saving money is:

1. Complicated
2. Stressful
3. A waste of time
4. Generally not worth it

Those people are totally wrong. Try being smart with your money for six months and you’ll find that you’ll have more time for the things you love …. and the ability to buy extra things

Think of it this way… for an average worker $500 saved = 5 days pay after tax

* If you take 5 minutes to save $15 at the supermarket that is one hour you don’t have to work. Stop… Think about it. If you reduce your grocery bill by $1,200 this year – which is surprisingly easy to do – you could skip two whole weeks of work. You can have two weeks extra holiday.
* If you lower your annual phone bill by $300 – easy to achieve – that’s half a week off work.
* If you save $1000 buying a car – basic beginners stuff – that’s another two weeks off work.
* Saving $100 on accommodation means you can stay on holidays for an extra day.

Working at an office 5 days a week to make money for someone else is hard

Saving money with Simple Savings is super easy

by Neerav Bhatt – Rambling Thoughts Blog

N-Gage First Access hacked for N95 8GB, others

That didn’t take long. A mere day after the release of Nokia’s N-Gage First Access gaming preview exclusively to N81 users, the app has been cracked open to work with any N-series device with enough horsepower. The hack was performed by Nokia regular P@sco, and comes in a convenient downloadable form, or an only slightly involved guide to hacking the app yourself. No rocket science here, and while we’re sure Nokia could easily fight back, what we’ve really got to ask ourselves is why didn’t Nokia just open it to everyone in the first place?

[Thanks, Michael J.]
by Paul Miller – Engadget
P@sco homesite - http://homesite.mobile9.com/p@sco/