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Outlook Search is terrible: in my mind it’s been the worst feature for years (even more annoying than Clippy). As someone who meticulously saves and categorizes every e-mail I receive (I have all four years of Olin e-mails, including mailing list threads, archived), it’s dreadful to have to search for an old email in Outlook: books are made into terrible movies in the time it takes Outlook native search to find an e-mail.

Of course, you could use Google Desktop to index and search for e-mails, but if you’re looking for a more Outlook-specific solution, look no further than the Lookout plugin. It’s a snap to set up once you find a copy: this thing has apparently gone the way of the buffalo, but my colleague Bruce has a version on his website, along with some thoughts about why Lookout is great. Like Google Desktop, you’ll need to let it index your .pst file(s) (don’t forget to index the archive folders as well), which took about 15 minutes for me. You’ll also want to set up the attachment filter to include .pdf files.

Like Bruce, I experienced both a huge speed increase and more relevant results. There’s a small glitch in what I can only assume is the message preview functionality: the tooltips flash for only a fraction of a second, totally useful and my minor aggravation with the product.

Best part: Lookout is freeware, albeit no longer supported.

Check out the image below: Search took 0.02 seconds!

Technorati Tags: lookout search, outlook

With all the glamor and glitz of Leopard and the constant PR push by Apple, it’s almost refreshing to see someone out there admit to the faults of Apple’s new OS. I just wasn’t expecting that someone to be so harsh:

“Hey, at least Microsoft reps have the decency to look a little abashed when you point out their product’s screwups. Apple reps just glare at you like they’re daring you to say something.”

“Is Britney Spears moonlighting as Apple’s UI designer?”

“Maybe Apple couldn’t spare the programmers working on the hugely important Star Wars core animation splash-screen project.”

“When I saw that, I actually looked around to see if Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out from behind my lab bench and tell me I’d been punked.”

Yikes. PC Magazine readers won’t know what hit them.

Technorati Tags: leopard, apple, pc magazine

Only Skymall can bring you the incredible idea of keeping a extremely hot beverage within close proximity to your laptop computer. I can only assume that when you take a sip, the tethered cord serves as a signal for your coworkers to laugh at you. 



I’d be curious to see how it registers in the annoying balloon popups in Windows.

Technorati Tags: gadgets, dumb gadgets

Yes, it’s from craigslist. Yes, it’s probably a duplicate repost from years ago. Yes, it’s recently been on the front page of reddit. But this is for all those out there who think they’ve got a bad living situation, reprinted in its entirety.

I for one would chip in $20 for a copy of the handbook.

Hello,

I am seeking out a roommate. I’ve had several the past 3 months that did not work out so well and am hoping to find “the perfect housemate.” I think it can be done!

1. I am a plastic surgeon, single straight male, and am wealthy but rather lonely. I could keep this house to myself, and have for about a year, but I’ve realised that life is much better when it’s shared with people who are conscious (as opposed to my clients and my nursing staff!). (This is not to say that my nursing staff is unconscious - obviously they are not! It’s just very difficult to become friends with a staff that is somewhat dubious of my methods. I’m no rogue, but I do have Eastern-influenced techniques that some find odd and/or disconcerting – but I do have a 99% success rate! In any case, it doesn’t make much sense to mix business and pleasure.)

2. I do have a dog, Basil Ironweed (yes that is his name, people seem to be confused that I have given him a full name like a person and some kind of laugh, but I assure you I take my dog very seriously and treat him with respect, and I ask that you do the same). It would actually be ideal if you have a female dog of pure pedigree (I’d need to see the papers though, for breeding purposes) and I’d prefer her to be a medium-sized dog (I will consider most breeds except absolutely no Australian Kelpies and no American Water Spaniels, please! The colouring of the mating dogs’ possible kin would be horrendous if this were the case! Also, Basil is a Border Collie in case you were wondering!) If you do not have a dog, that is also fine. All other pets will be considered except: no cats unless they are of the outdoor variety, no arthropods, and all avians must be salmonella-free, clipped toenails, and tagged.

3. My house has only a one-car garage. It used to be a two-car one, but I decided to convert half of it into a micro-personal gym as I am rather health conscious. (I do have a gym membership, but my gym is not 24-hour, and sometimes at night I really need to get on the bowflex to burn off some of my energy since I have a lot of it! Also, after meals it’s inconvenient for me to run off to the gym, and that is why I need one at my disposal. The gym membership is because they have a pool there, and swimming is really good for the joints. Just in case you were wondering.) That said, you’ll have to use street parking, but I assure you that my neighborhood is quiet and safe, and there is usually a spot right out in front of my house! (The only time the spot is taken is when the lunch truck comes for the construction workers that are on the corner of my street. It only sits there for about 20 minutes between 1 and 2 pm during the week, depending on how chatty the boys are that day.)

Anyways, I have a few rules that need to be followed, but other than that, we should get along fine! I request that you listen to all music via headphones. I have mild tinnitus and the sounds from most Hi-Fi equipment sans headphones really irriate me. I am open to discussing music, but sadly we cannot directly share it as my ears can’t handle rapidly changing frequencies. (If you’d like to share lyrics, I’d be more than delighted to oblige!)

If you are going to cook, please do not use the following spices: curries, paprika, anything Cajun, and dill. The smells of these things turns my stomach. (If you have any scents that you’d like to avoid, by all means let me know and I’ll do you the same honour.)

You must brush your teeth at least twice a day. If there is anything I cannot stand it’s filthy teeth. (Believe me, I’ve had a couple roommates who just could not handle this simple routine – your gingiva may not mind, but I certainly DO.)

If you are going to watch tv, please let me know in advance which programs you’d like to watch. I do have TiVo, by the by, and I have certain shows that I simply must watch when they originally air. I cannot be too flexible with this because I cannot stand to wait to see my programs. You have to understand that I simply have to watch them when they originally air or I will get a little batty. Most of my programs are on public broadcasting and do not tend to run during prime-time spots.

I do not appreciate unannounced house-guests. I need to know at least two days in advance that company is coming – I need to know the duration of the stay, and the nature of the visit. But, I am open to any and all visitors, I just need to know the specifics involved.

I have reduced rent drastically because I realise that some of my requests might seem slightly stringent. I will pay the bulk of the rent in exchange for your understanding, your commitment to the house, and your humouring of my quirks.

You must be ok with my upholstery hobby. On every third Tuesday of the month I request that you vacate the house between the hours of 4 pm - 11:45pm while I upholster various pieces of antique furniture. I am a perfectionist and require complete silence in the house. I’ve tried this with housemates who’ve promised to stay in their rooms, but this proved impossible as bathroom habits demand a regular schedule that interrupts my artisan work. That said, I will give you a small stipend on these days if it will assist you in finding something to do with that block of time.

No newspapers or magazines. The ink gets everywhere and the gloss irritates my eyes. Sorry! You are free to read them on the front porch, but they must be stored outside of the house (perhaps in your car?)

This is not to sound discriminating, but, if you speak either French, Urdu, or Afrikaans, I kindly request that you not speak them in my vicinity as the cadences used in these languages are grating to the ears and nerves, for me.

I have fresh produce delivered from an undisclosed location to my home every Wednesday afternoon. Please do not purchase fruits or vegetables and bring them home. You can request any that you desire and I will add them to my order queue. (I am fastidious about potential-GM produce and pesticide usage – I will not tolerate either!) Also, if you insist on preparing red meat dishes in the home, do cook the meat thoroughly. IT MUST SIZZLE.

No cellphone tones in my home! Please use silent mode only!

You are not to use paints in the home. The noxious odours will aggravate my allergies!

That’s the summary of my requests! I do actually have a handbook which I will provide for your perusal during our interview (yes, there will be an interview for final-stage candidates) that outlines all of my more particular requests.

If you are interested, please email me the following information:

1. Name
2. Occupation
3. Age
4. Allergies
5. Favourite author

Cheers!

Technorati Tags: scary roommate, craigslist

…and they didn’t even get to make a sale.

I flew to North Carolina last week to spend some time with my family in their new house. They’ve only been there about a month, so as you can imagine there are still a plethora of boxes that need unpacking. Including the one with all of my Mom’s cookbooks.

It wasn’t a huge deal for Thanksgiving, since there’s really only one holiday recipe in my family that comes from a cookbook: the pumpkin pie. Instead of the “normal” pie, we make a chiffon pie, which, due to using a meringue, is lighter and airer than its normal cousin. It’s one of my favorites and, as my mother can tell you, among the most difficult to pull off: one heavy-handed moment with a spatula can deflate the egg whites and liquefy the pie. Digging into a pumpkin pie soup is a pretty crummy end to Thanksgiving day.

Rather than rummage about for the cookbook, we decided to use a recipe from the Internet, but as our night-before preparation time approached, we became skeptical of the ingredient list. The basics were all there: 3 eggs, some brown sugar and gelatin, but the spices didn’t seem right. We could glean from my mother’s pantry that some combination of allspice, ginger, and cinnamon were used, as they were the ones she’d brought to the new house, but we couldn’t remember exact proportions.

We were about to give up and use the internet recipe (which after examination was off because of its use of nutmeg) while I was Googling various variations of the name of the recipe. Then it hit me: we knew the name of the cookbook!

It was a long shot at best: the cookbook was published by the Junior League of Tampa, Florida, and hardly a Dan Brown bestseller or Oprah’s book club selection. But lo and behold, not only did Amazon.com have it in stock, but it was text-searchable!

For the truly concerned: search “Peerless Pumpkin Chiffon Pie” and see the recipe. Best part: the pie turned out perfectly.

I’ve long been thankful for Amazon’s “Look Inside” and “Search Inside” functionality. It’s an excellent feature that partially solves the “look but don’t touch” problem within online retailing: I’ll never be as satisfied by skimming the excerpts as I would loitering in Barnes and Noble reading, but it comes pretty close. I might just buy a book off my Amazon.com wishlist this week to say thanks.

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving, amazon.com, cooking, pumpkin pie

Crocs, those ugly shoes that have even earned the hate of Maddox, have apparently worn out their welcome. Shares of Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX) are giving back over 25% on weak earnings. In other words, if you bought a share of CROX yesterday, that share is now worth 75% of what you paid for it.

Of course, if you bought a pair of Crocs shoes yesterday, your life is worth about 3% of its original value. So go figure.

Technorati Tags: Crocs, Finance