How to make sure Gmail emails never land in spam

By Martin Brinkmann on November 29, 2012 - Tags:Gmail

Google has spam mostly under control on Gmail, and most users of the email service have to deal with spam only rarely when they use it. You may however run into situations where emails that you are expecting are not landing in the inbox but in the spam folder, which usually is the case if they are detected as spam.This can happen for instance if it is the first time you receive email from an email address as Gmail has no prior record of conversations which is a positive factor when deciding whether mails are spam or not.

Flagging legitimate emails as spam is a problem, but there are ways to configure Gmail that emails from select recipients or domains never land in spam.

Whitelist email addresses

To whitelist an email address or domain in Gmail so that emails sent from it are never flagged as spam do the following:

1. Click on the Options button at the top right on Gmail and select Settings from the context menu.
2. Switch to Filters at the top.
3. You can alternatively open this link which takes you to the Filters menu directly.
4. Click on Create a new filter.
5. Enter the filtering criteria. You can enter a full email address, e.g. test@example.com, adomain, e.g. @example.com, a name, e.g. Ronald Mc Donald, or the email’s username, e.g. test.
6. If you want, add additional criteria to the filter, for instance to only whitelist emails with attachments or emails that are sent to a specific recipient.
7. Click on Create filter with this search to be taken to the filter configuration screen.
8. Check the Never send it to Spam box here and click on Create filter to save it.

Gmail won’t flag emails that match the filter as spam anymore. It is recommended to be very cautious with this option, as you may inadvertently open a floodgate of spam if you configure it incorrectly. You can however use it to make sure emails from work, your favorite shopping site, or family will always land in your inbox.

How to make sure Gmail emails never land in spam

By Martin Brinkmann on November 29, 2012 - Tags:Gmail

Google has spam mostly under control on Gmail, and most users of the email service have to deal with spam only rarely when they use it. You may however run into situations where emails that you are expecting are not landing in the inbox but in the spam folder, which usually is the case if they are detected as spam.This can happen for instance if it is the first time you receive email from an email address as Gmail has no prior record of conversations which is a positive factor when deciding whether mails are spam or not.

Flagging legitimate emails as spam is a problem, but there are ways to configure Gmail that emails from select recipients or domains never land in spam.

Whitelist email addresses

To whitelist an email address or domain in Gmail so that emails sent from it are never flagged as spam do the following:

1. Click on the Options button at the top right on Gmail and select Settings from the context menu.
2. Switch to Filters at the top.
3. You can alternatively open this link which takes you to the Filters menu directly.
4. Click on Create a new filter.
5. Enter the filtering criteria. You can enter a full email address, e.g. test@example.com, adomain, e.g. @example.com, a name, e.g. Ronald Mc Donald, or the email’s username, e.g. test.
6. If you want, add additional criteria to the filter, for instance to only whitelist emails with attachments or emails that are sent to a specific recipient.
7. Click on Create filter with this search to be taken to the filter configuration screen.
8. Check the Never send it to Spam box here and click on Create filter to save it.

Gmail won’t flag emails that match the filter as spam anymore. It is recommended to be very cautious with this option, as you may inadvertently open a floodgate of spam if you configure it incorrectly. You can however use it to make sure emails from work, your favorite shopping site, or family will always land in your inbox.

Apple iTunes 11 has been released

By Martin Brinkmann on November 30, 2012 - Tags:multimedia

The iTunes software is best described as a media player with library and store functionality. Most iOS device owners have iTunes installed to manage and transfer audio, video and apps between their devices. It is a big program that has been heavily criticized in the past for being bulky and installing all kinds of additional services and programs on the PC.

Lets take a look if that still holds true or if iTunes 11 turns it around for Apple. Before I start I’d like to point out that you do not have to enter an email address on the download page to start the download. Just click on download now and you are good to go.

First thing you will notice after installation and running the software for the first time is that it features a new minimalistic design. The sidebar is not displayed by default anymore so that all space available is used by the main pane.

The new albums view for instance displays album sorted by cover in the pane. There is a small menu at the top that lets you navigate to other media types, e.g.  TV shows, podcasts or movies, and a sorting bar to change the view from albums to songs, artists, genres and so on.

When you play an album, its contents are displayed right on the page making the selection process comfortable and easy at the same time.

You can display the missing menus again if you prefer that view. To do so click on the top left corner icon and select Show Menu Bar from the options or press Ctrl-B. Select View > Show Sidebar or press Ctrl-S to display the sidebar on the left side. The sidebar itself does not seem to have changed at all though displaying playlists, links to your libraries, the store and other options right there.

The iTunes installation adds two items to the startup of the system automatically on Windows. This is the iTunes software itself and Apple Push. I recommend disabling both items unless you are using iTunes all day long or using the Apple Push notification service.

The Task Manager lists quite a few processes by iTunes. Some only when the software is running, others running all the time on the system.

• AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe – Only running when iTunes is running, provides the interface to Apple mobile devices. You can’t disable it, only uninstall it. Open the software control panel applet and uninstall Apple Mobile Device Support to get rid of it.
• distnoted.exe – Seems to be spawned by AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe. If you uninstall it, distnoted.exe will go away as wel.
• iTunes.exe – the main process, only up and running when the software is running on the system.
• iTunesHelper.exe – Listens to commands that help iTunes communicate with devices.

What’s your take on the new iTunes? Do you like the new minimalistic design?

Apple iTunes 11 has been released

By Martin Brinkmann on November 30, 2012 - Tags:multimedia

The iTunes software is best described as a media player with library and store functionality. Most iOS device owners have iTunes installed to manage and transfer audio, video and apps between their devices. It is a big program that has been heavily criticized in the past for being bulky and installing all kinds of additional services and programs on the PC.

Lets take a look if that still holds true or if iTunes 11 turns it around for Apple. Before I start I’d like to point out that you do not have to enter an email address on the download page to start the download. Just click on download now and you are good to go.

First thing you will notice after installation and running the software for the first time is that it features a new minimalistic design. The sidebar is not displayed by default anymore so that all space available is used by the main pane.

The new albums view for instance displays album sorted by cover in the pane. There is a small menu at the top that lets you navigate to other media types, e.g.  TV shows, podcasts or movies, and a sorting bar to change the view from albums to songs, artists, genres and so on.

When you play an album, its contents are displayed right on the page making the selection process comfortable and easy at the same time.

You can display the missing menus again if you prefer that view. To do so click on the top left corner icon and select Show Menu Bar from the options or press Ctrl-B. Select View > Show Sidebar or press Ctrl-S to display the sidebar on the left side. The sidebar itself does not seem to have changed at all though displaying playlists, links to your libraries, the store and other options right there.

The iTunes installation adds two items to the startup of the system automatically on Windows. This is the iTunes software itself and Apple Push. I recommend disabling both items unless you are using iTunes all day long or using the Apple Push notification service.

The Task Manager lists quite a few processes by iTunes. Some only when the software is running, others running all the time on the system.

• AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe – Only running when iTunes is running, provides the interface to Apple mobile devices. You can’t disable it, only uninstall it. Open the software control panel applet and uninstall Apple Mobile Device Support to get rid of it.
• distnoted.exe – Seems to be spawned by AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe. If you uninstall it, distnoted.exe will go away as wel.
• iTunes.exe – the main process, only up and running when the software is running on the system.
• iTunesHelper.exe – Listens to commands that help iTunes communicate with devices.

What’s your take on the new iTunes? Do you like the new minimalistic design?

VLC Kickstarter campaign for Windows 8 port

By Martin Brinkmann on November 29, 2012 - Tags:media-player, multimedia

The popular media player VLC is currently only available for the desktop part of the Windows 8 operating system, and here only on systems running Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, but not Windows RT, which Surface tablets run on for instance.

A demo of the player has been released as a video in the beginning of November, but it was not really clear back then if, how and when the player would make its debut as a Windows 8 Store application.

A campaign on the popular Kickstarter crowd financing platform sheds some light into future development plans. The VLC development team needs £40,000 to create a VLC application for Windows 8 that will run on the start screen on both Intel and ARM systems.

Here is the presentation that VLC has uploaded as part of the campaign.

What is probably most interesting from an end user perspective is the intention to build a media player that supports CD, DVD and unencrypted Blu-Ray playback out of the box without need for media packages and the like. As you may know, Media Player does not support DVD playback on Windows 8 until an add-on package is bought and installed. While that is free right now, it will come as a price in the future.

The developers plan to create a version of VLC that will be offered in Windows Store to reach the maximum number of users. This is actually the only way the program can be made available for users of Windows RT.

VLC for Windows 8 will be created by core members of the VideoLan team who will work full time on the project if the funding goal is reached. About that: VideoLan has set the goal to £40,000 which may not sound like much in times when certain games ask for one million Dollar or more. Considering that you are not getting a game in the end, but an application that is offered for free in the store, it could become a challenging goal.

Pledges start at £3 which will add your name to the list of sponsors. You get a VLC for Windows 8 t-shirt at £40. Companies may be interested in a banner opportunity on the VLC for windows 8 website for a limited amount of time.

£2400 of the requested amount have been reached so far with 29 days to go. Do you think that VideoLan will achieve the amount they are hoping to get?

VLC Kickstarter campaign for Windows 8 port

By Martin Brinkmann on November 29, 2012 - Tags:media-player, multimedia

The popular media player VLC is currently only available for the desktop part of the Windows 8 operating system, and here only on systems running Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, but not Windows RT, which Surface tablets run on for instance.

A demo of the player has been released as a video in the beginning of November, but it was not really clear back then if, how and when the player would make its debut as a Windows 8 Store application.

A campaign on the popular Kickstarter crowd financing platform sheds some light into future development plans. The VLC development team needs £40,000 to create a VLC application for Windows 8 that will run on the start screen on both Intel and ARM systems.

Here is the presentation that VLC has uploaded as part of the campaign.

What is probably most interesting from an end user perspective is the intention to build a media player that supports CD, DVD and unencrypted Blu-Ray playback out of the box without need for media packages and the like. As you may know, Media Player does not support DVD playback on Windows 8 until an add-on package is bought and installed. While that is free right now, it will come as a price in the future.

The developers plan to create a version of VLC that will be offered in Windows Store to reach the maximum number of users. This is actually the only way the program can be made available for users of Windows RT.

VLC for Windows 8 will be created by core members of the VideoLan team who will work full time on the project if the funding goal is reached. About that: VideoLan has set the goal to £40,000 which may not sound like much in times when certain games ask for one million Dollar or more. Considering that you are not getting a game in the end, but an application that is offered for free in the store, it could become a challenging goal.

Pledges start at £3 which will add your name to the list of sponsors. You get a VLC for Windows 8 t-shirt at £40. Companies may be interested in a banner opportunity on the VLC for windows 8 website for a limited amount of time.

£2400 of the requested amount have been reached so far with 29 days to go. Do you think that VideoLan will achieve the amount they are hoping to get?

Surface Pro: price and battery life disappoint

By Martin Brinkmann on November 30, 2012 - Tags:pc, Windows 8

I had high hopes for the Surface Pro ever since Microsoft announced that it would release the device a few months after the Windows 8 operating system. It was the device that I was looking for, running a full version of the operating system allowing me to run my legacy x86 programs on the device. The Full HD resolution, enough RAM, the form factor and the design with its integrated kickstand and attachable keyboard had me hooked.

I already had plans to replace my bulky laptop with the Surface Pro on business trips and other adventures, as its size and weight surely would make it ideal for that.

Several important factors, like price, availability and battery life, have been revealed by Microsoft yesterday. The Surface Pro will be available in January 2013. I had hopes that it would be available in December but a January release is not really something that is bothering me a lot.

But price, that is a different kind of beast. The Surface Pro starts at $899. For that, you get the 64 Gigabyte version and no keyboard. That’s right, if you want a keyboard, and who would not want one considering that the alternative is the on-screen keyboard, you have to pay an extra $119 to $129 which makes the device cross the $1000 mark. The 128 Gigabyte model starts at $999, without keyboard as well, so that you end up at more than $1100 for it.

That’s $1000 for a 10.6″ device with a Core i5, 4 Gigabyte of Ram, 64 Gigabyte of hard drive space, and onboard graphics.

Even if price is not a issue here, there is another factor that may convince you that the device is not the one you are looking for. Microsoft General Manager Panos Panay yesterday revealed on Twitter that the battery life of the Surface Pro will “have approximately half the battery life of Surface RT”. What this means is that you get 4 hours and 30 minutes, plus minus a couple of minutes, of battery life when you run a fully charged device.

Does that sound like a truly mobile device that you can take with you on business trips? It won’t last through a single work day without charging, and that’s disappointing.

It is a disappointing development. I would not mind the price that much, as I have set my upper limit for the device to $1000, but the battery is the deciding factor that put me over the rail.

There are rumors that Microsoft is already preparing second generation Surface devices.

• There will be a Surface RT 2 that uses an 8.6-inch display and will have a Qualcomm chipset, as opposed to the NVIDIA Tegra chip used in the current Surface RT
• The Surface Pro will be updated to an 11.6-inch display, and will ditch the Intel Core i5 CPU for an upcoming and yet-to-be-released AMD “Temash” APU
• There will be a third Surface called the “Surface Book” that has a 14.6-inch display, and an Intel 22nm “Haswell” chip

What about you? Has the revelation of price and battery life changed your perception of the Surface Pro? Which device would you recommend instead?

Surface Pro: price and battery life disappoint

By Martin Brinkmann on November 30, 2012 - Tags:pc, Windows 8

I had high hopes for the Surface Pro ever since Microsoft announced that it would release the device a few months after the Windows 8 operating system. It was the device that I was looking for, running a full version of the operating system allowing me to run my legacy x86 programs on the device. The Full HD resolution, enough RAM, the form factor and the design with its integrated kickstand and attachable keyboard had me hooked.

I already had plans to replace my bulky laptop with the Surface Pro on business trips and other adventures, as its size and weight surely would make it ideal for that.

Several important factors, like price, availability and battery life, have been revealed by Microsoft yesterday. The Surface Pro will be available in January 2013. I had hopes that it would be available in December but a January release is not really something that is bothering me a lot.

But price, that is a different kind of beast. The Surface Pro starts at $899. For that, you get the 64 Gigabyte version and no keyboard. That’s right, if you want a keyboard, and who would not want one considering that the alternative is the on-screen keyboard, you have to pay an extra $119 to $129 which makes the device cross the $1000 mark. The 128 Gigabyte model starts at $999, without keyboard as well, so that you end up at more than $1100 for it.

That’s $1000 for a 10.6″ device with a Core i5, 4 Gigabyte of Ram, 64 Gigabyte of hard drive space, and onboard graphics.

Even if price is not a issue here, there is another factor that may convince you that the device is not the one you are looking for. Microsoft General Manager Panos Panay yesterday revealed on Twitter that the battery life of the Surface Pro will “have approximately half the battery life of Surface RT”. What this means is that you get 4 hours and 30 minutes, plus minus a couple of minutes, of battery life when you run a fully charged device.

Does that sound like a truly mobile device that you can take with you on business trips? It won’t last through a single work day without charging, and that’s disappointing.

It is a disappointing development. I would not mind the price that much, as I have set my upper limit for the device to $1000, but the battery is the deciding factor that put me over the rail.

There are rumors that Microsoft is already preparing second generation Surface devices.

• There will be a Surface RT 2 that uses an 8.6-inch display and will have a Qualcomm chipset, as opposed to the NVIDIA Tegra chip used in the current Surface RT
• The Surface Pro will be updated to an 11.6-inch display, and will ditch the Intel Core i5 CPU for an upcoming and yet-to-be-released AMD “Temash” APU
• There will be a third Surface called the “Surface Book” that has a 14.6-inch display, and an Intel 22nm “Haswell” chip

What about you? Has the revelation of price and battery life changed your perception of the Surface Pro? Which device would you recommend instead?