Pinned tabs are different. Permatabs keep the tab there no matter what. I can't close a permatab by accident, but I can close a pinned tab.

Use the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) acronym To make sure your message is read and understood.

I'm sticking with version 5 until there is an update for the Permatab extension. That's about the only thing keeping me from switching to Chrome, which loads much, much faster than Firefox.

Nope. The maps have no basis in reality. I live in a rural part of Vermont where I'm supposed to have coverage, but don't. I traveled 15,000 miles cross-country this spring and found the maps just don't match the actual coverage outside of urban areas.

I agree with the two (so far) other people who suggest you Google the executives of the company and then call their number, where a "fixer" will usually help you out. Sometimes that’s not enough. When the brick wall is solid, and the company is publicly traded, try calling their investor relations office and be extra…

The garbage bag trick works for dry trash, and is especially popular in hotel rooms. However, it's not so great for kitchen garbage cans where wet trash can ooze out and contaminate the waiting bags.

I'd love one to email.tom.buchanan@gmail.com.

Make a checklist of your property and belongings in the office (CD player, food in the staff refrigerator, personal folders in your desk, pictures on the wall, personal office supplies), and all the computer files that belong to you or that you will want (and have a right) to take with you, or that you need to delete.…

I use a lot of MRE's for summer camping, so I keep those handy for emergencies. I just buy the entrees and a few sides to meet my tastes, so it's not too expensive. You can get good deals on cases of full MRE's, but each packet has more food than I want or need, and the case deal is loaded with yucky things that this…

I have a desktop and a laptop that I use all the time, and an old desktop with flat panel monitor stuck in boxes, but still very usable (although lacking much power and memory).

It's pretty simple to review your emergency supplies a couple of times a year. I do it when I change the clocks. It just takes an hour or so to review the plans, check all the supplies, and then replace anything that is nearing outdated. And as "robbyburty" (below) suggests, I use the old MRE's for camping trips.

Naming the volume with a phone number either has too few characters to distinguish my various drives, or it's buried too deep in the properties where a non-tech won't find it. Instead, I include a pdf file called "If found please return to Tom Buchanan." The file then has my full name, postal address, phone number,…

Sometimes all you need to do is call the DA or prosecutor handling the case and lay out your argument. If you are convincing he may seek a dismissal, or might let you plea to a non-moving violation just to avoid the court time.

I've been using Windows 7 and Office 2010 for about three months on my new desktop, and really wish my netbook had the power (and screen real estate) to run both. Microsoft has sure had their problems with Vista, but they hit a home run with Windows 7 and Office 2010.

@RedRaider: Try Prey. There is a link at the end of the article in the Editors Note.

@Martin Wimmer: Sometimes companies install software to sleep or lock the computer if it isn't active for a period of time. I work at a school where we have a "walk-in" PowerPoint slide show to cover the 45 minutes when things are getting organized, but if the mouse isn't moved every 10 minutes the thing goes to…

Let me quibble just a bit with the story...the election is not "over a month away." It's happening right now. The formal election day may be more than a month away, but military and overseas ballots are already being placed in the mail, and in many states (like my own state of Vermont) voters can stop by their town…

@Jesse Wallace: You also have the respect of your employer. They know that you hustle to arrive on time, and if for some unusual reason you do arrive late it will be recognized as the exception, and not as rude and selfish. Reputation matters.

I only keep about a half dozen or so tabs open at any time (most of the time). I'll bookmark anything I want to visit later, and bookmark the main page of a site I'm working in if it has multiple tabs open. Then when the bar gets too crowded I close everything and start over.

I had some great roommates in college, and was able to maintain those friendships for years. Now I manage several shared seasonal houses and deal with a variety of roommate/housemate issues.