ument, open it and select File•Properties.) On the Summary tab, enter the basic information—Title, Subject, keywords (for example, “restructuring,” “goals for 2007”), Comments, and so on. Need more? Click the Custom tab and enter additional properties—Client, Department, and so on. You can even create custom fields: Enter a name in the Name box, choose its type, enter a value that you define, and click the Add button. To search for documents, select File• File Search. In the Other Search Options area to the right, choose the drives or folders to search, the file types to find, and so on; then click the Go button. LOCK UP YOUR DOCS Word can secure your documents to a moderate degree. Choose Tools•Options, and then click the Security tab. To prevent unauthorized edits, type a password in the ‘Password to modify’ box; to disallow unauthorized viewing, type a password in the ‘Password to open’ box. To permit editing (to fill in a form, for example, or to use tracked changes), click the Protect Docu-
ment button and make your choices. But Word’s lockbox is easily picked. Try creating a watermarked PDF of your document with Docudesk’s deskPDF Professional ($30, find.pcworld.com/54106). The tool can generate tamper-proof PDFs using 128-bit security that restricts viewing, copying, pasting, and printing.
USE WORD’S OWN security features to control what others can do to your documents.
USE WORD AS A CALCULATOR Word used to have a Calculate function on the Tools menu. Select numbers anywhere in the text, and, with a click, Word could add, divide, and more. Press <Shift><Insert>, and the result was pasted into your document. Word could even resolve expressions such as ‘(5+5)*(3+3)’. This feature remains part of Word; it’s just hidden. To make it resurface, select Tools• Customize, and choose the Command tab and then Tools in the Categories panel on the left. Over in the right panel, locate Tools Calculate, grab it, and drag it over to a Word toolbar. To use the feature, highlight numbers in your document and click the new Tools Calculate button on your toolbar. The results appear in the status bar in Word’s lower-left corner. KEEP DOCUMENTS CONNECTED Your business proposal contains links to Excel worksheets, logos, and even parts of other Word documents. But if you put that proposal on your laptop and leave town, you will lose all the linked material. You can embed the material in the
fast searches of your calendar entries. This beta service could
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION: Base-
be a viable personal-calendar option if you’re satisfied with
camp (www.basecamphq.com) tracks and manages group proj-
quick, free, and simple. Another free beta, CalendarHub (www.
ects. The service’s prices start at $12 per month for a personal
calendarhub.com) provides nice calendars, easy sharing, group
plan, and at $24 for business plans. (A free trial is available.)
invitations, and publishing, with no ads as yet. Kiko (www.kiko.com) sends reminders via IM or text message.
• THE LATEST IN SEARCH: When a question stumps you,
Two calendar URLs let you share all or some of your events with
browse to Answers.com, which is particularly adept at technology questions. The next time someone asks what
anyone. The free service doesn’t yet stay in sync with Outlook, but the company is working on it.
VOO2DO.COM’S
blogs are saying on a subject, give Ask.com’s blog
FREE SERVICE lets
search feature (find.pcworld.com/54128) a try; it
• SITES FOR ORGANIZERS: Use Backpack (www.
you keep tabs on all
will clue you in to hot blogs on almost any topic.
backpackit.com) to organize everything from hiring
of your tasks.
—Laurianne McLaughlin
someone to preparing for a trip. Store notes, links, files, pictures, and maps—all the data you need. Voo2do (voo2do.com), a free task and project manager, organizes your items by priority and deadline, and tracks the time you spend on various tasks. Remember the Milk (www.rememberthemilk.com) stores random info. Add tasks via e-mail and send reminders to yourself or others in a slew of ways.
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