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For all the gadgets and software I use, making notes is something I still do with pen and paper. When I think of something related to a project or an event, I scribble it down in a Moleskin notebook for later reference. That system works great until I either don't have my notebook handy or I need to look something up and can't remember when I wrote it down or how I filed it. As a result, I'm attempting to ween myself off of paper and into a digital notetaking solution. Evernote is one solution I tried the first time I attempted this, so it's the solution I'm returning to this time as well. It was me that failed the transition, not Evernote.

One reason I think I will succeed this time around is convenient access to my notes from either my computer or my Android phone (Evernote also has an iPhone app). Last time I tried Evernote, I didn't have a phone with apps. Beyond the Web interface, the phone apps are what really makes Evernote great. You can take a picture and send it to your Evernote account for future reference. You can upload files. You can simply jot down notes. All of the data becomes searchable for later retrieval. Using separate note categories and using tags to label your notes, finding the data later is a snap. While there is a pay version with more features, the free version of Evernote is excellent and will get you more organized more quickly.

Quickly following Apple's announcement of the new Apple iPad, my favorite Seattle-based computer bag company, Tom Bihn announced two iPad additions to their product line. Cache, a protective sleeve, is designed to safely store your iPad and protect it from damage as you carry it anywhere. Cache has the added advantage of being airport Checkpoint Friendly, which means you don't have to remove your iPad from the Cache when going through security screening.

Ristretto for iPad comes in 5 different color combinations with enough room for your iPad, along with a days worth of travel supplies for commuting to and from anywhere. If you don't have an iPad, the Ristretto would also make a great Netbook bag.

My Tom Bihn Brain Bag has traveled to China, Taiwan, and all over the US. It still holds up as well as the day I got it. To date it remains the best bag I've ever owned. As an added bonus, I could walk down the street from my Seattle office and say hello to the people who made it.

"How do I connect to Xbox Live using wireless connectivity?"

To connect to Xbox Live using a wireless connection you need three equally important components to complete the process. You need a broadband connection like cable or DSL for high speed Internet access. You need a wireless router to accept the wireless connection from your Xbox 360. Finally, you need an Xbox Wireless Network Adapter from Microsoft. Additionally you do also need an Xbox Live account. After you have all the components, follow the steps below to setup your wireless connection to Xbox Live.

HP loaned me a Data Vault to try out in a small business setting. Data Vault is basically a HP MediaSmart server, re-envisioned as a backup solution for small businesses lacking the traditional client server configuration you might find at larger companies. Where HP MediaSmart focuses on making it easy for you to play music and movies, access photos, and backup files on your home network (all things Data Vault can also do), the primary focus of Data Vault is backing up files in a small office network.

The simplicity of setting up Data Vault for backups is both a blessing and a curse. You can literally configure any Windows computer for backups with the Data Vault in minutes, making it perfect for guaranteeing the ability to backup employee computers to prevent catastrophic data loss. If you occasionally work from home or travel, you can also configure remote access to the Data Vault, allowing you to recover files when you are away from the office. Simplicity also brought a bit of frustration on my part, because after configuring Data Vault I wanted it to do more.

At the end of each year, I like to take a look at which articles were popular throughout the year to see if I can anticipate what kinds of questions might bubble up in the coming year. More often than not a new software release or some new feature will pop up that throws off any hope of anticipating where the majority of questions might come from, but occasionally I catch something ahead of the curve. For instance, when I answered some questions about the RMVB file format back in 2005, I had no idea that it would be one of the most popular video formats for the next four years. Interest in RMVB is currently starting to tail off, correlating directly with the shutting down of file sharing services like The Pirate Bay.

As I look through the top 100 most popular articles published in 2009, a common theme emerges. Articles about productivity related solutions, things like using email, calendars, and IP fax services appear to pepper the list. More specifically, there appears to be a strong interest in making Google products like Gmail work with traditional desktop solutions like Outlook. Some of these articles benefit from having the full 12 months of 2009 to gain traction, but the article at #8 in the list below was published in August, which tells me it attracted a higher percentage of attention.

I did take the liberty of removing one article from the top 10 list because it was related to a game that is no longer available and #10 on the list may have limited usefulness due to the fact that the Windows 7 beta period is over.

Without further ado, here are the 10 most popular articles published in 2009:

1. How to Convert MP4 to WMV
2. How to Play Blu-ray DVDs with Windows
3. Convert WMA to MP3 on a Mac
4. Redirect Emails from Outlook to Gmail or Hotmail
5. How to Edit FLV Video Files
6. How to Burn iTunes Moves to DVD
7. How to Send Pictures to Facebook from a Cell Phone
8. How to Sync Outlook Contacts with Gmail
9. Xbox 360 Media Sharing
10. Burn a DVD from Windows 7 ISO Download

"I downloaded a movie and my computer won't play it. The file is a MKV. What is an MKV file and how do I play an MKV file?"

MKV is the Matroska Multimedia Container, which is a video container similar to AVI or MOV. MKV files can have many different kinds of video and audio file formats stored inside them, which makes having the correct software for playback a little tricky. The MKV format has recently become a very popular format for sharing movies because it works well with subtitles and also retains the quality of high definition movies. To play a MKV file, I recommend one player solution.

"I have a USB 2.0 Logitech headset. Will my USB headset work with an Xbox 360?"

The Xbox 360 console has specific requirements for any headset you want to use to communicate in games or when chatting via the Xbox Live Vision camera. The primary requirement is the headset must connect to the headset jack in your game controller. Since the controllers all use a 2.5mm audio input (similar to the jack found on many cell phones), using a USB 2.0 headset is simply not an option.

Does this mean you're stuck purchasing a headset from Microsoft?

"Do you know if I can reset the defaults on my iPod without using iTunes? my iPod is locked and I don't know the code to unlock my iPod. When I connect it to iTunes the iPod won't unlock."

If you set a screen lock code on your iPod, connecting the iPod to the original computer you first synced the iPod to should unlock the screen allowing you to reset the iPod screen lock code to something else. When that does not work, restoring your iPod to factory settings will reset the iPod screen lock code, which also results in deleting everything on your iPod, so be sure you have a back up before you start. If connecting to your computer doesn't solve your screen lock problem, look at these other options to get your iPod back in action.

"What are this year's Black Friday software discounts and deals?"

It's become an annual tradition for me to dig up some great deals on software and send them out to this list. I try to dig

Security Software Discounts

70% discount on VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware - when Black Friday ends, so does this offer. Get antivirus and antispyware protection for only $9.95 today only. Includes identity theft protection and anti-rootkit technology in addition to important protection from virus and malware outbreaks. This is the same company that makes top 5 rated Sunbelt Personal Firewall. You won't find any other commercial antivirus package at this price, so get VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware for $9.95 before the offer expires at Midnight on November 27, 2009.

Save 15% on TrustedID Identity Theft Protection Get 15 + Points of Protection from TrustedID, including their $1,000,000 Warranty, Lost Wallet protection, Medical Benefits monitoring, Fraud Alerts, and full-family identity protection for a 15% discount.

Roboform Password Manager - 33% Discount. Roboform is the password manager I strongly recommend, so it's great when I can offer a way for people to save money on it. With RoboForm password manager, you remember one password, RoboForm remembers the rest. RoboForm memorizes and securely stores your online and offline passwords, so you will never forget them again. Enjoy easy, one-click logins to your online accounts. Save time by completing online registration and checkout forms with one click. RoboForm gives your passwords and other personal data extra security (strong encryption provided), portability, and complete manageability. You can save 20% on Roboform using coupon code ROBO-VMWX-THRT. The Roboform discount expires December 7, 2009.

Business / Productivity Software Discounts

30% Off Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred when you use coupon code: giahh897e. Create documents, reports and e-mails three times faster than most people type -- with up to 99% accuracy using NaturallySpeaking 10. New Dragon Voice Shortcuts collapse common tasks into simple voice commands. You can even dictate into a handheld device when you're away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone. Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. This offer expires 11/30/2009.

30% Off PDF Converter Pro 6 using coupon code: j2bm26xoo PDF Converter Professional 6 provides PDF creation and editing for home and business users at a fraction of the cost of buying Adobe Acrobat. It provides everything needed to create, convert, and edit PDF files. This offer expires 11/30/2009.

Multimedia Discounts

Save 50% on Audiobooks for 3 months & get a $10 Coupon for your next purchase. I've been an Audible customer for several years now and I still consider it the best way to get audiobook content. This deal allows you to get your first 3 months at a substantial discount and the extra coupon makes it an even better deal. Expires 12.16.09

Buy Creator 2010 Pro and USB Capture Device and SAVE $60 Instantly. Basically this discount gets you the USB capture device for free when combined with the purchase of Roxio Creator 2010 Pro. The software includes video editing, photo editing, music editing, CD/DVD burning and a bunch of other features to help you manage your media. Offer Expires December 1, 2009.

Save 60% on Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate. Paint Shop Pro is still one of my favorite image editing solutions. The software does many of the things you can do with Photoshop for a tiny fraction of the price. Whether you're creating Web graphics, or trying to enhance your family photos, you really can't go wrong using Paint Shop Pro as your photo editing solution. Offer expires November 30, 2009

As part of my latest round of videos I did for HP, Andru Edwards and I walked through the process of upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows Vista (and XP). There are two primary scenarios you might be going through if you decide to upgrade. You're either going to replace the operating system on your current computer or you're going to buy a new computer and need to move all your files and settings. In either case, it's important to backup all your important files, so you don't end up losing anything in the process. Through a couple of videos, we walk you through the steps required to backup your files safely and complete a Windows 7 upgrade.

I've mentioned several times about how much I enjoy have a Kindle. The format is an absolute joy to read on, without all the eye fatigue I feel after several hours of staring at an LCD screen. For my travel schedule, the greatest thing about the Kindle is I can bring the 3-5 books I'm reading at any given time, without needing all the physical space created by having those books in my backpack. Of course, if I ever forget my Kindle, then I don't have any of those books. Amazon makes a Kindle iPhone app, but since I use an Android phone, that doesn't help. Enter the Kindle for PC software. As long as I have a computer and Internet connection, I can still download all of my Kindle library. The reading experience does not match up with the Kindle device, because reading on a PC comes with eye fatigue. Being able to adjust font size and reading column width are a great advantage over paper, because you can optimize the page for faster reading, but it remains imperfect. Like the Kindle hardware, if you finish a book, you can always download a new one. If you think you might want a Kindle, don't use this software to judge against the quality of the reading experience; it's just not the same. But if you have a Kindle and want to share your library with another family member (or simply forgot your Kindle) this is an acceptable alternative. [Windows 7/Vista/XP $0.00]

"I got an error while trying to install software on my Windows 7 computer. This is the error message: Error 2738. Could not access VBScript run time for custom action. How can I fix error 2738?"

This error is common to software applications that use VBScript for some portion of the install process. Error 2738 is an error that means VBScript is not properly configured to run on your computer. I encountered Error 2738 when I installed Verizon Access Manager, but there are many other times it can occur. To fix Error 2738 you may need to follow slightly different steps depending on your computer configuration.

"I'm have a large number of music playlists. I want to print playlist files of my music so that I can keep a record of my music collection."

Depending on what you currently use to manage your music collection, printing playlists might require additional software. To print a playlist in iTunes, for instance, you simply need to choose the playlist and Print from the File menu. Windows Media Player does not include the ability to print playlists, so you need to use another application. For most playlist management, I recommend using MediaMonkey, which has a ton of features you can't get from either Windows Media Player or iTunes.

"I am looking for a voice recognition to text program for transcribing the audio in my interviews. Got any ideas ?"

In my own experience, attempting to use software to transcribe audio recordings has met with mixed results. If there's a large amount of industry specific jargon used, the software fails miserably, leaving you spending more time cleaning up files than you would have simply by transcribing the audio the old fashioned way. A better result is to send your audio files to a transcription service like CastingWords.com. The quality is generally outstanding and the turnaround time is generally faster than most of us could do it ourselves. If you do insist on attempting to transcribe your audio using software, here are a few tips.

Amazon S3 became my primary solution for hosting images and download files over a year ago. It's also become an excellent place for me to post videos when I do projects for other people. What isn't so great about S3 is the lack of tools for getting data in to S3. For months I relied on the Firefox S3Fox plugin, which creates a sort of FTP-like interface for Amazon S3 in a Firefox browser window. Upgrades of Firefox periodically break this plugin, making it unavailable for uploading files at times. I tried various pay solutions and found them all to be largely worse than using S3Fox. Recently I started using CloudBerry Explorer for Amazon S3, which is free and does everything I need to get files from my PC to the Amazon S3 service. Like S3Fox, CloudBerry functions like an FTP client, except CloudBerry is a standalone application. Batch uploading is supported, you can configure permissions on files from CloudBerry, and overall I find CloudBerry Explorer to be far more reliable than S3Fox. A pro version adds support for compression to keep the upload cost of putting files on Amazon S3 down, along with encryption, support for multiple accounts and a sync between local files and Amazon S3. [Windows XP/Vista/7 $0.00]