John Lawlor

ActiveWords, is a computer desktop productivity tool that automates many common activities that users perform every day. As you type, ActiveWords logs each word, even if a text editor is not being used. Once the appropriate function key (F8) is pressed, the action associated with that key word is performed. Actions can be any of the following:

• Substitute text
• Launch a programme
• Open a document
• Navigate to an Internet site
• Send an email
• Open a folder
• Run a script.

This is a great time saver and I have become a fan already. It cuts out a lot of pointing and clicking and makes life on the desktop just that little bit easier.

I use the keyword “outlook”, followed by F8 to open Outlook. I email several people regularly and by associating a keyword with them, in seconds I can open up a new Outlook email already addressed to them. I also use a few documents regularly and a short keyword opens each of them for me. There are a number of add-ons available for the product that are quite useful. These provide pre-defined keywords and menus for use with popular Internet services such as Google, MSN and Yahoo.

At the moment, I understand that ActiveWords is only available for the Windows platform.

You can download a free 60-day trial from the ActiveWords website. I was very pleased, shortly after downloading the programme, to be contacted by Buzz Bruggeman, one of the owners of the business, offering to go through the programme with me on a Skype call. Now that’s what I call service!

So why not check it out and if you like it, leave a comment and let me know.

Just some removable devices

The recent loss by PA Consulting of data about criminals in Britain raises many questions about data security and highlights the difficult of guaranteeing privacy and security of data.  With the proliferation of portable storage devices, coupled with their increasing capacity and low cost, the challenges of maintaining data privacy and security are considerable.

I expect that PA signed all the necessary confidentiality agreements, security policies, data management policies, etc, when agreeing the contract with the Home Office. I expect that they also provided the necessary assurances to the client when negotiating the work. And I expect that the client took assurance from all of this. And yet, despite that, a significant breach of confidentiality and data security occurred, exposing both the contractor and the Home Office to being sued.  So, if policies and procedures, signed declaration and undertakings aren’t adequate protections, what can a client do when engaging third parties, or, indeed, protecting data from disclosure by staff? Continue reading ‘Data loss by PA Consulting’ »