You work from a home office and you're on your own. That's good and bad, I know. Lunchtime is anytime you choose. Breaks? Ha, as many as you need (and sometimes more than you need, right?). But there are days when time's tight. So I'm going to share with you some of the tricks I use to streamline my day and be more efficient.

Streamlining Tips

It's the small things that sometimes count the most. For instance, I often e-mail lengthy Web site links to friends. If the URL breaks into two or more lines, there's a good chance that clicking it won't work. That means I have to kill time explaining how to fix it and maybe resending the message.

About a year ago, I told you about a free site that shortens a long URL. I found a better one: SnipURL. Among other things, the site lets you create URLs with nicknames. And what's really cool is that I can add an icon for it to my Internet Explorer Toolbar. When I'm at a site with a long URL, one click on the SnipURL icon opens a browser box, pops the shorter URL into the Clipboard, and automatically closes the box. Then I can just paste the shortened URL into my e-mail.

Want another time-saving ploy? Waste less time wading through a spam-laden in-box. Scott Spanbauer's "Internet Tips: The Junk Mail Hater's Guide to Opting Out" has the insider's info on which sites to visit and how to tell them to leave you alone.

You might also want to improve your browser's performance by visiting our Downloads site and trying out some of the "Free Utilities To Boost Your Browser." You'll definitely want to check out URLRun and WinHTTrack Website Copier, two of my favorites.

Dig this: I just love images of earth from space. If you do too, you've got to check out the Earth and Moon Viewer--it's an extraordinarily good site with images you can zoom in on. The images are big, so it may take a while to see them.

Better Web Digging

I'm going to save you a bundle of money and hours foraging on the Web. Say you regularly look for something specific, a key ingredient that fits into an ongoing project. I discovered a clipping service that does the dirty work for me: ICopyright.com.

I regularly use the site's free Clip and Copy service to get clearance to use articles in my work as a volunteer in city government. (Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, me, a town councilman.) Okay, if you must know, I track my name, articles that mention issues facing the council, and any potential contributions to the Bass Early Retirement Fund. [Where should I send the check? (Hah!) -Editor]

Better Web Shopping

If you're shopping for home-office computing equipment, read on. I've got a couple of ways to speed up the process.

Start by reading "Today's Super Bargains? Look on the Web," wherein I proffer a healthy number of tips on how to shop the Internet without getting burned.

If nothing else, I want you to download the spreadsheets I use for comparison shopping. Two geniuses--Tessa David and Dennis McGuire--created spreadsheets so perfect, they brought tears to my eyes. They're free, have instructions right in them, and are available from our Downloads site.

Each month untold numbers of editors spend long hours in hot cubicles, eating dinner at their desks, and testing equipment. (At least that's what they tell me.) What comes out of the cubes is PC World's Top 100, a compendium of product and equipment evaluations with lots of nitty-gritty details on PCs, notebooks, printers, monitors, CD-RW drives, and hard drives.

Speedier Printing

While you're saving time with other things, don't forget how time-consuming printing can be, especially when you need a report in a hurry. Read on for two time savers.

Imagine you're in the middle of printing something important, maybe the report that was due yesterday (kind of like this newsletter). Right on cue, your ink jet printer starts spitting out blotches instead of words. Hardware Guy Kirk Steers has some advice, things you can do before you run into trouble. Read "Hardware Tips: Make Your Ink Jet Printer Output Sparkle and Shine" by clicking here.

You can also save time and aggravation when printing by tweaking Windows. For advice, read "Windows Tips: Quick and Easy Ways to Master Windows Printing."

Dig this: This isn't something you'll see much after you turn forty, but you may: a birthday cake with those stupid candles that re-light. You're probably wondering how they work. No? How about lock picking? You already know all about it? Well, I'll bet you don't know how water blasters work.

Have a funny, snide, or time-wasting "Dig This" for me? Send 'em to: digthis@pcworld.com

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