Sometimes one of my clients calls in need of a little “long distance technical assistance.” This might be a simple “how do I…?” question or their issue might require multi-step troubleshooting. Either way, it’s often easier to show them than to try to explain it all in multiple back-and-forth emails or chat sessions — or even a “walking through” over the phone. And, demonstrating on their own computer, so they can see what I’m doing, means they are more likely to be able to do it themselves next time. Win-Win!
There are paid options for this, but I’ve found that one quick and easy way to be able to be able to show — using their own computer and their own mouse — is a little tool that presents itself as a Chrome extension. And, it’s a cross-platform tool — so if they have a Mac and I’m logged into my WIN7 machine, it works. Likewise, if I’m on my MacBook and they are using some flavor of Windows, I can still help them. That’s nice!
It involves opening up a session (two clicks from the apps screen of your Chrome browser) with a code shared with the client. The client will then type in the code and approve the share. Once the session is over, the code won’t work again. It’s easy, it’s secure and it gets the job done.
If you aren’t already using the Chrome Browser, I highly recommend it. I sing its praises to all my clients and now there is this new, uber-cool reason to use it. It’s called (simply enough) the “Chrome Remote Desktop” and it works like a charm. Download it today and put it in your arsenal of tools to help others!
(Note: Special thanks goes out to KentuckyComputerDoc.com for suggesting this tool when I was looking for the best option.)
I love my Google Apps account. Granted, I fret over how much Google knows about me… but I’m beginning to accept that the concept of “privacy” as I knew it growing up no longer exists. With that disclaimer firmly in place at the beginning of this blog, I’ll skip merrily along and share three great finds for email over on Google Labs with you (and a few bonus ones for Google chat users!)
(Note: I also use “Pictures in Chat,” “SMS in Chat,” and “Green Robot” to improve my chat experience — the first shows a mugshot of me and my chat partner, the second one lets me send and receive SMS messages from my contacts (so I don’t have to get up from my computer to go find the phone when I need to send one) and the latter lets me know if the people I’m trying to reach are at their computer or on their android device. These aren’t actually “email” labs, but I still wanted to share them.) 
!)
(pocket-sized) and add a high quality 
and 
. If you are particularly fond of this artist, add in a 
and/or 
or 
to create a portable art studio.
, instead. Be sure to tuck an 
in the pocket to support their reading habit. And dedicate it to the writer on the inside cover. No writer likes to be caught out without a place to capture ideas. IMHO, there’s no better, quicker, easier tool to capture those thoughts on the fly than a properly outfitted 
. Leather covers are nice too (see below.)
