Microsoft Excel – Repair numbers formatted as text

The Microsoft Office Blog details how a combination of the TRIM, CLEAN and Convert to Number functions in Excel can take numbers that are surrounded by extraneous data and make them usable again. Getting badly-formatted spreadsheets isn’t uncommon, so it’s good to know about these options even if you’ll still need to double-check the results afterwards — via lifehacker

Optus To Offer 24-Month Warranties With Contract Mobiles

Just yesterday, we mentioned that new consumer laws meant that items sold on a contract should be covered by a warranty for the life of that contract. Proving the point, the ACCC has negotiated a court-enforceable undertaking with Optus that means phones sold on a 24-month deal will be under warranty for that entire period — even for iPhone owners — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Google Bookmarks Import Without Using Google Toolbar

I really don’t understand why Google didn’t add a feature that lets you upload a bookmarks file exported by your browser to Google Bookmarks. Google still recommends to install Google Toolbar in Internet Explorer or Firefox to upload bookmarks, but this shouldn’t be necessary. That’s like installing Picasa to upload your photos to Picasa Web Albums.

Fortunately, Mihai Parparita built a tool for exporting your Delicious bookmarks to Google Bookmarks and it can be used to upload any bookmarks file to Google Bookmarks — via Google Operating System

Cyberspace When You’re Dead

Suppose that just after you finish reading this article, you keel over, dead. Perhaps you’re ready for such an eventuality, in that you have prepared a will or made some sort of arrangement for the fate of the worldly goods you leave behind: financial assets, personal effects, belongings likely to have sentimental value to others and artifacts of your life like photographs, journals, letters. Even if you haven’t made such arrangements, all of this will get sorted one way or another, maybe in line with what you would have wanted, and maybe not.

But many of us, in these worst of circumstances, would also leave behind things that exist outside of those familiar categories. Suppose you blogged or tweeted about this article, or dashed off a Facebook status update, or uploaded a few snapshots from your iPhone to Flickr, and then logged off this mortal coil. It’s now taken for granted that the things we do online are reflections of who we are or announcements of who we wish to be. So what happens to this version of you that you’ve built with bits? Who will have access to which parts of it, and for how long? — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Google faces its next big challenge: ridding itself of the spammers it created

There is, in the words of Jeff Atwood, trouble in the house of Google. It’s not unrest within the company that he’s talking about, though; it’s externally among users who are beginning to find that when they try to do searches to evaluate or buy consumer items – such as dishwashers, or iPhone 4 cases – or to find a site that will give them some useful answers, that Google’s results are awash with spam.

In fact, the problem that plagued the first generation of search engines such as Altavista now seems to be gaining traction on Google, which outdistanced those earlier rivals precisely because it dumped the spam so effectively — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Dell buys SecureWorks for IT security services

Dell announced Tuesday it is purchasing security services vendor SecureWorks, expanding its range of IT management offerings. Terms were not disclosed.

SecureWorks handles more than 13 billion security events and spots some 30,000 varieties of malware each day, according to a statement. Its customer base of about 2,900 clients includes more than 1,500 financial institutions and more than 15 percent of the Fortune 500 — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Trashmail is a Feature-Rich Disposable Email Service

We’ve looked at other disposable email services, like MeltMail and SpamBox, but TrashMail provides a huge amount of control over your disposable addresses and you can create them quickly, without visiting Trashmail, using a Firefox or Chrome browser extension.

Trashmail offers several features, but most notably you can customize your own disposable email address, specify the number of times that address can forward to you, and set an expiration date for the address as well. Trashmail also provides a browser extension for easier disposable address creation — via lifehacker

Universal storage module promises to transform portable data

Is a bonafide universal storage cartridge finally at hand? It is if the Serial ATA International Organization and its partnership with 200 some-odd consumer electronics and computer companies can successfully implement the Universal Storage Module spec announced Tuesday.

This isn’t the first attempt at creating a universal storage cartridge. We’ve seen previous efforts fizzle; proprietary efforts with limited mass market appeal; and kludgy efforts that use standard 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch hard drives — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Vodafone sets up taskforce to fix network issues as 9000 express interest in class action

Vodafone has set up a number of taskforce teams to try to fix network problems following a class action legal threat in which about 9000 customers have expressed an interest in joining.

Sydney law firm PiperAlderman last month sought disgruntled Vodafone customers to press a class action over dropped calls, bad reception and poor data performance — via The Sydney Morning Herald

Getting Started with HTML Emails

HTML emails are a great way to keep clients posted on the latest updates related to your business or product, but they’re a bit tricky. CSS support in email clients is inconsistent. As a result, we must resort to ancient techniques, such as using tables, and inline CSS. Today, I’m going to walk you through the process of creating simple HTML emails — via Nettuts+

How iTunes buyers are ripped off

Australian music fans are forging foreign iTunes accounts to make big savings on their purchases.

The practice, which is a direct breach to iTunes terms and conditions, has exposed the inflated price that Australians pay to access songs off the popular music and entertainment site.

By creating an American iTunes account through the use of a US credit card or gift card, users are saving up to 80c per song and $7 per album.

The recently released Beatles box set collection can be bought with a saving of more than $A100.

Deals offered on the internet also include $US50 vouchers on sale for $US40, increasing the savings further for music buyers — via vanessa-wilson73.newsvine.com

Sudden spam drop leaves experts baffled

Spam volumes appear to have dropped to averages last seen in 2008 after an expected surge in bogus email over the Christmas period failed to materialise.

Estimating real spam volumes is a notoriously difficult exercise thanks to a tendency of spam to naturally ebb and flow over time and the fact that no agency has a single view on the phenomenon. However, figures revealed in recent weeks by a number of companies that have compiled stats make curious reading – every vendor’s figures show a fall of some sort — via redwolf.newsvine.com