It's that time of year again. Americans are making their New Year's resolutions and according to experts, nearly 85% of these will never happen. What's on the list?

What are the most popular New Year's resolutions?
Tops is weight loss; next are finding ways to manage money or create more free time for family, friends and leisure. Can technology help or just get in the way? Well, that depends on which technology.

Junk Mail: The single biggest timewaster is sorting through your own junk email. Did you know that somewhere around 22-33% of the mail people receive is stuff they've never asked for? You want to use the junk filters built into your applications and Internet services. They'll save you hours.

Keeping Up on News: Keeping up on ALL the literature in your profession can be a full time job. A better idea is to find a portal that gives a daily news synopsis. I use mediabistro and refdesk to keep up on journalism and news.

Free Download Sites: Another big timewaster are the peer-to-peer free download sites. They'll cost you time and money in the long run. They literally leave a back door open to viruses, identify theft, hackers and now, law suits.

Can websites save you time?
They can if you learn to maximize your search time. Google users should click through to their Advanced Features. Life will be changed forever.

Always be on the lookout for new and better ways to get your chores done.
www.Fujifilm.com/print is offering a new time saving photo service. You can upload your digital photos and get truly professional quality prints in just one hour later for as little as 18 cents a print. How do they manage the one hour trick? You can pick up your prints at your favorite retailers nationwide - just enter your zip code for your nearest location, or let them know if you'd rather have them mailed home. It's a great option for last minute planners or those who were going to be out doing errands anyhow.

Or just have the gadgets do your chores for you. No one likes vacuuming, but no one likes a dirty house either. Roomba (www.roomba.com) made its name as the first affordable home robot, and people say it really keeps their homes cleaner. It vacuums any surface, and it's especially popular with busy parents, pet owners and people who have a tough time vacuuming because of back trouble or age. For $149 that's a lot of free time.

Gadgets Need Planning
Gadgets can save you time, but it helps if you plan ahead for issues like compatibility and installation. For example, plasma screens are tops on many wish lists this season, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, and the sweet spot is a 42 inch plasma with HDTV. HP's entry into the market hit the sweet spot on the head and it's only 4 inches thick as well. But, before you buy, you need to make sure that you've contacted your local service provider and arranged to have HDTV service installed or you'll find that you're sitting and waiting when you could be enjoying. (www.hpshopping.com)

Experts agree that the organized life is the only way to go if you're serious about saving time. Handheld computers help you organize your personal, family and work life, wherever they take you. The most popular handheld ever made is PalmOne's Tungten E. Why? It uses PalmOne's easy-to-use interface, it's small and sleek with a bright color screen, and it's affordable at $199. You can even play music, videos and photos on it and download from thousands of low-cost PalmOne (www.palmone.com) tools to manage everything from diet, to workout, to finance. No excuses for breaking those resolutions!

What about those New Year's projects? Software can save you time too especially when it comes to planning and organizing. For example, with Microsoft Office OneNote 2003, (www.microsoft.com) you can easily manage an entire house renovation project. Just like your 3-ringed binder, you have electronic folder sections that make it easy to organize different parts of the project like pricing, materials or color swatches and include websites, notes, photos, diagrams and more.

And look for low cost gadgets as you try to shave minutes here and there. Circuit City offers almost 300 gadgets like from a wireless thermometer that let's you stop trotting back to the stove, to an FM Radio/pedometer that keeps up on news while you exercise, and a pop-it-off-in-a-second Co2 Wine Opener. (www.circuitcity.com)

What is your point of view? Please post your thoughts on the discussion board.

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