I can’t tell you how many times a day I look for different folders on my PC or on my network shares at work. It’s just a fact of life. To find those folders, the average Windows user has to pull up Windows Explorer (perhaps starting with “My Computer” or “My Documents”) and double-click until they think they can’t double-click anymore… just to find the folder they’re looking for. I personally just hit Start+R on Windows to bring up the “Run” dialog box and then start typing in the full path of the folder I’m seeking. It’s quicker for me than the aforementioned process but it’s still annoying.

Regardless of how you locate your favorite folders day-in and day-out, QuickJump will inevitably replace your current method(s).

Basically, once installed, QuickJump allows you to locate any folder on your computer/network using a keyboard shortcut (CTRL+SHIFT+J). That’s followed by a window that pops up featuring a find-as-you-type index of folder names. Type all or just part of the folder’s name and hit enter. You’re then instantly taken to that folder. The video overview on techhit.com does a great job of showing you how fast the process actually is.

Because you probably don’t want to have every folder name on your computer indexed, the program allows you to specify certain locations. Any folders in those locations will be added to the index.

One of the more useful features of the app is that the window can be activated whilst within a save/save as/open dialog box. Activate the keyboard shortcut, type-to-find  your folder, hit enter and the dialog box automatically switches to the folder you found. That feature alone has saved me quite a bit of time over the last couple of months.

QuickJump is in private beta right now but TechHit has given us an invite code to share with our readers. Just hit techhit.com/QuickJump and enter the following code “fot88392018” (sans parentheses) to download.

TechHit also has a number of other productivity apps including TwInbox (previously OutTwit) for Twitter integration inside Outlook, FBLook (the same thing but for Facebook) and SimplyFile to speed up the process of sorting through your Outlook inbox.

In fact, thanks to a tip from the app’s author, I recently discovered that SimplyFile has a find-as-you-type navigation pop-up (similar to that which you see above in QuickJump) for browsing folders within Outlook. Find the folder you’re looking for and hit enter to automatically file your message. ‘Tis a God-send, right there.

Know of any similar time-saving apps in which =your fellow readers would be interested? Drop a line in the comments.

How, you ask? By using “fences,” of course.

Essentially, Fences are rectangular areas on your desktop that contain anything that your normal desktop can but with the added bonus of being able to have a label. Wow, that really doesn’t sound all that great… but let me finish.

Let’s say you, like most others, have about 3 dozen+ icons on your desktop. These can be folders, shortcuts to folders, shortcuts to applications, etc. Well, for most of us, these icons have different purposes. Some of them we use for work, some we use for personal use, some are used by our spouse(s), our kids and it goes on and on from there. Creating a “fence” for each icon group can help greatly simplify your desktop mess and help you quickly and easily find what you’re looking for.

One of the best aspects of Fences, for me at least, is the new “in-patenting-process” quick-hide feature. Double-click on an empty area of the desktop and the icons/fences will automagically & quickly fade out. Double-click again and they’re back. It’s a thing of beauty, really.

If you’re still not convinced, check out a video of Fences in action (complete with John Mayer background music… shudder, mute) below.

BTW, Fences is free for personal use, is currently in beta (what isn’t these days?) and is available for download now.

[via FreewareGenius]

Based on the number of projects you want to manage, there are a few different account types from which to choose: manage 2 projects for free, 5 projects for ~$14/mo, 10 projects for ~$28/mo and a few more. Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll be issued your own subdomain on the site (yourname.planzone.com) on which you can begin managing your projects.

Now, there are several sites out there that can help you manage your projects including Basecamp and activecollab, among others. However, one reason that PlanZone seems to stand out, at least in my eyes, is the visual way in which you can manage those projects.

For instance, the scheduling page for one of your projects has an interactive calendar outlining the time-span of your goal with the list of goal tasks over to the left. From the same page, you can create new project activities and adjust the timeline for each existing project activity.

Of course, all of the basic features you’d expect to find with a project management online app are there to be found: the ability to create groups, contributors, tasks and a wiki in which to put text, images and links relating to your projects.

If the site sounds interesting, check out some of the following pages on the official site for more information: pricing information, product details and the company’s blog.