TOTW: three tools to help you declutter and get organised for 2013

TOTW: three tools to help you declutter and get organised for 2013

Time for a computer clean-up? (Image: Flickr user garryknight.)

We're just easing ourselves back into the swing of things here at IT Donut, so normal service on the site will resume next week.

However, as is traditional at this time of year, we've been wondering how to start 2013 with a clean slate, ready and organised for whatever comes our way. As a result, we've identified some services that can make a real difference to how your year begins.

So, for this Donut tip of the week, here are three tools to help you declutter, get organised, reduce distractions and speed up your PC:

1. Unblock your inbox with Unroll.me

If you subscribe to a lot of email newsletters or receive lots of email notifications from services like Facebook and Twitter, Unroll.me can help you reduce the clutter in your email.

It works with Gmail, Google Apps and Yahoo Mail. Once you've signed up (it's free), Unroll.me analyses your inbox to find messages you receive regularly, then lists them for you.

You can unsubscribe from anything you no longer want in a single click, so there's no need to click lots of separate unsubscribe links. Unroll.me will then combine your remaining subscriptions into a 'rollup'.

This means instead of being distracted by messages throughout the day, you'll receive a single message containing everything in one go - at the time you select.

Also consider: clicking the unsubscribe link in every email newsletter you don't read over the next month.

2. Clean up your computer with CCleaner

CCleaner is an old favourite here at Donut Towers. This small piece of software will scan your computer for unnecessary files that are taking up space.

It'll also help you identify software that's running but not needed (this can slow your computer) and fix problems with the Windows Registry, a database which holds the settings for lots of your software.

The overall result should be more space on your hard drive and improved performance. CCleaner is available for Windows and Mac.

Also consider: clearing your web browser's cache and cookies and using Soluto to make your PC start faster.

3. Make sense of your to-do list with Any.DO

Any.DO is a simple, elegant to-do list app that reckons it can help you 'make things happen'. It's a cloud-based tool that works on your computer and smart phone, so you can see your to-do list from almost anywhere.

It's all about simplicity, so instead of a bewildering array of options, you just see what you need to do today, tomorrow, soon and 'someday'.

Also consider: Remember The Milk, another great task list app. Or go old skool with pen and paper.

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