A bigger, better newsletter with Support Alert

By Brian Livingston

I'm extremely proud to say that Windows Secrets is joining together with the Support Alert Newsletter, a major tech publication.

When our two newsletters merge on July 24, we'll reach over 400,000 subscribers in total and add new content from one of the world's best sources of Windows software reviews.

Meet our senior editor, Ian 'Gizmo' Richards

The Support Alert Newsletter has been edited since 2002 by Ian Richards (left), known to everyone as "Gizmo." Prior to that, the newsletter was run by tech writer Robert Schifreen. At its inception in 1998, the publication was entitled PC Alert, but was renamed Support Alert in 2000.

Gizmo's made quite a name for himself on the Web by writing today's best danged reviews of downloadable software, especially free software. He built up Support Alert to the point that it had about 150,000 e-mail subscribers.

By merging his newsletter with Windows Secrets, Gizmo liberates himself from the production drudgery of e-mail publishing (that's my job). Now, as our senior editor, his time will be free to concentrate on rating free software for our more than 400,000 combined subscribers. Watch out, Microsoft — there's no stopping him now.

Gizmo's newfound extra time doesn't mean he's retired yet (like our former editor, Fred Langa). Gizmo will still run his own Web site, TechSupportAlert, and exercise his fondness for exploring the world. A few days ago, he threatened to submit an upcoming column from somewhere in Mongolia. I think he was kidding, but with Gizmo you never know. The first time I met him in person, he was on his way to Machu Picchu.

We're combining our two names temporarily

We want to help Gizmo's 150,000 subscribers recognize that the two publications have merged. For this reason, our site has started using a combined logo: Windows Secrets & Support Alert (shown at left). Our newsletters in late July and early August will bear the combined wording, too.

All that's a mouthful, so after the transitional period, we'll shorten the name to simply Windows Secrets.

The combined publication will come out weekly, as the Windows Secrets Newsletter has done since 2006. The old Support Alert Newsletter was monthly. We hope Gizmo's subscribers will appreciate getting the latest tricks of Windows a bit more often.

The new kid offers us the best bonus ever

As a howdy-do to all Windows Secrets subscribers, Gizmo has created for us an all-new e-book, 9 Free Programs Every PC Should Have (left). Even I — with so many downloads that my wife calls me Mr. Disk Full — didn't know about every one of these great and totally free apps.

This printable, 38-page PDF document brings together in one place Gizmo's top recommendations on the most essential utilities of all time. You can read the e-book and immediately download any or all of the programs it reviews.

Even if you don't need any more software at the moment, having this e-book will help you out when some special situation calls for just the right utility.

This e-book is not available anywhere else. Only newsletter subscribers can get it. To obtain your copy, simply use the following link to go to your preferences page:

Go to your preferences page and get your free bonus

After you've updated your preferences and clicked the Save and Continue button on the page, you'll see a download link to get the e-book.

Got two notices? Merge your subscriptions

Gizmo and I have already de-duplicated our lists. That means no single e-mail address should receive two copies of the newsletter. But if you received merger notices today from both Gizmo and me, it means that you're subscribed to both of our newsletters using two different addresses.

If you got two notices today, use the following link to merge your two subscriptions into one:

Use this link to merge two subscriptions

Anyone who had a paid subscription to either Support Alert or Windows Secrets (but not both) still has the same number of paid weeks remaining.

If you have a paid subscription to both newsletters — and you merge your two subscriptions — your number of remaining weeks will be added together so you won't lose any value. Aren't computers great?

How to make sure your content isn't filtered out

Now that Gizmo will be writing for us regularly, our newsletter will be peppered with even more of those objectionable four-letter words that spam filters can't stand, like "free" and "link."

Today — right now — take two simple steps to make sure the Windows Secrets & Support Alert Newsletter gets through to your inbox:

Step 1. Enter our "From" address, which is shown in the image below, into your e-mail program's Address Book and any "safe senders" list it uses.

Step 2. If you work for a company that manages its own mail server, you can get even more reliable delivery by "whitelisting" the newsletter's Internet Protocol addresses. Ask your administrator to accept mail from the following IP addresses. We use these addresses to send you the newsletter as well as our replies when you write to us:

72.9.103.50 and 72.9.103.51
216.182.80.209
64.81.169.38

The two steps described above are the only things we've found effective to help you receive our e-mails with no problems.

Get all of Gizmo's new reviews with no fixed fee

Gizmo's twice-monthly reviews of the best software will appear in the paid section of our combined newsletter. If you're a paying subscriber, you'll automatically receive Gizmo's new column — and the rest of our paid content — via e-mail and at the WindowsSecrets.com site.

If you're not already a paying subscriber, make sure you get Gizmo's new reviews — and all of our paid articles — by making a financial contribution of whatever amount it's worth to you. Just use the following link, and you'll immediately be upgraded to a paid sub:

How to get our paid content with no fixed fee

The old Support Alert Newsletter had a set fee for its paid edition — but Windows Secrets, as always, lets you decide how much you wish to contribute. We simply want as many people as possible to have access to all of our secrets.

No paid content in news updates; see you July 10

This is a special news update, which has no difference between free and paid content. Everyone receives the same bulletin.

Our next regular newsletter will be published on Thurs., July 10. We publish four times per month on Thursdays. We skip any fifth Thursday, the week of Thanksgiving, and the last two weeks of August and December.

Thanks for your support!

Brian Livingston is editorial director of WindowsSecrets.com and the co-author of Windows Vista Secrets and 10 other books.