Just keep in mind the following when using NotesBuddy:

• This is beta software, so set your expectations accordingly.

• There are two versions of NotesBuddy, one with the IBM Voice Synthesizer and one without. Download the larger file (about 5MB) with the IBM Voice Synthesizer so you can really play with it.

• If you enable the voice notification of new messages, consider turning down the sound or putting on headphones. It would be pretty embarrassing to have the subject line of an inappropriate email read out loud for all to hear. Of course, this could also lead to a great practical joke on people who don't turn down the sound on their computers.

• You can change the voice that reads the notifications by clicking on Menu->Settings, selecting the How to Notify tab, and then clicking the "Advanced Settings" button.

• You can modify the look and feel of NotesBuddy by clicking on Menu->Settings, selecting the Options tab, and choosing a new theme to use.

• The ability to record a voice message is neat, but I found the quality to be low during testing. It will probably be necessary to tweak some of your audio/microphone settings to get this to work well.

Have fun playing with your new NotesBuddy!

Use Mood Stamps to help your messages stand out
I'm often so busy developing applications for Notes and Domino that I forget to take advantage of some of the nifty little features the Notes client has for doing basic things such as email. One of these is the ability to add Mood Stamps when sending email to other Lotus Notes users. Using Mood Stamps is one of those very simple features that few people use but which can help your email to stand out in someone's crowded Inbox Here's how to do it.

When composing a message, select the Delivery Options button in the action bar. On the Basic tab, select the mood you want to use from the Mood Stamp drop-down menu in the lower-right. Your choices are as follows: Normal (i.e., nothing), Personal, Confidential, Private, Thank You!, Flame, Good Job!, Joke, FYI, Question, and Reminder. Click OK to have your Mood Stamp applied to your message. You'll see a graphic for the selected mood added to the top of your email. What's even better, though, is that your recipient will see a matching miniature icon next to the message in their inbox, which may help separate your email from the pack.

The main problem with Mood Stamps, however, is that you have to consciously decide to use them and then set the options for every message you want to use them with. A simpler way to use Mood Stamps consistently is to create stationery. You can create stationery by selecting the Stationery view in the left-hand menu and then selecting the New Stationery button on the action bar. Set the mood you want to use as described above, make any other desired changes, and then save the stationery with a name that matches the mood. Then, the next time you want to send someone a joke or give them a big "Thank You!" just go to your inbox and select New Memo Using Stationery from the Tool menu on the action bar.