Archive for the 'Web/Tech' Category
It’s Like a USB Pen Drive Without the USB Pen
Allen January 20th, 2006
I came across a reference to FolderShare.com in a Getting Things Done Yahoo group post. It sounds interesting so I’m currently checking it out.
The software/system allows you to syncronize folders between two or more computers. Provisions are made for both Windows and Macs, but alas, not Linux.
Foldershare is now owned by Microsoft. I can’ help but wonder if they are positioning themselves to run against the supposed GoogleOS that I imagine will be very network centric.
As a note, I currently keep my GTDTiddlyWiki and OpenOfficePortable on my USB Pendrive. Other files may come and go, but those remain.
Konica Handle The Competition Anymore
Allen January 19th, 2006
I’ve been looking at upgrading our digital camera and have been waffling about which one to purchase. I read with interest that Konica Minolta Quits Photography Market. Given that that was one of the camera makers I was considering, I’m glad I waited.
Now I need to waffle about whether I want to not purchase one or to purchase one. Not purchase one because the support will be non-existantl. Purchase one because I usually don’t use tech support and the prices will probably be dropping off the table.
Perhaps now I can afford a digital SLR?
Tip: Read the title with a slight Scottish brouge.
Piled Up Another 20 Draft Posts
Third Base
Allen December 1st, 2005
Finally cleared out a bunch of draft posting that I really, really meant to finish up but never did find time to do.
How many?
I ‘dunno. I’d say about 3 Brazilian.
Note: I’m a supporter of our President and his War on Terror Fascism, but some jokes are too good to pass up.
Google Maps + Wikipedia = Placeopedia.com
Allen September 20th, 2005
What do you get when you combine Google Maps with Wikipedia? Placeopedia.com.
Simply enter in the text for an existing Wikipedia entry, click on a Google map and a short confirmation email later, a marker is placed on top of a Google map.
Pretty cool.
What happens when you combine
Allen September 15th, 2005
A "spam magnet" and Google maps? Mailinator:Spam Map.
Mailinator allows you to create a temporary email address and check back later for emails arriving at that address. Your temporary email address is deleted after a few hours, so it isn’t as permanent as Yahoo’s AddressGuard.
Combine mailinator with Google maps and you get a cool application that lets you pin-point where the spam servers reside (well, sort of — it uses whois documentation for the address).
Enjoy!
BTW: Still very busy at work. Have several draft postings that I’m trying to either (a) clean up or (b) purge. I still refuse to do a link-dump.
Firefox Extensions
Allen August 25th, 2005
If you haven’t tried Firefox (a web browser), please give it a try. It is one of my favorite applications and I now rarely use IE except for pages that are broken (hear me Yahoo Mail?).
One of the nice things for Firefox is the ability to add extensions. Here is my current toolset:
- Yahoo! Toolbar
- Allows you to access all your Yahoo! goodies from your browser. My Web, email, etc. Of course, if you see Yahoo as the embodiment of all evil, you probably won’t want this toolbar.
- NoScript
- Allows you to block JavaScript of all websites, by default. You can authorize JavaScript for those sites you trust.
- BugMeNot
- Ever visted a site that required you to register? This allows you to left-click into a text field for the user name and get a fake user name from BugMeNot.
- IE View
- Allows you to re-open a window in IE (or mark it as always opened in IE).
- Popup ALT Attribute
- A somewhat controversial extension for web-purists. This displays the ALT tag when you hover over an image — just as IE does. The TITLE tag is what web authors should be using for this field, but many use the ALT tag instead.
- miniT
- One of the newest extensions I’m trying out, it allows you to drag tabs around to re-arrange them. BTW, tabbed browsing is one of the best features of Firefox.
- SessionSaver
- Remembers all the tabs and where they were when you exit out of Firefox. Next time you fire up, the browser appears exactly as you had loaded last time.
Everybody sing now!
Allen August 17th, 2005
(sung to "Where Have All The Flower’s Gone?")
Where have all the Unix gurus gone?
Long time going.
Where have all the Unix gurus gone?
Long time ago.
The AT&T research department that invented Unix has finally disbanded.
So Where Have All the Unix Gurus Gone?
I don’t fault AT&T for disbanding this group — a ghost of its former self. The seeds of this destruction were sown in the Judge Green breakup of AT&T. Once AT&T was no longer a monopoly, it eventually was not going to be able to support the Unix parasite. Not that I think Unix (and its derivatives) are parasites. It’s just that Unix was never really a focus for AT&T.
BTW, I know the guy who told Bill Gates that he couldn’t use the ‘/’ as a directory separator. He was an engineer where I used to work a long time ago. Apparently AT&T patented that concept and didn’t want to give it to this young software geek who was bothering us. So stupid software patents are not something that is new.
[Via SlashDot]
YAKIA
Allen July 15th, 2005
Yet Another Killer Internet Application
Google Earth is a desktop application that interfaces with earth.google.com to provide fly-by maps, fly-by directions, searches, etc. Want to fly around the streets of Bagdad without someone taking a potshot at you? No problem!
It is currently in beta mode, but I haven’t found anything to complain about. I highly recommend the free version. A $20 (per year) version is available. I’m going to check it out to see what it offers.
My only complaint is parts of the map are very fuzzy. My grandparent’s home of "Foss, OK" is purple/green/brown splotches. I first noticed it with sections of Disney World in Florida. At first I thought perhaps Disney had paid to "fuzz" out sections, but I seriously doubt anyone in Foss is that worried that someone will have virtual fly-by rights over their house.