Computers & Internet

Visually Showing Data in Real Time

2008-09-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Some interesting sites showing live data location visually on a map.

http://www.angelsoft.net/

http://www.thisnext.com/activity/map/

Google Chrome web browser useful?

2008-09-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Google fans are amazed at some of the features in Google Chrome, Google's new web browser which was recently released. Unfortunately, those poor souls could have had many of these features already had they been using Opera. I have been taking many of these features for granted for years now without having to download any additional extensions. I am glad to see Google helping these people see that these features are better and useful. Tab/Window management, check. Address bar under the tabs, check. Smart searching from address bar, check. Taking advantage of the empty space on a new tab to present your favorite sites, check. Browser speed, check. Page load speed, check.

That said, I do not believe those UI features are why Google released a browser of their own. Like I said, practically all of the UI features have been done already and, in my opinion, they are missing a multitude of features still. Where they have Opera and all the other browsers beat is with the V8 Javascript engine, Google Gears built into the browser and treating tabs/sites as their own separate applications. Google is obviously building a platform to better run their applications like Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets and GMail on the desktop both online and offline. Google Gears is a must for Google's office products to be used offline. A separate add-on/extension required for a user to download is not acceptable for the masses. So, why not try to build a ~~platform~~ browser with it already included? Good idea in the end, especially since they are taking existing features and open source code to build upon. Hopefully, Opera and the other browsers will follow suit with the push towards better web application performance.

Web Page Performance Tool

2008-09-02T13:41:00.001-07:00

http://pagetest.patrickmeenan.com:8080/

The above link does not appear to work through our corporate firewall, I assume because it is on port 8080… oooohh look out, I am so glad they keep us safe!

Anyway, it is a comprehensive tool to say the least. Warning, you may possibly get information overload when using this tool.

Google Chrome, I am Not Impressed

2008-09-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, I give Google props for making an effort to advance browser technology. They are pushing in the right direction I believe with promises of better process/memory management, smarter history/search/bookmarks, more efficient JavaScript execution using a virtual machine and most importantly offline application capability. In essence, creating an application platform to be used online or offline.

Admittedly, it is a beta browser and therefore we should automatically excuse any poor performance, right? Sure, beta means forgive us of our mistakes and btw, you get extra geek points for using beta software. Anyway, I have only given the browser a few minutes of my time but as of right now I am unimpressed. It locked up while I was using Google Docs, no less. It created the isolated separate processes for each tab (I had three open) as Google promised it would. Each process was using around 20MBs each. However, the fourth process, which was the parent, effectively locked up using 100% CPU while I was trying to save a document and therefore the whole browser was locked and rendered useless.

Obviously, the release of the Google Chrome browser has received much hype and therefore I am confident Google will continue to work out the kinks. It will be interesting to see where this takes the browser market and how quickly the other browsers incorporate Gears and a JavaScript virtual machine.

Google Chrome web browser released

2008-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Google describes their new Google Chrome browser using a comic book format.

Google Chrome web browser comic book

Google is releasing their browser soon as an open source application and will make it freely available for download. They have basically combined many of the features from other browsers into a single browser. They have taken many of the revolutionary tab features from Opera and combined them with better process/memory management. Google Chrome will manage its own memory and processes… much like an OS. A Javascript virtual machine will increase the speed and performance of Javascript. In addition, and I believe this is the key, they have integrated Google Gears into the browser. They are obviously not as interested in “web browsing” as much as they are interested in building an application platform. Gears enables their online solutions, such as Google Docs, to become offline solutions as well.

Sun buys MySQL

2008-01-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

Sun Microsystems has bought MySQL for $1 billion. That is $1,000,000,000! I just had to write out all of those zeros. MySQL is an open source database which Sun says has grown to be enterprise-ready.

It also appears that BEA Systems Inc has agreed to be acquired by Oracle Corp for $8.5 billion.

FireShot for Firefox

2007-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

FireShot
by susbox

FireShot is a Firefox extension that creates screenshots of web pages. Unlike other extensions, this plugin provides a set of editing and annotation tools, which let users quickly modify captures and insert text and graphical annotations. Such functionality will be especially useful for web designers, testers and content reviewers. It's possible to choose whether entire web page or only visible part of this page should be captured. Screenshots can be saved to disk (PNG, JPEG, BMP), copied to clipboard, e-mailed and sent to external editor for further processing.

Adds the ability to take a screenshot of web page (entire of visible part), edit it, add annotations and save (PNG, JPEG, BMP), copy to clipboard, send to external editor or e-mail it.

Free Download Manager

2007-11-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

Free Download Manager (FDM) v2.5 introduces some really nice features.

Flash video download
Audio / video files converter
Bittorent support
Easy file sharing
Remote control
Portable mode
Metalink support
General Public License
Multilanguage support (desired language may be chosen during installation)

I typically use the built-in download manager in Opera, but for large downloads I will use this application. Simply copy the download URL to the clipboard and start FDM. When you go to add the URL to FDM, it will automatically pick it up for you from the clipboard. I do not have FDM integrated into Opera or IE.

Send Large Files via Email

2006-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.sendthisfile.com/ Unlimited

http://www.yousendit.com/ up to 100 MB

http://www.megaupload.com/ up to 250 MB

http://www.rapidshare.de/ up to 100MB

http://www.dropload.com/ up to 100MB

http://www.largefilesasap.com/ up to 2GB

http://www.zupload.com/ up to 500 MB

http://www.fileflyer.com/ up to 400 MB

email large files gets around email attachment size restrictions. upload the file and send a link via email.

IrfanView

2006-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

IrfanView is the program I use to view images and video as well as listen to sound files. It handles just about any format you throw at it. Simply using the spacebar to progress through a directory of images is nice and easy. Of course, the arrow keys also work to peruse through a directory of images.

Is that all IrfanView does you ask? Not even close.

IrfanView can capture a screenshot for you as well. Simply press the letter 'C' and you will find the screen capture setup.

You want more? How about acquiring an image from a TWAIN device?

Oh, I see. You wanted to edit or convert an image. Fine, IrfanView can handle basic editing and image conversions as well.

How about manipulating multiple images in batch. Let's say you need to rename one hundred photos. No problem for IrfanView. What if you also needed to resize, resample or edit in some way those one hundred photos? Just hit the letter 'B' for Batch and off you go with IrfanView batch mode.

Want to create HTML pages for viewing your photos complete with thumbnails and captions derived from jpeg metadata such as EXIF or IPTC? Yep, IrfanView. Hit the letter 'T' for thumbnails and you can create contact sheets, gallery web pages, start a slideshow, or just browse your directories of images.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Go get IrfanView!

Opera & GMail

2005-03-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

If you use Opera Browser and GMail then using the following link may help.

http://gmail.google.com/gmail?nocheckbrowser

GMail recently introduced a dumbed down HTML only version to allow access to pratically all browsers. GMail automatically makes Opera use the plain HTML version even though Opera had no problems with the full dynamic version of their site. The above link allows browsers around the GMail sniffers.

Woohoo! Thank you!

Spyware Protection

2005-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of freeware or donationware programs that I highly recommend using in order to prevent, clean and/or notify you of Spyware. Be sure to periodically run and update these tools to stay on top of any new threats.

Microsoft Antispyware:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/
Spywareblaster:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spybot S&D:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Ad-Aware Personal Edition:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

From the most authoritative site on spyware - www.spywareinfo.com:

Spyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without the user's knowledge which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whomever controls the spyware. Spyware can be broken down into two different categories, surveillance spyware and advertising spyware. Surveillance software includes key loggers, screen capture devices, and trojans. These would be used by corporations, private detectives, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, suspicious spouses, etc. Advertising spyware is software that is installed alongside other software or via activex controls on the internet, often without the user's knowledge, or without full disclosure that it will be used for gathering personal information and/or showing the user ads. Advertising spyware logs information about the user, possibly including passwords, email addresses, web browsing history, online buying habits, the computer's hardware and software configuration, the name, age, sex, etc of the user. As with spam, advertising spyware uses the CPU, RAM, and resources of the user's computer, making the user pay for the costs associated with operating it. It then makes use of the user's bandwidth to connect to the internet and upload whatever personal information it has gathered, and to download advertisements which it will present to the user, either by way of pop up windows, or with the ad banners of ad-supported software. All of this can be considered theft in the cases of advertising spyware that installs without disclosure.