Rock Tech Talk

And The Web Cries Chrome

2008-09-03T06:16:00.003-05:00

Google has released its much-touted new browser, Chrome, and the Web is awash with blogs and reactions and speculation about its impact. Some predict the browser can capture more market share than Firefox in as little as 2 years. Yet others are speculating about the reasons for Google's move into the browser arena, most seeing the move as aimed directly at Microsoft. If you're interested in what Chrome can do, you can read about it here in both video and comic book form. I've not yet had a chance to check it out, but you can read about its features, complete with screen shots, at Lifehacker.

It's Still Del.icio.us by Any Other Name

2008-07-31T18:55:00.003-05:00

The social bookmarking site has finally launched its first major overhaul since it was acquired by Yahoo! a few years ago. So far, I've not found the update to be significantly better than the del.icio.us I've always loved--except, of course, I no longer need to remember where to to put those darn periods! Check out the new look and supposedly faster search results at http://delicious.com.

Here's a Little Gift for You

2008-07-06T22:21:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't been by in a bit, but wanted to drop off this little package -- 100 free "keynote objects" (icons) to incorporate into your presentations and productions.

So Googlicious

2008-06-06T07:22:00.004-05:00

Gmail keeps getting better--this time with 13 new features. To check them out, click on the "Labs" tab in Gmail settings and enable the ones you want. While not all are "must-haves" (I decided not to enable the Old Snakey game, for example), the signature tweaks and custom keyboard shortcuts scripts are definitely keepers.

A.nnotate.com

2008-05-23T07:49:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have made the shift to web-based writing, editing, and responding, you can now annotate pdf files at A.nnotate.com. You can share your file notes with others, invite them to annotate the files, reply to existing notes, and create a searchable index of all notes.

Now, That's Smart Printing!

2008-05-21T07:59:00.002-05:00

If web-based information retrieval has been lacking in a specific area, it's got to be in printing. Often, I really want a print version of information I'm gathering--usually information that spans several web pages. While the old cut-n-paste into Word has its rainy-day pleasures (who am I kidding?), I've always thought there's got to be a better way. HP has answered my prayers with a free app that allows you to grab info from multiple pages and sites, concatenate them to a single page, and then print it out. Check it out at the link below:

HP Smart Web Printing enables simple, predictable web page printing.

Chatmaker

2008-05-16T09:06:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking a lot on Web 2.0 tools lately & here's one I've come across that looks like a winner to me. It's a free service called Chatmaker and it allows you to create instant free chat rooms. Just copy the url or code and send it to someone you want to chat with. You are initially logged in as a guest but can change your name. You can also timestamp the conversation, embed links, and use html coding.

Using a service like Chatmaker eliminates the need to sign on/off from a chat program.It looks like a nice alternative for those who don't want to be signed on in another chat program or need a quick tool for conversation. When my advisees are studying abroad this tool would be handy as we work out schedules. I'm sure there are other possibilities I haven't even considered!

Zoho Heaven

2008-05-15T06:27:00.004-05:00

While the days of open ID are still far off, Zoho has taken a giant step in that direction with Google and Yahoo!: you can now log into your Zoho account with your Google or Yahoo ID.

On Your Not-To-Do List

2008-05-06T08:56:00.006-05:00

Things Not to Install: WinZip and Codec Pack Files top the list. (Funny graphic from the article) Lifehacker adds any software by AOL, Adobe Reader, and camera-specific programs. Recommended instead: 7-Zip, Pidgin, Foxit Reader, and Picasa.

Crappy Apps to Avoid and Their Alternatives: Browser Toolbars, Internet Explorer 6 and 7, iTunes, Java Runtime Environment (no alternative), Limewire, MSN Messenger, Nero Suite, McAfee/Norton/Symantec, QuickTime, Real Player, Windows Media Player, and the forementioned AOL Messaging, Adobe Reader and WinZip.

p class=”MsoNormal”

2008-05-04T22:22:00.006-05:00

Speaking of Microsoft, if you have ever foolishly tried to paste a Microsoft Word document into an html file or even save a document as a web page, you have probably encountered those sticky, extraneous tags that Word generates. The odd spacing and weird formatting that results is no fun.

I've seen various html scrubbers, but here are some new tricks:
1) Send the document as an attachment in Gmail and then view as html
2) Upload your document to Textism, a free site
3) Save as Microsoft Web Page, Filtered

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2008-05-04T22:17:00.003-05:00

I just read about a new screencasting tool (free) from Microsoft, called Community Clips. The Lifehacker post mentions recording PowerPoint presentations. Sounds like it is brand-specific, but still... cool.

Mashed Video

2008-04-18T13:55:00.004-05:00

Check it out.... mashup youtube videos with an online video editor called Omnisio. As a premium feature you can show slides and video simultaneously. Here's an example. Nothing to download, nothing up my sleeve. Works with youtube, bliptv, and google video.

Button Up

2008-04-18T13:40:00.004-05:00

One of my co-workers collects buttons... but not the kind you can make yourself.

Flickr Video Mania

2008-04-09T06:52:00.003-05:00

They say that all good things will come some day, and our favorite photo-sharing site, Flickr, has added video to the list of uploadable files. The capability is currently limited to "pro" members and 90-second files while in beta.

Free Photoshop for Everyone!

2008-03-27T14:43:00.002-05:00

Kind of... Adobe introduced its free, web-based version of Photoshop Express today.

Sync Heaven

2008-03-06T04:15:00.004-05:00

As is true for many, most of my mail, calendar, and writing activities live in cloud these days. And for the most part, I'm a happy camper. It's just every once in a while I miss the bells and whistles that come with Microsoft Outlook. But screen layout and colors aren't worth the hassle of maintaining separate calendars and todo lists on my desktop and in the cloud. As usual, the great and powerful G has heard me and come up with an GCal/Outlook sync app. You can choose to sync one-way or both ways, as well as the frequency for the sync. Although it only works with your primary GCal calendar, that's a big enough slice of heaven enough for me!

*Photograph from the Nasher Sculpture Museum in Dallas

Superficial

2008-02-15T14:24:00.004-05:00

You know how people have those cool-looking vector photos in their online profiles? Here's a site that does it for you, Vector Magic. Check out a vectored Ernest Hemingway here.

Need some cheery new desktop wallpaper? Lots of great images at Social Wallpaper and you can rate them if you choose.

Take the Technology Quiz

2008-02-13T20:57:00.003-05:00

What kind of technology user are you? Take this quiz from the folks at Pew Internet and American Life to find out.

What a Tangled Web We Weave

2008-02-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

A list of useful web design resources blogged by a redesign veteran.

I Spy

2008-01-22T19:12:00.000-05:00

I fear I have been neglecting you! Here, have a handful of image resources....

Everystockphoto
Creative Commons
Wikimedia
Cool high-resolution images
The Library of Congress on flickr

And finally, a lovely image worth contemplating... gloves with a map of London drawn on them. Is this some early manifestation of handheld GPS?

Lose weight web 2.0 style!

2008-01-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

One of the most popular resolutions each new year goes something like this... "I'm going to eat healthier and lose weight." For some folks, like me, the resolution falls to the wayside when the new semester starts. This year, however, you can find assistance in staying strong and keeping up your healthy habits using an online calorie counter program. It's called The Daily Plate and it's free! You can look up and log thousands of different foods in your personal journal each day! It includes a nutritional breakdown for each item you log so that you track not only calories but grams of fat, carbs, protein, etc. In addition, you can log in your fitness activities to see how many calories you've burned. The service includes several discussion boards and is a very active community.

I've been using the service since August & have found it to be easy to use. My favorite part is my ability to enter my height & weight and have it calculate for me how many calories I need in order to lose, gain, or maintain (so far I've lost over 30 pounds). It graphs my weight and calculates my BMI. I keep thinking that there must be some application for this service in courses on campus though I'm not sure where. So, I'll share it with all of you & hope that it's helpful to someone out there :)

Going The Other Way?

2008-01-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

PDF (Portable Document Format) was developed to allow files to be viewed on any computer system, regardless of platform or program. Moreover, distribution in this format provided the means to protect the original file--it could not be easily nor cheaply altered by the user. While I recognize the format's virtues, I'm annoyed at the restrictions more often than not, particularly when I wish to print out only part of a .pdf file or save only a snippet from the file. Finally, help has arrived in the form of several .pdf to .doc converters. This one, aptly named "Free .pdf to .doc Converter," allows you to convert the whole file or simply extract selected images or text and edit the results in Word or Open Office.

Don't Forget to Remember The Milk!

2007-12-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

Online todo list, Remember the Milk has created a Firefox extension that allows you to create, edit, and manage tasks in Gmail, as well as integrate those tasks with Google Calendar. For those of you who are GTD freaks, this added functionality will rock your socks. Firefox users can grab the extension here.

A Christmas Wish List

2007-12-13T12:24:00.001-05:00

Here are some fabulous stocking stuffer selections from Lifehacker's Gift Guide 2007. Feel free to gift us in the manner you deem appropriate -- we've been providing you with free stuff for a couple of years now!

The cable yo-yo -- clean up your workspace.

In-flight recharger -- no more watching boring airline movies.

Little spotlights that charge in your car lighter -- light up the darkness.

USB snowman from USB Geek! Many more fun holiday thingies available.

What girl doesn't want her own USB rocket launcher?

You might be a redneck geek -- how about a beer opener/flash drive?

The Eyes Have It

2007-12-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am a strong advocate of the importance of visuals in web pages, believe images are very important to millennials' comprehension, and am a recent convert to the visual shorthand good graphic novels provide. A recent link from the Librarian in Black (there are two of us?) provides the following excellent locations for locating that perfect picture.

Flickr.com
Bigfoto.com
Fotogenika.net
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
FreePhotosBank.com
FreeMediaGoo.com
MorgueFile.com
PhotoRogue.com
SXC.hu
Picsearch.com

The original post from Search Engine Journal also mentions images from government agencies, a rich resource. I would add one more -- Microsoft Clip Art has moved beyond the weird little stick people and now contains good quality photographs that are easily searchable here or directly through the Office 2007 suite.