Daily Tech Bits

Mozilla releases second Firefox 3.1 alpha

Tech Bits — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:31:01 +0000

Mozilla has released an advance testing version of its popular Firefox Web browser. The software, code-named Shiretoko, is at this stage intended for software developers and testers only, with the stable and recommended version of Firefox being 3.0.1.

In a statement, Mozilla said the testing version of Firefox introduced several new features, including the browser’s highly anticipated support for a new video tag element introduced with the HTML 5 standard to provide more functionality around the amount of video that is increasingly being delivered through Web browsers. In addition, Shiretoko allows users to drag and drop tabs between browser windows, improves performance in some areas and provides better integration with Windows Vista’s Aero ‘Glass’ theme for those wanting to add extra themes on top of Firefox.

The new software also adds some speed enhancements to the browser, particularly in the area of JavaScript handling, which was one area Google highlighted as being a strength of the Chrome browser it launched earlier this week.

Mozilla plans to integrate a faster JavaScript engine, dubbed TraceMonkey, into Firefox. However the organization noted that technology was not included in the software released overnight, although it could be tested by following a set of instructions posted online.

The alpha release of Firefox 3.1 can be downloaded from Mozilla’s Web site.

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Plurksourcing: Cool Plurk Features

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:28:14 +0000

It’s been about a month since I reviewed Plurk, and in that time I’ve been getting more and more involved in the site. So I decided to try my hand at a bit of Plurksourcing (like crowdsourcing, but on Plurk). I asked other users what they thought were the coolest features. Here’s what they said (multiple responses from the same plurker have been aggregated:

Konstantino: I’d say replying to conversations properly. Best feature for me.
Becca L-Smith: Develop friendships and hold interesting and diverse conversations (plus several really cool emoticons). collecting karma is pretty cool too. It’s fun to unlock new emoticons and features. I just wish there were more goodies at other levels.
paulthe: i would agree, the file and photosharing is good, but it is the conversational aspect of Plurk that keeps me coming back. plus dancing bananas (also popular with bloingo and talespinner)
miketempleton I love the threaded conversations for asking questions. It’s very easy to go back through and digest.
CindyThomas: I just love the layout and ease of use. The timeline, the ease of responding… it’s very user friendly. It’s so easy!
otherdeb: For me, it’s the developing friendships with other writers and knitters. Also, it’s a great place to share my blog posts. It’s also a great place to get some mentoring, and have some “how-to” type questions answered.
dazcox:The fact that you can have a plurk page like this (writer’s note: all these responses were listed on a single page with my question at the top) is what makes plurk useful. the fellowship of Plurkers and community anti-spam is good too.
Sociologist: This is certainly the coolest thing I’ve seen done on plurk. A single question/answer response kinda thingy
JimBob51 : following threads like having mini-blogs
jimhutchinson : being able to keep the comments list open and watch it grow in real time as plurks are added.
HopeWilbanks: I like the timeline and the fact that you can ask questions and your answers are all threaded together with the question. It’s difficult to keep up with answers in Twitter if they aren’t DM’d or @ to you.

Thanks for joining in, everyone. If Plurk is new to you, check out my Plurk page and sign up.

Skype’s Hidden Features

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:12:01 +0000

So you’ve got Skype and are using it for phone calls, but that’s not all you can do with it. In Hacking Skype, VOIP News lists 25 things you can do with Skype. I’m sure you’ll find some you never heard of. Here’s an example:

Whether you want to keep an eye on your pet goldfish from work or just make sure no one has broken in the house while you are on vacation, Skype can double as an away from home monitoring system.

Check out the rest of the tips [via Jay Garrett's Gadget News]

Tweeters To Follow

Sharon Hurley Hall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:41:44 +0000

If you’re just getting started with Twitter and are looking for users to follow, then Lifehacker has prepared a handy list to get you started. These are Twitter users who provide services, and there are a few more in the comments. Everyone from NASA to Amazon is on the list. Check it out - and of course, you can always follow me.

Want Windows XP?

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:24:27 +0000

Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows XP. That’s not news, as it’s been in the works for some time. What is news is that you can still get XP. Wired gives you a couple of ways to get XP even though it’s dead, including downgrading your Vista installation.

FriendFeed Tools

Sharon Hurley Hall — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:24:25 +0000

If you have succumbed to FriendFeed mania, then you may be looking for ways to use it better. If so, then Techcrunch has provided a handy list of 13 FriendFeed tools for Twitter Refugees. Some of these were familiar, such as AlertThingy and Twhirl, while others were completely new to me. Most have something to recommend them. The most interesting they mentioned was Gridjit and I’ll be checking that out for a later review.

The Listening Camera

Sharon Hurley Hall — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:43:22 +0000

CCTV cameras are everywhere, and now they will be able to listen to the criminals they later catch. The BBC reports that a new generation of CCTV cameras will use artificial intelligence software that will help them to focus on specific sounds such as breaking glass. This would make it easier to capture those committing a crime and to stop crime faster.

Current software uses visual recognition to identify some types of behavior, but using sounds will make it even easier to tune into crime. The new software will result from a three year study being carried out at the University of Portsmouth.

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Online Or Offline Feeds - You Don’t Have To Choose

Sharon Hurley Hall — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:31:23 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I use Google Reader for my feeds. Sometimes, though I wish that I could read them offline easily. I know there’s Google Gears, but there’s also another solution. Lifehacker reports that RSS Bandit, a popular desktop feed reader, now syncs with Google Reader. That means you have your feeds up to date in both places, which is a really cool idea. What’s your preferred RSS reader? Is it online or a desktop program?

Minding Your Gadget Manners

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:54:00 +0000

The Times Of India has published an interesting article on gadget etiquette, citing the seven deadly sins of gadget use.

‘there are times when its users seem to forget themselves (and indeed, all those around them) and end up indulging in behaviour that can only be called regrettable’

If you’ve every looked askance at those who are shouting on their cell phones or disturb the peace with loud ringtones and other lapses of manners, then check out the full article.

Gadgets Without Guilt (0)

Lost Laptop? Explode Your Data

Sharon Hurley Hall — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:08:12 +0000

As more people have laptops, security becomes a bigger issue. There have been a couple of cases in the UK recently where tens of thousands of sensitive files have ended up in the hands of thieves. OK, it’s true that people should take better care, but who can have a laptop chained to their arm 24 hours a day? There are a couple of solutions that help with this tricky issue.

The ‘exploding laptop’ trick wipes your data remotely, but the laptop has to be on for it to work. There’s also another solution which works even if the laptop is turned off. More on that from GrowthBusiness.

Daily Tech Bits

Mozilla releases second Firefox 3.1 alpha

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Plurksourcing: Cool Plurk Features

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Skype’s Hidden Features

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Tweeters To Follow

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Want Windows XP?

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FriendFeed Tools

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The Listening Camera

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Online Or Offline Feeds - You Don’t Have To Choose

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Minding Your Gadget Manners

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Lost Laptop? Explode Your Data

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