A few weeks ago Facebook promised to start slowly rolling out chat, and it just hit my account today. (If it’s enabled for you, check it out in the lower right hand corner when you’re logged into Facebook.) It reminds me of Gmail’s built-in chat—it’s on by default, your contacts populate your chat buddy list, and you can use it without downloading a separate client. (You can also “pop-out” the chat window to save a tab.) Facebook is much more about social networking than Gmail, which makes it ripe for chatting, but in the short time it’s been in existence, Gmail chat’s earned lots of loyal followers. When it comes to web-based chat, which do you prefer?
A crafty user at DIY web site Instructables makes a car dock for the iPhone or iPod touch from materials primarily found in your device’s packaging. Throw a little bit of glue and some velcro into the mix, and you’ve got a clean, attractive dock for your car for virtually nothing. On the other hand, if you prefer shelling out a little cash to taking the DIY route, check out the previously posted guide to iPhone car integration. Iphone car stand doc for iPhone or iPod Touch [Instructables]
You already love the one-stop convenience of shopping online at Amazon.com, but chances are you’re not getting everything you can out of this feature-packed shopping engine. Did you know Amazon can email you suggestions from Mom’s wish list two weeks before her birthday? Automatically ship you a new case of toilet paper every two months? Refund the difference on the price of an item you purchased that went on sale? Several advanced Amazon features and third party apps and add-ons can help you get the best deals and the stuff you want delivered to your door right on time. After the jump, add our favourite 10 Amazon power-shopper tools to your cart.
If that big ol’ bump on your butt is giving you back problems, it’s time to reorganize your wallet. Real Simple magazine offers a few strategies for doing just that, like this tip for making your train pass or company ID readily accessible in a purse or bag: Slip them in a clear plastic sleeve tied with a ribbon, a shoelace, or a cord. You’ll be able to fish them out of your purse quickly. To buy: Badge sleeves, about $5 for 10 at office-supply stores.
As a non-purse carrier myself, I’ve become a bit obsessive about reducing the wallet pocket bump. Here’s what I’ve done.
The How-To Geek blog posts a truly helpful guide to figuring out what’s causing Internet Explorer 7 to slow down, particularly on Windows Vista systems. Starting with running IE7 in safe mode, the guide is a boon for anyone not particularly tweak-savvy as it moves through disabling add-ons, confusing options boxes, and all the way to disabling auto-tuning, plus the ultimate fix—unplugging and re-plugging your router, of course. Regardless of skill level, it’s a good forward for anyone you know who can’t/won’t install Firefox and is tired of browsing the Internet at slug-like speeds. (Original auto-tuning post) Troubleshooting Internet Explorer on Vista Locking Up or Running Slowly [The How-To Geek]
Lifehacker reader and TiddlyWiki enthusiast Fraser has written up a guide that takes the idea of cut-and-paste Outlook Today customising to the next logical (or at least Lifehacker-friendly) conclusion—integrating a TiddlyWiki to-do list and notebook into Outlook. Combine the easy-to-edit power of a personal wiki with the at-a-glance inbox and task information from Outlook, and you’ve got a powerful start page indeed. For a primer on getting things done with a TiddlyWiki, check out guest-poster Jason Thomas’ GTDTiddlyWiki walkthrough. (Original Outlook Today post).
