Mac OS X only: Put any web site in your menu bar with the latest version of previously mentioned Fluid, a Mac application that turns any webapp into a standalone desktop application. The video demonstration above shows how to create a MenuExtra with a web-based Twitter client called Hahlo, but as the We Do Blog points out, it works perfectly for mobile versions of sites like Google Reader. Fluid is freeware, Mac OS X only. Howto screencast: Hahlo MenuExtra SSB [Fluid Blog via We Do Blog]
Mac OS X only: Firefox extension Quartz PDF enables inline viewing of PDFs in Firefox 3 for the Mac. Just install, and next time you follow a link to a PDF, it quickly loads the PDF directly inline. Quartz PDF is lightning fast, and works exactly like you’re viewing the PDF in Preview. It’d be great to see the thumbnail navigation sidebar in a future release, but as is this extension works like a charm. Quartz PDF is free, requires Firefox 3 and OS X 10.4 or higher. Quartz PDF [Google Code via A Whole Lotta Nothing]
In a 24-hour period, you and your peers downloaded Firefox 3 more than 8 million times, which—though as yet unverified by Guinness—should be more than enough to secure the download record in the new category. Pat yourself on the back and grab your personalised Download Day certificate.
Windows/Linux: The Facebook Chat for Pidgin plug-in connects the popular open-source chat application Pidgin with the new Facebook Chat instant messaging service. Facebook integration is one of the marquee features of Digsby, an up-and-coming IM app with an emphasis on social networking sites, but if you’re a part of the majority who still prefers Pidgin, this plug-in will bring you the Facebook integration you want and you won’t need to change horses to get it. The Facebook Chat plug-in is free, works wherever Pidgin does. Want to beef up Pidgin even more? Check out the ten must-have Pidgin plug-ins. Thanks Larry, Donal, and Jacob! Facebook Chat [Google Code]
Another simple yet inspiring under-the-radar Firefox 3 feature hit our inbox today: a more useful and attractive interface for browsing FTP sites. The FTP update tweaks the layout significantly, but what’s most useful is that you can now sort items in an FTP directory by name, size, or modified date. (Here, check out the Mozilla FTP site to give it a try; click on the column names to sort them.) No, it’s not a top 10 Firefox 3 feature, but like multi-line text selection, little tweaks like this make all the difference. Thanks Scott!
Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox extension Xoopit turns Gmail into a robust, searchable media management tool for every piece of media that comes through your inbox. By indexing every attachment as well as every link to photos and videos from sites like Flickr, Picasa, and YouTube, Xoopit allows you to easily search for and find any picture or video and view it from directly inside Gmail. Imagine this: You’re looking for a YouTube video that you were sent a link to recently, but you really don’t know where to begin your search. With Xoopit installed, you can just click the Videos tab and you’ll see this:
Adobe AIR, a downloadable platform for running web-friendly apps on any operating system, is still pretty fresh on the market, but it already has a healthy number of applications in development or near completion. While many of them are simply desktop translations of web interfaces that were easy to use already, a handful of AIR apps truly make work and play easier, or just more interesting. Let’s take a look at 10 applications that make it worth the effort of downloading and installing Adobe AIR.
Windows/Mac OS X only: Freeware application DiskAid enables iPhone and iPod touch owners to use their devices as an external hard drive. Install DiskAid, plug in your iPod touch or iPhone, and watch as it detects your device and lets you to copy files and portable applications to and from it. You won’t be able to upload images or songs to the device and be able to listen to them or view them on-device, but with DiskAid, you can transfer files like documents and portable apps from your Mac to your iPhone and then to your PC. (Here’s how to transfer songs from any iPod to your computer.) DiskAid does not require you to jailbreak your device and works from the get-go. DiskAid is a freeware download for Windows and Mac OS X. Thanks, Jay!
DiskAidThe Ultimate Geek Girl blogger enthusiastically updated to Firefox 3 yesterday, but found that her passwords just didn’t copy into her new profile for some reason. The solution? Head to your Firefox profile folder (usually located in %APPDATA%/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/ in Windows, for example), copying all the data in the signons2 file, opening up the signons3 file, pasting the data into signons3 and saving. Those who haven’t upgraded yet could also try a solution like Password Exporter, or take Mozilla’s own advice on transferring data to a new profile. Firefox 3 Saved Passwords [Ultimate Geek Girl]
Web-based photo editor Dumpr adds quick effects to photos like the Lifehacker Rubik’s Cube included here, created in under 10 seconds. Upload photos to Dumpr from your computer, or grab them from Flickr or any photo URL. The real timesaver Dumpr provides is the quick link panel beside each picture it renders, which lets you quickly inject your edited photos into Facebook, Blogger, WordPress, and more. If you’re looking for a more robust online editor to crop, resize, and apply filters, check out previously posted Wiredness. Dumpr [via Chris Brogan]
