Saturday, August 16, 2008
Fix
DIY Floppy Disk Laptop Bag Redux
9:00AM Adam Pash | DIY web site Instructables features detailed step-by-step instructions for building a sturdy laptop bag with 42 floppy disks, canvas, twine, and a few other materials you may already have on hand. The tutorial is written by the same guy who built the original floppy disk bag, who says the new version improves significantly on the old. If you’ve seen the many incarnations of the
Design
RIP Permanently Removes Elements from a Web Site
8:00AM Adam Pash | Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension Remove It Permanently (RIP) selectively removes any element from a web site. If you’ve ever looked at a site and wished you could get rid of some unsightly image or an element that throws off the flow of a site, just right-click it with RIP and remove it permanently. You can select to remove it from that page only, all similar pages, from the web site, or from the entire domain—in addition to a few other options. Don’t think of it as an ad-blocker—you should just install an extension like AdBlock Plus if that’s what you’re looking to do; think of it more as an all-purpose annoyance remover. Unfortunately RIP hasn’t been updated for Firefox 3.0.1, but this tweak will do the trick until it has. RIP is free, works wherever Firefox does. RIP [Mozdev via gHacks] More »
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Manage Your Software Serial Numbers with Gmail
7:00AM Adam Pash | We’ve highlighted several tools for keeping track of your software licences and serial numbers, but if you’re one of the many readers who prefers managing your software licences through your email (especially since developers often email serial numbers after your purchase), reader Micah Diamond suggests setting up a label or saved search (using Quick Links) in Gmail for quick access to all of your serials. His saved quick link search looks something like this: “serial number:” OR “transaction id” OR “registration information:” OR “product key” OR “upgrade code:” OR “activation code” OR “licence key” OR regsoft OR “swreg order number” More »
Work
Zoho Sheet Adds Macro Recording and Playback
6:30AM Gina Trapani | Online office suite Zoho continues to push the envelope with advanced features you never thought you’d find in a webapp—this time it’s macro recording and playback in Zoho Sheet, their online spreadsheet product. Instead of composing Visual Basic code by hand, Zoho Sheet can record a set of actions and play them back over other sets of data. Hit the play button to see this huge time-saving trick in action. Zoho Sheet—-Macros – Zoho Writer More »
Work
PersonalBrain Does Robust, Animated Mind-Mapping
6:00AM Adam Pash | Windows/Mac/Linux: Cross-platform mind-mapping software PersonalBrain lays out your ideas with advanced features and slick animations. A few weeks ago Gina showed you how to boost your brainstorming session with MindMeister, a web-based mind-mapping tool, but if you’d prefer a desktop option and wouldn’t mind a little eye candy thrown in, PersonalBrain is a nice alternative. PersonalBrain comes in several flavors, but the free edition covers most of your basic mind-mapping needs, with advanced features like file attachments available in paid versions (check the purchasing FAQ for a full rundown). PersonalBrain runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Thanks Laura! PersonalBrain More »
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BusinessWeek on Getting Things Done
5:00AM Gina Trapani | BusinessWeek profiles Getting Things Done author David Allen and offers a crash course in the GTD personal productivity system. Has GTD changed your life or jumped the shark? Let us know what you think in the comments. [via] More »
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Karelia iMedia Browser Puts Your Media in One Bucket
4:00AM Adam Pash | Mac OS X only: Free application Karelia iMedia Browser provides a single interface to access the photos, music, and videos on your Mac. If you’ve ever browsed for media in iLife applications like iMovie, you already know what to expect from iMedia—it’s the same basic interface of the media browser that those apps already provide. The difference is that iMedia breaks that browser free from any single application, which means you can search your media top to bottom through the same slick interface in conjunction with any app. Karelia iMedia Browser is freeware, Mac OS X only. Karelia iMedia Browser [via TUAW] More »
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Back Up and Sync Your Mobile Phone with BitPim
2:00AM Kevin Purdy | Those of us who have forgone a fancy BlackBerry, Treo, or iPhone know a standard mobile phone is probably the most non-interactive, un-tweakable device in the gadget stable. But for many phones, there’s a way around overpriced cables, intentionally weak Bluetooth software, and lack of good syncing software. The multi-tool of phone data, BitPim, is a free, open-source, cross-platform solution that can back up all or most of your phone’s data, put your home-baked ringtones on your phone for free, and sync calendars and contacts between your apps and your vanilla phone. Let’s take a look at how to get started with BitPim on any system and make the most of the device you take everywhere. More »
Work
What Tech Do You Have to See to Believe?
1:30AM Gina Trapani | Tech blogger Gordon Haff says that users often don’t adopt technology that offers serious benefits because it has a high barrier to entry. He says TiVo is an example: the DVR changes the way you watch television, but it’s one of those “have to use it to believe it” services. TiVo the company has always had a great deal of difficulty explaining that transformation of TV watching. Especially early on, a lot of people viewed TiVo as essentially an enhanced VCR—when, in fact, the experience is qualitatively different. TiVo has been a tough sell to consumers because it required them to invest in a pricey piece of electronics for benefits that were hard to understand in the abstract. What other tech out there do you have to really see to believe? I’d add a widescreen monitor and Twitter to the list. (Twitter has a low barrier to entry, but takes some time to accumulate friends and make useful.) What about you? What are the rest of us missing out on because we haven’t committed to the investment? Let us know in the comments. Barriers: Twitter vs. TiVo [The Pervasive Datacenter] More »
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