Archive for August, 2009
Google Reader – Power Reader List
Aug 30th
Google Reader is a useful way to find information from web sites and blogs and can reduce your bookmark/favorites list. Why bookmark websites and blogs when you can simply get their updates in Google Reader?
If you are anything like me you think this would be a great idea but you might not be sure what to add to your Google Reader. That Google post will lead you to the new Google Power Reader list, and a link to create a reading list of your own to share.
So if you are looking for an RSS Reader, but haven’t made the plunge, now is a good time to get started with Google Reader and take advantage of the Power Reader list to see what prominent journalists, techies, foodies and fashion critics are reading.
Gmail Adds Popout for Contacts
Aug 30th
Gmail has a great autocomplete feature when you are typing the email addresses or names of people you want to email. If you’ve ever had trouble remembering someone’s name, or email address then you will appreciate this new addition.
When composing a message you can now click To, Cc, or Bcc in the compose screen to bring up Gmail’s new Contact Chooser (in the red outline at right). The Contact Chooser has a search box at the top, a dropdown for all of the different categories of contacts and groups, a box listing the contacts that fall under the category of contacts or group you have selected, and a box listing the contacts you have chosen.
Contact chooser is a great addition and is flexible for different situations you may run into writing emails amdf can simplify writing emails a little bit.
New in Gmail – Email Your Task Lists
Aug 21st
Coincidentally today I was wishing tasks could be a more useful feature for me. I use tasks at work and I use them at home, but I wanted a way to shuttle the info between the two. Gmail has an answer for that and even more, now you can email your task list.
For example today I was thinking of some ideas I had to add features to the websites we create at the office. the last thing I need is another paper list, or another item on my daily To Do list! Just click the Switch list button at bottom right…
…and select “New list…“, and in my case I make a list called Future Work Ideas, then type in my ideas.. Then on over to the Actions menu, click Email Task List and in the compose email window just type email it to myself at home.
Such a simple feature, but so very useful and cool!
Import Mail and Contacts from Other Accounts – Switch to Gmail Easier
Aug 19th
Back in May I mentioned import email and contacts for Gmail being added, plus Gmail has worked more on contact imports, and now they’ve improved importing of mail and contacts from other accounts into Gmail. Its now simpler to move your mail over to Gmail than ever before. Says the Gmail blog:
You can even have your messages forwarded from your old account for 30 days, giving you time to take Gmail for a test drive while you make up your mind.
This new feature is available in all newly-created Gmail accounts, and it is slowly being rolled out to all existing accounts. It’ll take longer than the few hours or days that most Gmail features take to get out to everyone… Sorry, businesses and schools using Google Apps won’t see these new migration options.
Other Gmail Import & Contacts Posts
Importing Contacts and Mail
New fields for Gmail contacts and better importing too
Bringing your contacts to the cloud
Stardock Fences Invisible Fix
Aug 15th
I saw some people in Google talking about their Stardock Fences being invisible as mine were. I could see
Stardock Fences - monitor 1
everything okay after installation, but after rebooting the Fences, and labels became invisible. No border, just windows icons inside of totally invisible fences.
The fix for me was to change my theme back to Windows XP and selecting a wallpaper. I don’t know if it works without a wallpaper, but it looks so good with one I’m going to keep it.
Here is the link to read about and download Stardock Fences.
Check out a video and read “Organize your Windows Desktop” on this Organize Gmail and your desktop post.
Amazon Kindle DX Wireless
Aug 10th
What do the New York Times, the Bible, Wall Street Journal, Princeton University textbooks and the Slashdot blog have in common? They are all be appearing on the Amazon Kindle ($299 new on Amazon.com) and the Amazon Kindle DX ($489 new on Amazon.com)!
- A 9.7-inch display with 16 shades of gray – larger than standard Kindle‘s 6-inch display
- An auto-rotating screen goes portrait or landscape views
- 3G Wireless (no annual contracts or monthly fees)
- Whispersync technology lets you synchronize Kindles across your iPhone
- Native PDF reader
- Audio Books (PC to Kindle)
- Wireless Access to Wikipedia
- Built-in Dictionary
- Text-to-speech reader
- Speakers and headset/headphone jack
- Read for days without charging
Way lighter than a computer, lighter than a notebook, and lasts longer on batteries than even a netbook, the Amazon Kindle DX specializes in delivering digital books, magazines, newspapers, and even blogs to you. No computer is required to read e-books on the Kindle DX, but you can get extended use by transferring audio book files from your PC making it “safer” from hacking attacks.
MORE KINDLE INFO
Kindle DX on Engadget.com
Kindle Ouch! User’s Books Deleted
Kindle Killer?
Apple iBook – Coming Soon?
CSS: Using Multiple Classes
Aug 5th
Using multiple CSS classes on an element can be powerful, and a time-saver. Here’s a simple example, let’s say you want to add a class called red to make certain text elements stand out. Try this:
<span class="boldtext red">for sale</a>
In the sample above, the text “for sale” will have the class boldtext and red applied to it. Multiple classes can be really helpful if you start working on a site you didn’t write, and don’t have the time to map out the previous web dude’s CSS fully, or even if you are just in a hurry, or your stylesheet has grown so big over time you want to place it safe.
Gmail Thinks of Notebook and Netbook Users
Aug 5th
If you have a lower screen resolution you might appreciate this latest Gmail feature in Gmail Labs if you use labels. You can now hide labels so you can see the email subject line, mostly for notebooks and netbooks.
On smaller screen resolutions – or whenever your browser screen isn’t adjusted wide enough – you may only see the from email address, some labels and… well that’s it (see the link above for a screenshot).
I guess if this one takes off you might see a button in the main Gmail screen for it later.
