ScribeFire - Another Great Firefox Addon

So I've always loved Firefox, it's a web designer's dream and now that I've been blogging I've found one more addition to make Firefox that much better - ScribeFire.

With ScribeFire I can blog without having to go to my Blogger home page. It intergrates beautifully with Firefox so I no longer have to bookmark websites before I blog about them I can do it right there.

ScribeFire also allows bloggers to monetize the blog using various ad services such as Google Adsense.

What I also like about ScribeFire is that it gives the user the opportunity to add custom tags and promote your blog on websites like Technorati, Facebook, Del.icio.us and others. All in all, its a really nice addon!

* This post was made with FireScribe

Hamachi - All on 1 Big Network

As a freelance graphic/web designer I have the opportunity to work from home but I also have associates I work with closely on project from remote locations. Therefore I had a challenge, sharing files. With this challenge hovering over my in tray I has a desire to create a secure virtual network like many of those big corporations use as a soulution, for little or no money. So I went searching!

I came across a lot of techie jargon explaining Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and the need to have a VPN Server to facilitate this. Obviously I can't afford a VPN Server so I searched some more and I came across Hamachi, 2Peer, TeamViewer, Leaf and Wippen. Though I found these solutions I still had a problem, only a few had versions for macs, as a result Leaf and Wippen were eliminated.

Out of the 3 remaining solutions I found Hamachi to be the best but with one draw back. I had to install a third party application, Hamachi X, on the mac to manage my networks. I found 2Peer was web based and restricted to e-mail accounts, while TeamViewer was primarily for customer support but Hamachi was ideal.

Hamachi on the mac is designed for those users who don't mind getting their hands a lil dirty - running commands from the terminal. Hamachi has no actual GUI like the pc version but is a powerful tool in the arsenal of those who work from multiple locations, not to mention gamers.

Download Hamachi: Linux | Mac | Windows

GetJar - Tonns of Mobile Apps

Recently I changed my calling plan and added a data package but was unable to access the internet. After much research I was able to connect, thanks to inque2181 of techjamaica.com.

I already had Gmail's mobile app but a friend pointed me to Opera Mini and with my new found freedom I went looking for more apps to run on my phone. That's when I cam across GetJar. GetJar had applications for numerous cell phone platforms such as symbian, window mobile, blackberry, palm and even flashlite.

Some of the applications found on GetJar are free while others have to be purchased. However, I believe GetJar is a website worthy to be bookmarked on both mobile phones and pcs.

Run OS X on your PC

I came across this video today. It is highly recommended that you don't try this but it doesn't hurt knowing ;)



Here are some of the links mentioned in the video:

• OS X 86 Project
• MacDrive
• UltraISO
• Forensic Acquisition Utilities
• WMI Adminstrative Tools

Ubuntu Remixes OS for Netbooks

Canonical Ltd. has remixed on of their major products, Ubuntu for netbooks. The operating system is known as Ubuntu Netbook Remix.

The video found here shows how effortless it is to use and customize the desktop of the OS.

On instillation the OS is outfitted with following apps:

• Firefox 3 (web browser)
• Thunderbird (e-mail client)
• Pidgin (instant messenger)
• Rhythmbox (media player)
• FBReader (pdf reader)
• Lifrea (rss reader)
• F-Spot (image viewer)
• OpenOffice (office suite)

gOS for your Netbook

With the growth in the use of netbooks software developers are capitalising on creating operating systems that are ideal, using less resources and providing maximum efficiency, gOS is on such operating system.

gOS, which is linux based, recently launched a beta of gOS 3 Gadgets Beta. This version integrates seamlessly almost all of Google's services - Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gmail - with access to many Google gadgets. The previous version, gOS 2.9 Space, was geared towards social-networkers, primarily myspace.

The interface of gOS is very simple eliminating clutter and allowing users to be most proficient.

Ubuntu for Mobile Devices

Ubuntu has done it yet again and this time in collaboration with Intel. Ubuntu has been making some headroom for linux distributions and now they have taken it one step further by making their distribution suitable for mobile internet devices with a Ubuntu MID (Mobile Internet Device) Edition.

Ubuntu MID Edition supports touch screen devices, eliminating the need for a stylus. With a simple tap applications can be launched and you can use a swipe motion to go through web pages, images or videos. The OS is optimized to run devices with atleast 2GB disk space and 256MB of RAM.

Palringo - Stay connected in or out of office

Palringo is wonderful IM client that allows individuals to stay connected with contacts whether on the pc or on mobile phone. With this one application connecting to any preferred messaging service is a breeze, be it MSN Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or Google Talk.

The beauty about Palringo is that it works on 3 major operating systems Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It also works on several mobile platforms such as windows mobile, symbian 60 and iphone's osx.

To unleash all the features of Palringo you must first sign up for a Palringo account and in no time you'll be able chat, send photos and even voice clips to indiviuals on your contact lists.

Website: www.palringo.com

AtMail - Chaning the face of Webmail

Webmail interfaces like Horde & Squirrel aren't the most attractive or the lightest but with AtMail all that has changed.

AtMail is a php based webmail interface that utilizes ajax for IMAP mail servers. The lightweight webmail interface offers video mails and live spell checking. Additional features and support for POP3 can be obtained by purchasing the commercial version for USD$250.


Demo: free | paid

NotePad Chaos - Free Wordpress Theme

Notepad Chaos was designed by Evan Eckard for Smashing Magzine users.

Download:
WP Theme | PSD

PayLoadz - Sell Digital Products for FREE

There are a lot of electronic products on the market - software, books, manuals, images, music and more. Well now you can get paid by selling digital goods with PayLoadz.

PayLoadz offer several types of accounts one which is free and limited to transactions less or equal to USD$100 a month. Integrating accounts with Google CheckOut, PayPal or Ebay is just a simple click.

Fear not what currency to accept, Payloadz accepts payments from 6 currencies - US$, C$, Euro, Pound Sterling, AU$ and Yen.

There are many other features that prove useful with PayLoadz such as vewing product statistics, managing uploaded files, importing/exporting product information, offering discounts, pay for featured listings and much more.

Start selling now!

Leaf - Setup your own VPN

Have you ever been at work and wished you could access files on your PC at home? Well now you can with Leaf.

Instillation of Leaf is simple and requires no additional configuration of firewalls. Currenly there is only one version available for MS Windows but there are promises of a version for Linux in the pipelines.

By creating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) users can access files, music, printers and other network devices on their home network from work as if they had never left home with Leaf. Invite family and friends to join your network and share files and resources with them as well. Even play Xbox games together. Managing group members is a sample as using messenger.


Download: Leaf Network

Mango Languages - Learn a Foreign Laguange

It's said that emersion is the best way to learn a language but buying a plane ticket to a foreign country just to learn a language isn't cheap. Doing a classes to learn how to have conversation in another language was the anwer a few years ago until added to e-learning solutions.

Mango Languages is one such e-learning solution, offering several languages (Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese etc...) for free or a subscription fee.

The beauty about web services like Mango Languages is that the user gets to learn the language at the own pace.

Mango Languages approach is very simple, using colour codes for parts of speech, literal translations, grammer and more. With Mango Languages you'll be speaking a langauge in no time.

SplashUp - Edit Photos Online

There are a few good desktop photo editors out there, some of which are free and other have the be purchased. However, the paradigm in technology is slowly sifting with the advent of Google Docs. More and more applications are online based making it easier for users to access them at any given time without administrator restrictions.

One useful applications have come to me attention regarding photo editing it's called SpalshUp. SplashUp is a powerful web application with great features, giving users - pros and novices - the ability to turn dull photos into masterpieces. Sharing these works of art can be done seemlessly using a flickr, facebook, picasa or splash account.


SplashUp has an interface that resembles that of Adobe's flag ship product, Photoshop. Users can use multiple layers and similar photoshop filters and tools (like the lasso, marquee, paint brush and many more).

All in all SmashUp, though in it's beta stage, is a wonderful application to have in a upcoming designers arsenal.

website: www.splashup.com

Inquisitor for Safari

Searching for things on the internet can be challenging at times except when most appropriate keywords or search terms are used. It would save less time if related search terms would pop-up while typing like in spotlight. Call me lazy!

A few browsers have gone ahead in and added an auto complete or suggestion feature while typing in a search term, leaving Safari behind but along came Inquisitor.

Inquisitor is a nice addition to Safari. Using the Yahoo Boss Platform Inquisitor is fast and supports 9 lanuages including English (Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and German). Best of all, Inquisitor is free!

Download: Inquisitor (v 3.2)

Face Your Manga - Make Custom Avatars

Just a few days ago I was on flickr and noticed some cool avatars and I got a little bored with my display picture for my messenger so I went looking for one online and I came across Face Your Manga. I've always admired manga and this was an opportunity to do just that so indulged.

Face Your Manga allow users to select the features of their avatar - hair, eyes, complexion, background, you name it you can change it. Users get to express themselves in an artistic and fun way, plus if they like the art enough they can order prints or larger versions which they can use as desktop wallpapers or whatever they desire.

Here is my avatar...






Website: www.faceyourmanga.com

Sticky Window - Clutter Free Desktop

Ever had a million windows open and have to sift through in order to find the one you want? Well no there is a solution, Sticky Window!

Sticky Window was initially designed to run on OS X 10.4 (Tiger) but now compatible with 10.5 (Leopard). With Sticky Window you simply drag the window the edge of your screen and it minimizes the window and creates a tab. You can have several tabs in one location that will be displayed once you hover over it.

Designed to use as little of your resources as possible, Sticky Window is the prefect solution for those who seek to be proficient in meeting deadlines and completing projects that require the use of multiple windows. Sticky Window costs only USD$19.95.

website: www.donelleschi.com/stickywindows

AnyVideo Converter

There are many video formats out there but some media players are limited. AnyVideo Converter (free version) bridges the gap converting formats like mov, rm, rmvb, flv, mkv, 3gp, m4v, and vob to avi, wmv, mp4 in just one a few minutes.

Youtube and Google videos are also a breeze to download and convert using AnyVideo Converter. With AnyVideo Converter you can have your favourite videos on your portable media player in the blink of an eye.

Download: AnyVideo Converter (free)

Infinity - Free Wordpress Theme

I came across this free wordpress theme recently and I liked it so I thought I'd share.

Download: WP Theme | PSD

Desktopopia - Keep it Fresh! Keep it New!

I like to change my desktop wallpaper fairly often but that means I have to search various websites. Desktopopia solves that problem!

Desktopopia is an application that runs on both windows and mac platforms, allowing access to the desktops in it's database. You can cycle through the various desktop wallpaper manually or automatically. Adding your own feed and rating the desktops is also a feature of Desktopopia.

Download Desktopopia: mac | pc

DocStoc - Get all you docs here

Microsoft Office comes with a few templates with the option to download additions as the need arise. What microsoft gives though is just the basic layout and you have to figure the content.

DocStoc however, is a reservoir of sample documents for free. The samples on www.docstoc.com ranges from résumés to business proposals and are very useful for small businesses and freelancers who are on a tight budget.

Designers Toolbox - A Designer's Dream

The key to being effecient as a designer is working smart and with the resources from www.designerstoolbox.com, a designer can do just that.

At DesignersToolbox.com there are multiple resources for the freelance designer - from free photoshop and illustrator templates to paid contract templates.

iPhone Toolbox

With the launch of the new 3G iPhone there has been a significant boom in the number of applications available for the phone. There are oodles of websites that provide iPhone applications, wallpaper and icons but there is one worth noting - iPhone Toolbox.

iPhone Toolbox is basically a one-stop-shop to get numerous 3rd party apps, custom icons and wallpapers.

iPhone Toolbox
website: www.iphonetoolbox.com

TeamViewer - Remote Access over the Internet

TeamViewer is an application that allows administrators to provide technical support - using remote access, files sharing (vpn) and online chats with users of pcs outside their local network, among many other features. The beauty of TeamViewer is that it installs in seconds and the free version is very powerful.

The application is not just limited to administrators, but also to individuals who travel often and may have the need to retrieve files from their pc at home or the office. TeamViewer gives the user the ability to even do presentations from a remote location.

TeamViewer is ideal for a company that offers technical support. The administrator or tech team doesn't have access to the pc unless the client supplie them with the unique ID, plus the business license, which is only USD$699.00, is for a lifetime.

Download TeamViewer: mac | pc

Onlne Virus Scan

I once had to work on a PC that had a virus, Nortion had expired and AVG couldn't be installed. So I had to find an alternative that didn't include removing the hard-drive and scanning it using another pc.

Fortunately, I found a online virus scan that worked - Trend Micro House Call. Trend Micro worked wonders for me and it FREE so give it a try!

pForm - Customize website forms

Ever wanted to add a mailing form to your website but don't know extenisive html? or Do you have a website and want to change the look and field of your mailing form? Well you can do that in just 3 easy steps.

With pFrom you follow 3 steps...
Step 1. Choose a Theme
Step 2. Add Elements
Step 3. Download the Form.
...Just as simple as that and your done!

Unlike many similar web apps you don't need to register in order to use pForm. It's free and easy to use.

6 Online Billing Solutions

Small business are normally on a tight budget and can't afford all the software big wigs use but they can be as effective and professional.

Impress your clients buy sending them professional invoices.


Blinksale
www.blinksale.com


Simple Invoices
www.simplyinvoices.com



Zoho Invoice
https://invoice.zoho.com



Invoice Place
www.invoiceplace.com



Curdbee
www.curdbee.com



Freshbooks
www.freshbooks.com

AppCleaner

Recently I changed from a pc to a mac and I've been trying to find software that works for me, a web designer. I'm pro opensource and as a result I sift through websites looking for software that's good and free.

Now I have a problem! I've installed dozens of applications and uninstalled them, leaving miscellaneous files associated with the application. So I used AppDelete to remove these files but after the first 6 (or something like that) I was asked to contribute USD$5.00 in order to keep using the application.

With no money in my PayPal account I went looking for something similar but free and that is when I discovered AppCleaner.

AppCleaner gives me more control not only to uninstall software in my applications folder but widgets and plugins too. I can also search for specific files to delete. AppCleaner gives more options than that of AppDelete such as smart delete (finds associated files and deletes them when application is trashed), protection for defualt and launced apps and a 3D transition when menu items are selected. Try it!

software: AppCleaner
website: http://www.freemacsoft.net/AppCleaner