Office In A Thumb Drive

Lifehack.org, yet another of my favorite websites ever, put out an excellent article on how to turn your USB thumb drive into a mobile, primary office. 

With very little work and no money aside from the original expense of the drive itself, you can easily turn a thumb drive into your primary workspace — complete with the software and settings, reference material, and documents you uses the most.

How nice.  With the six (all good) ideas that they mention in this article, you are pretty much set.  Web pages like this are the reason that I started POW in the first place - here's a nice reference point for safekeeping.  Don't forget, many flash drives now contain simple word processors, anti-virus, and other valuable software preinstalled.

 

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago my primary computer had 4 GB.  Now you can buy a thumb drive with that much for next to nothing.  I have one, and feel like I have the whole world under my thumb.  There's your pop culture reference of the day, people. 

 

Heady times, my friends.  Read the article.

Grade Your Website (And Justify Your Existence)

Over at How To Change The World, Guy Kawasaki ( you know, the Mac guy) tossed out a post about a tool called Website Grader. This free tool gives your website a SEO "grade" based on a few criteria that you enter into the site. Being that I'm always interested in the reach that my website has, I entered in this site's information and was given, within minutes, a score and a few items where I can improve my site reach to my audience.

It would seem that I have a lot of room for search engine optimization improvement. In other words, my scores were…lacking. I definitely will be working on that presently behind the scenes. Successful networking is certainly something that I am all about these days.

How are you working on SEO? Feel free to email me, or drop me a note in the comments.

Popular Podcasts On POW

Last night, I had this crazy dream that I added some of my favorite and more popular podcasts to this blog.  Imagine my surprise when I actually got up this morning and did it, changing my sidebar yet again.

Yes, I've added podcasts.  Not my own, mind you (I'm not that crazy yet), but if you have an iPod or some other device that can accept podcasts, a few of the more popular ones are located on the right hand side of this page.  They'll change frequently.  Let me know if there are any particular podcasts you'd like to see listed, and I'll try to put them up.  Enjoy!

Another New Widget - Blogrush

You might have noticed yet another change to my sidebar.  I've added Blogrush, a blog syndication tool featured in Business Blogging Tips.  I've only had the Blogrush widget on my blog for a couple of days, but the service seems to be getting updated continually and I'm wondering if it will be effective in generating additional readers for this here website. 

 

You see, I've been feeling ashamed because I've been devoting so much of my time to my other projects that I feel as though you, my first readers, deserve a little more love.  I like to improve your experience, so I'm always looking for little updates.

 

Take a look at it, and if you feel so inclined, put it on your own site and tell me what you think.

Mining The Internet Gold Mine, From 1 to 5000+

Wow.  Mashable, which I've written about before, has finally lost their minds and complied over 5000 resources to do just about anything that you want on the web.

 

There is way, way too much good stuff there to write about in this small space.  Suffice it to say that it would be quite clever of you to take a look at the article.

 

In other news, you might notice that the look of this site has been changing quite a bit lately.  I've added widgets from MyBlogLog, LibraryThing - where you can see the latest books that I've read - and Criteo, which shows blogs that might be similar to mine.  I figured that it might be time for a change up.

 

I suspect that I'm really going to change this blog up a little bit more, as I've feeling a bit mischievous of late. 

No Respect - No Respect For These Google Products At All, I'll Tell Ya

With all apologies to Rodney Dangerfield, here's a good list of a bunch of Google products that simply get no love.
 

But how many people do you think would discuss being able to set up customised RSS feeds in Google News? Or being able to download source code in Google Code? How many people would know that Google offers various possibilities for users to help improve their products?

Here are some Google services that need a lot more loving (cue Barry White music) :

Makeuseof.com.  I think that I like their website.

 

Everyone here knows that I love me some Google stuff.  Google has it's own category there on the side of the page.  Here's your chance to take a look at some of the things that I'm always writing about.

 

 

Something Useful From The Government

...and it's on the Internet.  Who would have guessed that?

Overlooked and difficult to find, there are hundreds of thousands of U.S. government web sites that can help you accomplish a variety of tasks. At the right federal .gov destination you can locate historical documents, keep tabs on Congressional happenings, view presidential paperwork, and a whole lot more.

One of these days, I'm going to write a poem - not like one of those godawful poems that you used to write when you were a sophomore in high school - but a detailed, loving poem as a celebration of the wonders of Lifehacker.  Ah, Lifehacker, how I love thee.

Personally, I've used the CIA World Factbook quite a bit in the past.  Not that I travel that much... well, at all, but if I WERE to go to, say, Guinea-Bissau,I like to know what the most important local imports are that year.

I Must Post A Time Waster

It's been too long since I've posted a time waster.  Some time, indeed.  Since I've been so serious and busy, working so, so hard for a living, I've decided that today, I post not just one free game, but several at once.

 

Here's your link.

 

Crazy Monkey Games.com.

 

That's right.  They're crazy, and they have monkeys.

 

Games that you should try:

 

Boxhead: More Rooms - You will be persued by zombies, but you have excellent weapons.

Zombie Horde 3 - More zombies.  This is becoming a theme.

Thing Thing 3 - Winner of the People Choice Award.

 

There are a lot of great games on that site that you can play right in your browser.  People, take a little bit of a break from all the work.  Play a game.  I probably will.

Surf Safely With Free Stuff

Use this information for good, not evil.

 

Marketers just love to gather information about who is surfing the web and why. They're not above tracking a user's web history to learn about their interests and buying habits, but they can only do it if you let them.

If you'd like to fight back you can learn to surf anonymously. It's easy and fun!

In other words, use Tor.  Credit this info to Computerworld , via the Consumerist.

I've used Tor.

I'll use it again.

In some cases, I don't mind websites knowing that I've been there before, and the inevitable autopopulate of my username just about everywhere, especially when I don't use Firefox.  On the other hand, there's only so much I can take.

 

Clipboard2Phone

I love the Internet, and I especially love the free, useful things that I find here.

Clipboard2Phone is a simple script that emails the contents of your clipboard to your cell phone with a key combination you define. Especially useful for sending phone numbers to your mobile - which will most likely make that number callable in one click - Clipboard2Phone comes in handy for quickly transferring any kind of information you need on the go, like a todo list, shopping list, driving directions or just a reminder to your future self.

Sometimes, I don't know what I would do without Lifehacker.   I'm pretty sure that they already know that I have a serious tech-crush on them.

Here's the link. 

Free Online Education

Culled from the web, and in keeping with my responsibility to keep the world informed and educationed (ok, it's merely a goal, not a responsibility), here is a whole page devoted to free online education which might prove valuable to many.

 

Here's are the topics:

Berkeley Courses With Video Lectures

Sites Offering Free Courses

Free Online Documentaries

Learn Languages on iTunes

Educational Videos

Education With Podcasting

Useful Free Software For Students

Web 2.0 For Students

Reference Sites

Ask Questions

Tiny Flash Freeware

Free Ebooks

Learn Languages

Free Ear Training Software

 

Not kidding.  This is a valuable resource.  Use it. 

Give your thanks to this guy.  Jimmy Ruska.  Many thanks, indeed.

 

Blog From Email

I've been blogging from email for some time, but this particular app seemed quite well timed for me, especially since I have had so many problems getting that to work lately.

Software blog Download Squad gives the scoop on BlogMailr, a free tool that lets you add posts to your blog just by sending e-mails.

Glory be to Lifehacker! We love you, Gina.

Incidentally, the link to the BlogMailr is right here. Yippie!

I'd also like to add that you should expand your mind and listen to Littlefeat. I am doing that right now.

Update: The first time I posted this today failed. What timing. In other words, you need this app.
Update x2: The second time that I've posted this today failed. Arrgh.

Open Source Madness

Seriously, I'm so sorry that I forgot to mention this particular bit of info.  Want Open Source?

 

We post scads of free downloads here on Lifehacker, but today instead of pimping yet another Google product, I'd like to tip my hat to the open source developers who release innovative, useful products that make our lives that much easier every day - because it's our right, not privilege, to control our own data.

Open source roots are in the Unix operating system, but these days many "free as in speech" applications are available for Windows as well - and today I've got a list of my top 10 favorites.

None of these cost a dime to download and use, but do donate whatever and whenever you can to the projects that benefit you the most.

You know that's got to be Lifehacker.  Sigh.  I would devote some quality time reading that article, if I were you.

 

Really, I should do a plug to another long-forgotten post that I made about subjects similiar to this right here in POW - the blog.

 

But I won't.

See what I did there?

 

 

 

Freeware Wonders

I honestly don't know where I found this link.  However, it's damn useful:  10 Unknown Windows Freeware Applications You Should Know About.

 

There are dozens of well known freeware applications out there. From web browsers to word processors to anti-viruses, there is freeware everywhere. Take a look at these 10 great Windows freeware applications you have probably either never heard of or never fully looked into.

 

Homeboy is using Blogger.  Good deal.  Show 'em some love.

 

 

 

The Amazing Race

AOL.

Time Warner Inc.'s (TWX) AOL unit said it will make five gigabytes of online storage available free to all Web users.

The Internet service provider and online portal said the added storage will enable users to store any type of file and will support a drag-and-drop interface between online storage and hard drive.

The storage offering will be available to any users who have an AOL or AIM screenname starting in early September.

 

Via MarketWatch.

 

Biker and perennial underdog Dick Parsons raced up the mountain.  It was Stage 17, one of the most treacherous stages of the newly-created Tour de Earth, just started in late 2006 to replace a scandalized (and far too small, in Dick's opinion) Tour de France.   His mind mulled his chances:  Ballmer, Gates, and especially Schmidt... they were all in front.  And they weren't tiring.

 

Suddenly, Dick thought seriously about just giving up.  This was a young man's game.

 

Stop that.  Dick's mind replied.  We didn't come all this way for nothing.  Before anyone cared about the World Wide Web, before Google, and when Usenet was young, we were there.  Before broadband was the way, before the Internet crash, before Amazon, and before eBay, we were there, giving away CDs by the carload.  We introduced the world to the Internet.  We showed the world that money could be made.  We have the backing of one of the largest multimedia conglomerates the world has ever seen.  And we will not go quietly, no matter what the cost.  We can do it.

 

Dick's spirits brightened, if only just a touch.

 

But just over the top of the next hill, Dick Parsons could just see the beginning of an orange and bluish hue, steadily getting brighter with every push of his tired legs, which every drip of sweat, and every drop of adrenaline.

 

The sun was rising.

 

And with that, Dick Parsons, CEO of America Online, realized something important.  Something that would enable him to continue the race.  Something that would give him hope.

 

He was getting stronger.

 

This would be a long race, indeed.

 

 

Emurse

I found this yesterday, but figured I'd save for a rainy day.

Although outside it's HOT, here it is:  Emurse.

 

Emurse has got to be one of the most useful sites I've come across lately. Not only can you create a resume using their handy dandy template tool, but Emurse also allows you to download your resume from anywhere AND gives you the choice to instantly turn your resume into a web site so employers can find you.

 

How found?  Lifehacker, kiddies.  I can't express the love enough.

 

I've yet to use the service, but it suuuuuure looks interesting.  Lots of feedback as well.  I say check it out.  Template?  Download anywhere?  WEBSITE?  Yeah, baby.  Not to mention a mess of things I haven't mentioned yet.

 

 

 

 

Absolutely, Positively, The Most Useful Page You'll Read This Year

And I'm not kidding:

 

I want a Freeware Utility to ... 450+ common problems solved.

Extremely useful free utilities that do specific jobs really well and save time and money.

Open Source Software is listed separately.

 

Behold the beauty, and the terrible, terrible power that is Fark.

 

Do not lose this post.  Bookmark the above link.  Use it.  Love it.  Do not forget it.

The Definitive Free Software List?

Could it be?

There's not much to say about this one. It's a gigantic list of free software broken up into categories for easy browsing. Let's get ready to downloooooooad!

 

All hail Lifehacker.  God love 'em.

 

 

 

 

Why AVG Rocks

Here's yet another reason to go with Grisoft's free AVG instead of one of those commerically bought anti-spyware/virus utilities.

 

Oh, dear.  We're just getting over the Sony DRM rootkit ruckus and now we have a security company hiding software components from Windows APIs with rootkit technology.  News.com reports that Symantec Corp.'s spokesperson admitted to using this rootkit type feature in Norton SystemWorks to hide a directory so customers wouldn't accidentally delete files.  The problem was it could also provide a convenient hiding place for attackers to place malicious files. Due to the vulnerability, Symantec has issued an update for SystemWorks and is "strongly recommending" users update the software immediately. 

 

Via the Zdnet Blog.

 

"Gee, I never would have expected that."

 

Yeah, right.

 

I think AVG, for being consistently wonderful, deserves a shout out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Free Software Ever

Good software is good.  Free software is great.  But these, THESE are the coolest free things that a geek homeboy can lock onto, ever, in my humble opinion (at least until somebody does it better, which I'm not holding my breath for).

 

 

AVG Free Edition - This free virus protection software from Grisoft is the bomb.  It scans email attachments, is customizable, and absolutely does the job, I think, as well as any virus protection out there.  A while back, I was on a home network with three other users.  Bam!  Virus smackdown.  AVG stopped it cold.

 

Zone Alarm Free Download - This software firewall is rock solid.   Getting Zone Alarm was the smartest thing that I ever did for keeping the riff raff off my personal data stash.

 

Spybot Search and Destroy - This spyware, malware, and adware killer is truly awesome.  Seriously, you'll be impressed.  Even more impressive is that this seems to have created and continually updated by ONE guy.  At least, it was for a LONG time.  One man, one mission - to clean your computer.  If you download this, show him a little love and donate.

 

Ad-Aware SE - Let me put it this way.  If you get both this and Spybot, you've got the best 1-2 spyware and malware punch that's free for the taking.  What Spybot misses, this one will sniff out.  Use it and make your computer happy.

 

Firefox Web Browser - Web browsing using Firefox is, well, very cool.  Blocks popups, tabbed browsing, and blocks a HELL of a lot of the stuff that you pick up using IE.  You almost don't even NEED a malware sniffer if you're using Firefox.  At home, I don't use anything else.  Try.  You'll like. 

 

Trust me on these.  But if you don't, look 'em up on Google or read up on Download.com.  You won't be sorry.