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Firefox Addon of the Week: Weave Browser Sync

David Murphy — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:02:51 -0600

For the longest time, Xmarks has been my Firefox bookmark synchronization tool of choice. I've been using it forever, and I can't recall the last time it's presented me with any kind of problem--that's because it never has. Simply put, Xmarks is an amazing tool for keeping your bookmarks in check across multiple installations of the Firefox browser.

But this post isn't about Xmarks. Mozilla itself has released its own synchronization tool dubbed "Weave Browser Sync," and it offers up even more possibilities than the trusty ol' Xmarks add-on. So why am I not fawning over this extension outright and declaring it to be the greatest browser synchronization tool since the sliced bread, er, synchronization utility? Well, a few stability issues reported by other Firefox users have left me a bit cautious to suggest that Weave is the answer to all of your dreams. It's certainly worth trying out, just don't put all your eggs in your woven basket should it not ultimately work on your browser--or worse, accidentally nuke your bookmarks.

Here's the deal. I haven't had any problems with Weave's synchronization features myself. In a few cross-platform tests, the browser add-on was able to correctly sync over my bookmarks, history, preferences, tabs, and saved passwords. That's a pretty hefty list compared to Xmarks, which only really synchronizes passwords and bookmarks. Weave's tabs synchronization is an especially killer feature--you'll feel like you're browsing with one, unified session no matter what system you're accessing Firefox from. Couple this up with BarTab, and you have a super-powerful setup for tabbed browsing.

As I mentioned, a number of users have had a bit of trouble getting Weave to work. The add-on offers enough to make it worth the recommendation. However, I'd be remiss in my abilities as a reviewer if I didn't mention this fact--be sure to back up your bookmarks prior to installing Weave in case the add-on doesn't work out as well as you would have preferred.

Maximum PC picks one new Firefox add-on as its favorite of the week each... week. Have a nifty extension that you can't live without? Twitter David Murphy @acererak with your latest suggestions.

Web App of the Week: Remindr

David Murphy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:18:22 -0600

Quick. A project just came on your radar, but you've got a lot on your plate already. You don't want to forget about a key fact or detail of what you have to do, but it's almost closing time. Or maybe you're just lazy and don't have any of those yellow sticky notes nearby to write down the details. Or maybe you just don't feel like logging on to your Google Calendar to create yet another reminder of whatever it is you have to accomplish.

Lots of possible scenarios, one awesome solution. This week's featured Web app is the ultimate reminder tool for any little fact or meeting time that you need to keep on your radar. It's extremely simple to use--in fact, it would probably take you less time to schedule yourself a little task update using this tool than it would any other software application there is, period. It's even faster to access than Notepad.

The name of the app is (appropriately enough) Remindr. I'd walk you through how it works, but it's pretty easy to figure out on your own. The Web app consists of a single page. On it, you'll want to enter the little note that you need to remind yourself of as well as the time said reminder should be sent. Pick a platform--Twitter, email, or Jabber/Gtalk--and enter your appropriate contact details. That's it. The service will send you a little message wherever and whenever you specified and, hopefully, you'll be adequately reminded to perform whatever task you intended to do.

And that's really the joy of using Remindr: You don't need to edit a ton of variables or login to a third-party service. Just type in your reminder, type in the time, and wait. No hassles, no fuss--just reminding.

Each week, Maximum PC picks a new free or shareware download as its favorite of... the week. Have a nifty application that you can't live without? Twitter David Murphy @acererak with your latest suggestions.

Seesmic Look Debuts: Twitter and Aero Have a Baby

David Murphy — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:30:00 -0600

Seesmic, popular creators of the Seesmic Desktop and Seesmic (for Windows) Twitter utilities, have partnered up with Microsoft to unleash a new way to browse the real-time Web. Don't roll your eyes just yet: I realize there are just about as many different ways to engage Twitter from a computer as there are tweets to track. I, too, was skeptical upon downloading the company's new Seesmic Look client. These fears didn't last long. It's clear that Seesmic has really put its time into a thorough analysis of the existing market, because there simply aren't any other Twitter clients that look quite like, well, Look.

Here's why.

You'll be surprised by the app's artistic interactivity when you first load it up. It's a big separation from the typical Twitter client layout, which is often some Adobe Air-based program filled with columns or floating windows. There's still a lot of floating going on in Look, but it's done more like a screensaver than a rigid information display. When you're using Look's "Playback" mode--one of three different interactive layers to choose from--new messages in the Twittersphere fade in and out of existence alongside giant, pulsating, transparent circles. The Timeline and Alphabetical features are just that--huge boxes of your Twitter friends' thoughts that are easily scrolled through via a standard mouse wheel or "I'm going to click a lot" technique.

One of Look's more unique features--and one that should be replicated in every Twitter client from now until the death of the service-- is its snarky, yet useful commentary regarding the day's most popular hash-tags or subjects. For the uninformed, hash tags are a way for users to categorize posts throughout the Twitter service. If you and I are both making commentary about how awesome Nathan Edwards is, we could simply offer up our thoughts and append #nathanrobot to the end. Thus, we now have an easy way to track all related posts throughout Twitter even if said posts don't directly reference a subject or name.

Anyway, clicking on the easily accessible "Trends" category on Look's left-hand table of contents pulls up a list of the most popular twitter topics of the present-time, of the day, or of the week. If you have no idea what "Follow Friday" or "Danny" refers to, just hover your mouse over the word. A handy little description appears to give you a bit more insight on what all these people are Tweetin' about.

Other than that, there are categories for Tweets you've marked as favorites, chunks of Tweets organized by predefined interests, Twitter channels based on popular brands or Internet presences (what, oh what does Red Bull's twitter have to say today!), and the usual laundry list of past searches you've made in the program. You can organize your friends by lists (that aren't linked to Twitter lists, mind you) to better keep separate Twitt... Twittizens you care about versus less helpful contributors. That's a lot of organization wrapped around Look's beautiful interface--but what is this app missing?

Looking For...

For starters, there aren't really any configuration options at all beyond the opportunity to select the Dark or Light version of Look's skin. The app has essentially locked you into its interface--frankly, I'd love the ability to be able to minimize the size of the large Tweet boxes in order to fit more onto the screen. You also can't select which Twitter-themed service you want to use for various add-ons like link shortening and what-have-you, as Look defaults to the TinyURL service for such things. Most frustrating, Look doesn't auto-complete a Twitter follower's name when addressing them a message. That's not quite as big a deal when you're replying to someone based on a message they've previously Tweeted, but it makes it difficult and annoying to reference someone out of the blue.

Oh, and Look places all new tweets on your timeline above the one you're currently viewing. Since the app doesn't automatically scroll to the top when new Tweets come in, you have to constantly grab your mouse and shuffle around your messages just to catch whatever's new. For a program that's as into the user interface as Look, you'd think there would be a better way to set-it-and-forget-it that isn't just the app's tweet-repeating Playback mode. The interface is big enough to see from an adjacent room, but there's just not a good way to let this program run on a laptop or computer without your constant input.

These criticisms aside, Look is still an awesome platform for interacting with Twitter in a more engaging, eye-catching manner. It's not the best Twitter client from a usability standpoint, but here's hoping that its omissions get fixed in subsequent revisions. It would be a shame for Look's powerful aesthetic to fade away because the software just isn't as practical as it could be for good ol' Twitter.

Download of the Week: New Folder Wizard

David Murphy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:30:58 -0600

Sometimes, you just need to make some folders--a lot of folders. More than 5 folders, more than twenty folders, more than a hundred folders--you need to generate more folders than you've ever created in a single setting. Maybe this is for work, maybe you're finally getting organized with all the pictures you've taken over the past five years, or maybe you just like makin' folders.

Either way, the typical folder creation process goes a little something like this: you find an open directory, you right-click somewhere, you select "new folder," and you repeat this process a thousand times (with a few extra hours thrown in for renaming).

Fun, huh?

A handy little application has just come to my attention and, by handy, I mean, "it saves you countless hours of having to repeat the aforementioned frustrating process." If you've ever needed to create and customize a number of folders in a single sitting,then you'll definitely want to behold the wonders of this week's top download: New Folder Wizard!

The basic functionality of New Folder Wizard is a lot like the freeware application "Renamer," a longtime favorite at Maximum PC. You start by suggesting a base name for your folders--a prefix like "pictures," although you can also use a predefined list of names from a secondary text file as the basis for all your folder titles. If you're opting for the prefix route, you can also append a suffix to your folder, which will stick whatever custom notations you want on the end of the name that's created. In the middle of the prefix and suffix can also go a number, which New Folder Wizard will sequentially fill in based on whatever starting point, step, and ending point you configure.

And that's about it. These simple rules allow you to set up a new hierarchy of up to 20,000 folders at a time. If you're opted for the "use a text file to name my folders" route, you can also establish as many sub-folders within folders as you want. New Folder Wizard delivers powerful functionality that's light-years ahead of Windows' default solution.

Freeware Files: 5 Apps for Keeping Your New Year's Resolution!

David Murphy — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0600

Ahh, the new year is nearly upon us. And, naturally, it's that time to start making a list of all the things that you'll likely end up putting off in 2010. The dreaded "New Year's Resolution" list is really just a fancy way of saying, "I'll get to it." Right? But it doesn't have to be. Post-it notes can be ignored and shopping lists can be misplaced, but there's no stopping a concrete digital solution from reminding you of all the things you promised yourself come the drop of the ball January 1.

That said, you don't have to use this week's batch of friendly to-do and reminder tools to just keep track of your resolutions. These various free and open-source software programs do much more than just that. From integrating with existing online tasks lists, to delivering GUI-free methods for organizing tasks, to tracking your online auctions (no less), these apps deliver a virtual smorgasbord of options for keeping your life in check. You'll never look at another Outlook calendar or Google reminder the same way again.

Google Tasks

Simple. Easy. Efficient. This lightweight Adobe AIR application calls up a miniature instance of Google Tasks right on your desktop. You won't need to pull open a Web browser just to access your task listings. And since this is literally just connecting to Google Tasks, you'll always have the most up-to-date list of things to check off whenever you launch this app--an ideal solution if you're accessing Google Tasks from multiple workspaces. Combine this program with the ever-useful Always on Top Maker to create a permanent window that lists the things you have to do! Google Tasks might not be the best application of Google Tasks in a desktop environment, but it's certainly one way to rip this feature straight out of your browser window.

Download it here!

Doit.im

Yes, it's another Adobe AIR application. However, Doit.im is a comprehensive project management application that delivers a bunch of different options for keeping track of everything from smaller to-do items to larger efforts. It even uses the power of the cloud to synchronize itself across multiple instances of the application, ensuring that you'll always be accessing your most up-to-date scheduling no matter which of your many computers you're using. Add multi-step tasks, invite friends into your project chain, and organize your tasks by time (to showcase the next actions you have to take, elements due by tomorrow, or elements due at some point in the future).

With mobile versions of Doit.im in the works, it's only fitting that you start integrating this useful tracking program into your daily routine. You'll soon be able to take it with you wherever you go!

Download it here!

TimeLeft

For more urgent to-do requests, TimeLeft is a basic alarm clock app that's been stuffed full of different add-ons and features. The combined result is a program that truly leaves no stone unturned when it comes to keeping track of your activities, be they time-sensitive or general "to-do" items. An integrated countdown mode gives you the exact time before a specific deadline hits, and the program's sticky-notes feature allows you to clutter up your desktop with any specific reminders you want. You can schedule events as one-shot items or as recurring elements--a number of complex rules built into TimeLeft gives you a wide latitude for customization. And when I said "stuffed full of add-ons," I wasn't kidding! TimeLeft even includes an auction countdown feature for keeping track of your online shopping.

Download it here!

Org-Mode

If you're totally into command-line environments (here's looking at you, Linux converts), then Org-mode might be the scheduling app for you. This program isn't for the faint of heart: Installing it requires you to first stick Emacs onto your machine. From there, you'll have to work through a variety of commands just to get the program up-and-running. And since Org-Mode is text-based at its core, don't expect to be able to just wave your mouse around and click on a few boxes to get your outlines or schedules working correctly. These challenges might be a lot to handle for an average user. However, Org-Mode delivers a commanding amount of functionality for being text-based. And just because it lacks a GUI doesn't mean that its stuck in the Stone Ages: Org-Mode users can even sync what they do in the program to their iPhones.

Download it here!

Evernote

I save this for last, as Evernote is really the Alpha and the Omega of note-taking, reminding, or whatever else you want to call "keeping organized." This super-simple application works on an awesome trifecta of platforms: mobile, Web, and desktop. You can type notes directly into the program, append pictures, organize your notes with tags, and even split your notes into multiple notebooks at the click of a mouse. Organizing and searching for your notes using Evernote's powerful interface is as easy as it is quick, and the program even transforms the very text or handwriting from notes you've inputted into the application into searchable elements.

I could go on, but just know this: Evernote will send your file cabinets and notecards trembling for the corners of your room. You will not find a more comprehensive application for note-taking, bar none. And don't forget to synchronize it across your mobile devices as well!

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Download of the Week: Songbird 1.4.2

David Murphy — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:30:02 -0600

It's back! I've covered Songbird before, but that's only because it's one of the best open-source alternatives to Apple's iTunes. Well, Songbird just got bumped up to version 1.4.2--a brief fix for a UI glitch that was affecting its December 21 release of version 1.4.1. The latter is really the meat and potatoes of Songbird's latest update, representing as good a time as any to try out this unique and easy-to-use application!

Why Songbird? Well, you won't be locked into using Apple's proprietary iTunes platform... sort-of. For while Songbird supports device synchronization for the app's music files and playlists, users of those i-named Apple devices will still have to use Songbird's clever iTunes export workaround to sync music to their devices. Beside that, Songbird offers a comprehensive amount of media sorting, organizing, and tagging--including playlists that automatically update with new pictures, videos, and tour dates for bands of-interest.

In fact, this is one of Songbird's strongest features. Its built-in Internet-based enhancements deliver a wealth of additional information and functionality beyond what you'd expect to find in iTunes and it's... well, it's single connection to Apple's own Music Store. Shoot, you can even purchase concert tickets through Songbird, not to mention pack a bundle of additional add-ons and customizations to truly trick out your media player/organizer as you see fit.

So what's new with this super-handy music app? Here's a sampling of some of the big changes in the 1.4.1 release:

MSC Device Support: Songbird now supports the syncing of music tracks and playlist to MSC-compatible MP3 players and phones (essentially, Flash-based storage devices). If a track itself isn't compatible with MSC, Songbird will transcode your tunes on-the-fly!
CD Ripping: 'nuff said. Songbird, like iTunes, can now rip your optical discs into little digital files of your choosing--FLAC, OGG, or WMA. The program will also attempt to look up the metadata for said album/disc and tag your files appropriately.
New Skin: It's purple! It's simplified! It's unique!

Every Wednesday, Maximum PC picks a new free or shareware download as its favorite of the week. Have a nifty application that you can't live without? Twitter David Murphy @acererak with your latest suggestions.

Freeware Files: Five Apps for a Windows 7 Desktop Makeover!

David Murphy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0600

There's nothing wrong with the Windows 7 desktop per se. But for freeware developers, that's no excuse not to tweak, hack, and otherwise modify every possible piece of your screen. And it's not that difficult to add new functionality to your desktop that doesn't otherwise exist in the operating system. The hardest part is finding software that makes a substantive change to what you already have. After all, the last thing you want to do is install a ton of different freeware apps and find your desktop in even worse shape than it was before (if you do, take a quick trip to Revo Uninstaller).

The intensity of the following five free applications ranges from apps that completely revamp your desktop's look and feel to programs that add new ways for accessing common apps and folders straight off your desktop. How far you want to go with your tweaking is entirely up to you--these are just some of the more interesting tools I've come across that should go a long way toward raising your "Windows Power User" level a few notches.

Desktop Media

Here's an easy one. Desktop Media emulates one of OSX's most basic and useful features. Whenever you stick a new CD in the drive, connect a portable USB storage device to your system, or fire up a network drive (amongst other options), Desktop Media slaps a shortcut to said device right on your desktop. Remove the device (or take the CD out), and the shortcut automatically disappears. Fire this one up in front of your friends and they'll swear that you've built some crazy Mac/Windows hybrid--you'll be the life of the Windows 7 party.

Download it here!

StandaloneStack 2

I've always enjoyed how Windows 7 has managed to simultaneously de-clutter and improve the usefulness of the default Windows Vista and Windows XP taskbars. However, every icon on the bar at the little bottom of your screen still only represents one program. Sure, you can get some added contextual items to select if you click on an application's arrow icon on the Start Menu, but this isn't a universal feature for all applications--and you're still only interacting with a single program.

StandaloneStack 2 allows you to move one step beyond these features and create program "stacks," or graphical lists, based off of a single icon. When you click on this icon, you can use the ensuing menu of items to launch new programs, folders, or settings options. It's like having a number of different Start buttons that you can customize as much as you'd like.

Download it here!

7 Taskbar Tweaker

This app might be limited in its prettiness, but it more than makes up for it with its usefulness. As you might expect, 7 Taskbar Tweaker is a simple utility for adding additional functionality into your default Windows 7 taskbar. For example, you can switch between either a default jump list or standard window menu when you right-click an icon, toggle application grouping on and off, and make use of new middle-click functionality that either opens a new instance of a taskbar program, closes the window, or focuses the window. You can also disable thumbnail previews, should you so choose. It's not a weighty list of items to play around with, but 7 Taskbar Tweaker's modifications aren't normally customizable options in the Windows 7 OS.

Download it here!

MenuApp

Speaking of the Start Menu, let's suppose you have a ton of different files, programs, favorites, and shortcuts that you want to be able to access from a single location. Let's call this set of objects "work." Normally, you'd have to make a folder somewhere on your system or desktop and dump all of your pertinent files in there, as well as all of your bookmarked Web sites, shortcuts to all the programs you need to access, et cetera. To organize this folder, you'd have to use subfolders related to the items you intend to store. Fun.

MenuApp removes the ugliness from this organization by allowing you to create Start Menu-like hierarchies based off of a single icon on your desktop. Now, you can simply click on your newly created "work" icon and pull up all of your files, shortcuts, and other objects of interest via an easy-to-access system of menus without having to move a single piece of data around your PC. Just tell MenuApp where the documents you want to access are located on your computer and it'll automatically create menus based on the contents of those folders--from there, you can shuffle and create organized pathways through your data at your leisure.

Download it here!

Rainmeter

For the ultimate in desktop skinning without a ton of crazy configuration files to wade through, Rainmeter is an excellent tool for changing the look of your entire desktop without sacrificing a large amount of system resources. A recent update to the application adds a little feature called RainBrowser, which lets you run through the different skins you've installed for the application and tweak their settings or preview their look before you start changing up your desktop en masse. The Rainmeter developers do the best job of summarizing the coolness of this free app: "Every inch of a skin is completely customizable."

Or, in other words, the sky's the limit. Ha-ha!

Download it here!

Freeware Files: Turn your PC to Self-Cleaning Mode, and More!

David Murphy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:14:13 -0500

Once a week, I feel like I'm either finding or running a large batch of programs in an effort to keep my computer as crap-free as possible. It's a never-ending battle. I defrag, I delete, I shuffle, I organize, I optimize, I scan... and still, what I end up downloading and installing over the next six days almost always leads me back to the good ol' "Sunday Purge," as I've come to call it.

And you? I venture that your habits are pretty similar to mine, as you're a Maximum PC reader with a thirst--nay, need--for speed. But we both don't have to waste a ton of time poring over our hard drives and giving them digital equivalent of a good flossing. There are tools, wonderful tools, that will automate this process--and automate it for free!

You're probably aware of quite a few of these applications, in fact. That's why I've cast my net over a wide swath of sites to find two little tidbits that you probably haven't heard of before. Check out the two awesome cleaning programs for yourself below, not to mention their three other freeware friends!

Belvedere

Created by our friends over at Lifehacker, this custom file-sweeping application is a great set-it-and-forget-it technique for de-cluttering your system's many leftover files. Here's how it works. Once you've launched the program, you assign folders for it to watch. You then brainstorm up some rules that you want to append to the files in said folders, guidelines that can encompass as wide a degree as, "If the extension is... then move it to" to "If the file is older than x days... delete it." The possibilities are quite vast. After that, you do nothing. Yep. Nothing. The program will watch over said folders and perform said maintenance actions without a need for any more input. True to its name, Belvedere is like having a butler for your digital mess.

Download it here!

USBDriveFresher

This one is, in a word, awesome. I realize that can be an overused phrase here at Maximum PC, so hear me out. Now that you've read about the customizable rules that you can apply to folder cleaning as a result of Belvedere, imagine having a similar functionality occur--automatically--to any USB-based device you attach to your system. That's USBDriveFresher. Although it's strictly designed for file deletion, this miniscule application runs in your system's background and automatically cleans unwanted files off any USB device. If you frequently switch between Apple and PC platforms, and can't stand the miscellaneous files that OSX dumps on your drive, this little utility is your key to a cleaner, er, key.

Download it here!

ManicTime

We're all busy. Now, suppose you're concerned about the amount of time you spend surfing the Internet versus conducting actual, paying work. Or, for that matter, perhaps your kind of work is the one where your boss wants to see an itemized list of what exactly you've been doing--for client billing, of course. Either way, ManiacTime is an excellent application for graphing out exactly what programs you use during any given day. Not only does the program record when your computer is idle or in use, but it allows you to assign labels to your exact patterns of use. Need to make an annotation for the 3 hours you spend surfing Slashdot? Try "research." Want to show your boss that you sweated bullets in PowerPoint to make that big presentation? Just look for your "working hard" label. Just finished an epic WoW raid? Try... uh. Try "brainstorming new customer engagement opportunities."

Download it here!

Process Hacker

Need more information for the various applications running in the background of your system? Tired of seeing the same-ol', same-ol' list of minor details in the default Windows Task Manager? You need Process Hacker. This open-source application gives you the same control over programs and services as Windows Task Manager. However, you not only get a wealth of information related to each running element, but Process Hacker also enables you to find hidden processes as well. While that might not sound very interesting for an average computer user who will never need this kind of direct access to an operating system's underbelly, it's a lifesaving technique to seek out and fix nasty rootkits or other untimely PC infections.

Download it here!

Immunet Protect

Using the power of a super-base of computers to detect, analyze, and report suspect virus activity is nothing new. And Immunet Protect is one more log in the antivirus fire, as this freeware application uses the power of cloud computing to provide PC protection. The interesting thing about the application is that it fully embraces the notion of cloud technology to deliver real-time, continual updates. You won't ever have to download a new batch of virus identifiers again--since you're in the cloud and seemingly connected to everyone else using Immunet Protect, you'll be ready to fight a new virus as soon as people worldwide automatically report it. It's too soon to tell how this program will fare against its free (and commercial) competition, but it's hard to say no to additional protection at a minimal cost.

Download it here!