The Flock Web Browser

The Flock web browser is amazing. Anyone who uses social media applications, blogs, and check RSS feeds should use this browser.

What is the first great thing? Well, you can check your facebook, myspace, and twitter right from the browser. All you need to do is log in and you see updates from your friends. You can even make updates, right from your browser!

You can also check your Email right from your browser. This feature supports gmail, ymail, and AOL. It will refresh every so often and the mail icon will grow orange. It will show the subject line of the new email.

Rss feeds have also been simplified in this browser. You can subscribe to all of your favorite RSS feeds. You can put them in folders as well. They will auto refresh and you will be able to check them.

You can also check your friends diggs. The toolbar will show what your friends have been digging lately.

Another feature is blogging, right from your browser! You don't even need to browse to a webpage! This supports typepad, wordpress, and blogger.

Flock is based on firefox. So the largest bonus of all, it works with firefox addons! Most of your favorite firefox addons work with Flock.

Overall this is a great browser. If you would like to download it, go to http://flock.com

Benny

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Java and Netbeans

Now this is for all of you devs, and those interested in how their favorite games or applications are made and work. If you want real interviews from users and makers of java, look here. Java is a very useful, and versatile thing, but first thing is first, what can it be used for? Java is used for everything from applications to games. Java is made by Sun Microsystems. If you want something that is used very widely, and is fairly easy to use, Java is what you want.
Now all programming languages need a compiler. This is needed to turn the code into what the computer can read and interpret. Now there are many Java compilers out there. I only recommend two. The one that comes with JDK (Java Development Kit). It is not very easy to set up, and if you make an error, it is hard to tell what you did wrong. However, it is more traditional, and many developers like this. Then there is Netbeans. Netbeans compiles several languages, and can take scripts from one language and put them into a project with another. Netbeans is pretty cool, and I would surely recommend Netbeans.
Happy programming, and if anyone wants me to get more indepth on Java and Netbeans, please contact me.

Thanks,
Benny

Greasemonkey, and what it is useful for.

Greasemonkey is a firefox addon that has something for everyone. It allows anyone to manipulate a webpage with javascript. You can write your own (learn here), or get some at a page (I'll talk about this later). But what does Greasemonkey really have the power to do?
It can turn myspace into a clean front page, instead of all the clutter there usually is. (found here)
Anything you can do in javascript to edit a page, you can do in greasemonkey. You can get rid of ads, clutter, or anything you want to manipulate.

Now, there are some addons that bundle useful greasemonkey scripts for a webpage. Here lies most of the addons that compile greasemonkey scripts, from Better GReader to Better Youtube. Some things in these addons are very useful, especially if you use these websites alot. There are hundreds of scripts on Userscripts. If you use the web, Greasemonkey will help you somewhere along the way.

Find it here: http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
And the addon homepage is: http://www.greasespot.net/ 

 Please subscribe to the feed, follow my twitter, and fave on technorati!

What is RSS, and why should you use it?

RSS is a great way to get live updating information from your favorite blogs. It commonly translates to "Really Simple Syndication", but I want to help you understand the true meaning, and usefulness, of RSS. RSS is always originally a raw feed. This raw feed are recent posts by the website/blog. This is basically what RSS is. There are many many useful tools with RSS, but I am only going to name a few.

To read the raw feed, you need a reader. There are many readers out there. I would only use one. Google Reader. Google Reader is sleek, efficient, and can manage all of your blogs in one place. If you have IGoogle, then you can have RSS feeds updated there. I have a list of popular readers here

Google Reader

http://www.google.com/reader

Newsgator (mac)

http://www.newsgator.com

RSS Reader

http://www.rssreader.com

If you want a firefox RSS reader, look no further, because firefox already has one implemented! When you are on a page that supports RSS there should be a symbol around the area marked here that looks like the one at the top of the page. You can click on it and all of your blogs will be updated right in firefox!

Now if you are a blog or website owner, feedburner is a great thing for you. Feedburner can provide great resources for your RSS feed. You can track how many people subscribe to your feed, and provide easier links for people to subscribe.

Thanks, and I hoped I helped. Please subscribe to my RSS feed, and follow my twitter!

Benny

2 Must Have Firefox Addons for Gmail

Xoopit for Gmail


Xoopit is very cool, especially if you have a facebook. It allows you to update your status, right from gmail! Xoopit also has an interesting labeling system, that is sure to help you out.

Better Gmail 2


(Beware, for this addon you do need greasemonkey.) Better Gmail 2 is a great addon. It compiles several of the best greasemonkey scripts into one addon. There are features like showing the latest unread email subject in the tab name. Better Gmail will help you out somewhere along the way.

Please subscribe to RSS, and follow me on twitter.

Benny

What browser should I use?

Well, many have asked me this. The only browser you shouldn't use is Internet Explorer. Anything else except internet explorer.

Now. Firefox?

Do you like to customize your space?
Do you love toolbars?
Are you a web developer?
Do you like safe web?

If you are even one of these things, then you might choose firefox. www.mozilla.com

Google Chrome?

Do you like fast web?
Do you use google apps frequently?
Do you like a sleek browser?

Do Not use google chrome if you want customizable addons. Use firefox instead.

If you want to try this browser, go to www.google.com/chrome

Those are the pros of the web browsers (of course) there are others out there (Opera, Safari), but these two are my personal favorites. Explore the others and please comment and subscribe!

Turn your Flash Drive into an OS

Do you have one of the old 512MB flash drives sitting around? I know I do. Do you want Linux to fit on your flash drive? Or do you want your Mac to be more portable then your phone? I have the solution:

Damn Small Linux:

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

This is a 50 MB installation size. You get a browser, firefox and many other options, and it can fit on your flash drive!

Mac-on-Stick (minivmac)

Wow, pretty cool. Not super-useful for much, but it is small, and has your bare operating system.


Benny

Windows Vista, Yes and No

Okay. Don't think I am one of the normal computer bloggers who says Oh My God Vista is Crap. No, I want to give practical views on Vista.

Let's say you are at work, and you tell someone under you to do a task. They say "Are you sure you want to do that?" You say "Yes." Then they say, "Are you really sure you want me to do this?" Wouldn't this get annoying? Yes, I understand you can turn this off. But there are plenty of people who don't have computer savvy and don't know how to turn it off. I wouldn't have a big problem with the security feature, except that whenever it comes up, it has to darken the whole screen and load.

Another problem I have with Vista, it takes a while to load up, even when I don't have much on my computer. I have two computers, one with Windows XP and one with Windows Vista. Windows XP loaded much faster.

Now, on my laptop with Vista, I wanted to put XP back on it. I am not saying this is Microsoft's fault, but it is annoying. So I replaced that partition with XP (you know the drill). Let me make a list of what it didn't have:

• Sound Drivers
• Wireless Internet Drivers
• Graphics Drivers
• Video Drivers

I was perplexed at what couldn't be put on there. I even tried to go to Hewlett Packard's website and download the drivers, and they didn't have any.

So I'm stuck with Vista right now. However, Vista does have good points. It has a very cool sidebar option, which I decked out. It is also very user friendly, having parental controls.

Here is what I acquired from what Microsoft wanted Vista to be. They wanted it to be a family oriented OS, that was user friendly, but it didn't work out how everyone wanted.

Good luck Microsoft. Please Digg http://digg.com/software/The_Computeress_Blog

Benny