Share files and photos, create backups...all in a FLASH!

Imagine this scenario...

You have an awesome movie that you want to share with your friends.  You think, "I could email it to them!"  Whoops!  Your email provider has a 10mb limit for attachments.  Dang!  Now what?  Hmmm...

Enter...Drop.io

Drop.io is the simplest way to share files, photos, and more online!  Check out the video below and I'll show you how it all works!

Visit drop.io and start sharing your files and photos!  Click below!

drop.io

drop.io, internet, file sharing, firefox, review

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Making web pages into "clickable" apps

Good day everyone!  Today I'm going to show you how you can make any web page into a quickly accessed application on your desktop, dock, or other launch panel.

Ok...let's get on with it!  Ooh!  Is that a rainbow I see?

Actually no.  Yes...it's Prism...not the triangular glass thingy, but rather, the good folks from Mozilla have created an excellent project called Prism that allows users to create "mini-browsers" specifically set up for individual web pages. 

From the Mozilla wiki page:

Prism is a simple XULRunner based browser that hosts web applications
without the normal web browser user interface. Prism is based on a
concept called Site Specific Browsers (SSB). An SSB is an application
with an embedded browser designed to work exclusively with a single web
application. It doesn’t have the menus, toolbars and accoutrements of a
normal web browser. Some people have called it a "distraction free browser"
because none of the typical browser chrome is used. An SSB also has a
tighter integration with the OS and desktop than a typical web
application running through a web browser.

Ok...wonderful.  So what?  How does this help me?

Think of it this way.  Perhaps you use GMail as your primary email or even Google Calendar?  How about Playlist.com and the standalone music player?  Prism and the Firefox add-on Prism for Firefox make it easy to "isolate" these web sites as "apps" so you can quickly and easily access them.  In the following screenshot you can see how I've actually made several "apps" on my desktop, each of which use Prism to launch a specific web site for quick and easy access.  (yes...I'm a die hard Red Sox fan too)



Pretty cool!  Ok...how do I do this?  Go easy on me...

Sure!  It's actually pretty easy.  The easiest method is to use the Prism for Firefox extension...sometimes also referred to as Prism refractor for Firefox.  Use the link below to go to the installation link.  Install just like any other extension and then restart Firefox.  Once you have restarted, you should see a new menu item located under "Tools" that says "Convert Website to Application".  Browse to the site you wish to make into an "app".  In my example, I'm going to browse to www.playlist.com and go to my playlist.  I'll launch the standalone Flash Player.  Once the Flash player is open, I'll click "Tools" > "Convert Website to Application".  The next shot shows what that looks like:




You can choose to add icons to your desktop, dock, or applications folder.  NOTE: This example was created using OS X...other platforms may look a little different and have a less options.  (the Linux version only offers the "desktop" option)

Dude!  That's awesome!  Thanks for the tip!  So...what does it look like in the end?

You're welcome!  Here's the shot of my playlist using Prism in all its glory!



Notice the Holiday tunes!  Enjoy the holiday season and let me know if and how you were able to use this tip in the comments!


Prism for Firefox :: Firefox Add-ons

Technorati Tags: Prism, Firefox, extensions, Mozilla, Playlist.com, Google Apps

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Surviving the Thanksgiving Turkey debacle

They say you can find almost anything online. A husband, wife, new car, new home, child to adopt, (still don't know if you can have a baby online yet), food, and all the assorted gadgets you could ever need. More importantly there is a wealth of information online. Granted, 99% of it is crap, but some of it is actually worth knowing.

How to not burn the turkey is something worth knowing

As we approach the big turkey day I thought I might share a little information on cooking a turkey. It's not every day that most of us cook a giant bird the size of a household dog (No! Put Fifi down! Cut that out!). It's also not every day that we invite several people to our house to sample our cooking. For many of us...that's a GOOD thing.

Ok...buying 42 frozen TV dinners with turkey and stuffing is a tad expensive don't you think?

I'm sure the thought has crossed your mind. Go to the supermarket, buy 40-50 Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice frozen turkey dinners and scrape them out onto a big plate. Let me clue you in on a little secret...it's ALL white meat with NO drumsticks. Folks will catch on very quickly. Fights will ensue, family members will shun you, and your status in Uncle Earl's will could change drastically.

I'm scared! What shall I do?

Have no fear! Remember how I said you can find anything online? Well, there are life-saving instructions for cooking a turkey! Yay! (waiting for the applause to die down) Who'd have thought there'd be a website called "www.howtocookathanksgivingturkey.com"? Well there is, and it is full of great information on how to prepare that big bird for the feast. So, why am I telling you this today? Because you gotta' get started! Seriously! Cooking the turkey requires careful planning and timing, especially if it's frozen. So...click on the link below and rest assured that even the least knowledgable turkey cooks can pull off a great thanksgiving meal. Enjoy! (and good luck) ;-)

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY | HOW TO COOK A THANKSGIVING TURKEY

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