Category: web services

  • Google browser sync: I’m not dead yet

    About a month ago, I noted the bad news that Google was ending development of one of the most useful Firefox add-ons ever, the Google browser sync extension. This nifty piece of code not only kept your bookmarks synced between different computers (across different operating systems, too) but also coordinated browsing history, cookies and passwords.…

  • Making my WordPress site legible on my crummy mobile phone

    Stuck with my Treo “smart” phone in an airport recently, I decided to navigate over here to my blog via its wimpy browser. The Treo is on Verizon’s 3rd-generation broadband service so even though I have a fair number of pictures on the front page, I figured all would be okay. Nope — the experience…

  • Android, iPhone and the push for a real mobile Internet

    Plenty of “news” today about the mobile Internet, prompted by this Wall Street Journal piece on Google’s Android mobile phone operating system.  The Journal’s story is chock full of details of the internal struggles of Android developers and carriers that may support Android phone. While Google had said phones running Android would be available in…

  • Firefox 3.0 for Mac improves on an already fine browser

    Last month, I first noticed that version 3 of the Firefox browser was nearing completion and downloaded the “release candidate” for some early trial runs. Yesterday, Mozilla released the finished 3.0 Firefox and I’ve updated all my Macs. I’m hardly alone. The download counter at Mozilla is getting close to 9 million on just the…

  • Unwired for a weekend, re-wired blahs

    I spent the weekend at my 20th college reunion — big fun and all credit to the wife who championed going (we met in college!) over my objections. But it meant there was little to no time for twittering, yelping or any of the other various and sundry online activities I typically engage in from…

  • Tivo already connects your TV to the web content you want

    We’ve been happy Tivo subscribers for almost two years now. We started with a Toshiba RS-TX20 model that also has an integrated DVD player/recorder. That was an awesome combination (just one remote!) but its been discontinued. Not just the model — the whole concept. So when we added a high-definition television set and Verizon’s FIOS…

  • Trying out Disqus for comments

    Web 2.0 guru and venture capitalist Fred Wilson posted today about the blog comment service his firm has funded. It’s called Disqus (Get it? Sounds like discuss!). It allows commenters to maintain a single “identity” that can be followed around when they respond to posts on disparate participating blogs. It also lets you know about…

  • Fantastico or who won’t let me upgrade WordPress

    It’s a real “hmmm” moment with my just-installed WordPress 2.5. There are a couple of annoying bugs, as I mentioned yesterday, so I want to upgrade to version 2.5.1. But my web hosting service, Bluehost, uses a program called Fantastico De Luxe to give me the capability to install and upgrade WordPress on their server.…

  • Speaking of simple, upgraded to WordPress 2.5

    Fantastico, the web server application installation service used by my hosting company, finally posted version 2.5 of WordPress so I hit the button for the upgrade. So far no visible hiccups. The writing and administration screens are less colorful than before but I have yet to uncover many differences. The Mandigo theme, upgraded to version…

  • Twittering onwards with terrific Twitterrific

    As I noted the other day, I’m life-testing the Twitter service. I’m trying to take it slow at first. I signed up to follow some famous folk, like John Gruber, and a half dozen friends I found with Twitter accounts. And a couple of people are following me already. I’m posting not more than every…