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Mar 20

WrapUp: Yahoo Briefcase is Closing, FeedDemon to Get Google Reader Syncing, and More

This article was written on February 02, 2009 by CyberNet.

Welcome to the WrapUp by CyberNet. This is a collection of news stories, downloads, and tips that we have collected over the last few days, but never got around to writing about. Don’t forget to send in your own tips, or just leave a comment on this page if you think you’ve got something we should include.

–News–

Flaw Found in Windows 7 UAC
Microsoft has responded to concerns about Vista’s annoying UAC prompts by adding a slider in Windows 7 that will let you choose how often you’d like to see prompts. Early reports indicate that it’s possible for a malicious script to completely disable UAC if the user chooses any UAC notification option other than the most strict one. So it’s basically pointless unless you use the same option that Vista uses by default.

First Descriptions of Google GDrive
Many people have been anxiously awaiting the day that Google unveils their online storage solution, and it might be coming sooner rather than later. Digging into a little code reveals some translated text that indicates a Google is working on a file storage service that will let you backup photos, music, and documents.

iTunes Plus Available on a Per Track Basis
Apple has finally given in to the pressure. When iTunes Plus was originally released earlier this year users had to upgrade their entire library to DRM-free songs, but Apple has seen the light. They now let you upgrade only the songs or albums that you actually want.

FeedDemon to Support Google Reader Syncing
It’s quite possible that an upcoming version of FeedDemon will actually support syncing with Google Reader. This is surprising because the company who develops the software, Newsgator, already has their own online feed reader. The demand for Google Reader support must be pretty high.

Gmail Goes Offline
Google announced last week that Google Gears support has finally been added to Gmail, which means you can take your email offline making it accessible from anywhere.

iPhone 2.2.1 Firmware Released
Apple released a minor firmware update that includes bug fixes and stability improvements for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This release conveniently breaks the software used to unlock the device, but I’m sure Apple didn’t intend to do that.

Internet Explorer 8 RC1 Available
Microsoft has unleashed Internet Explorer 8 RC1, and after a week of using it as my primary browser I can honestly say that it’s pretty stable. I don’t think they’ve done enough to make me switch from Firefox, but I’m impressed that they’ve managed to get as far as they have.

Yahoo Shutting Down Briefcase
Yahoo has offered a free service called Briefcase for almost 10 years now, and they are finally deciding to shut it down. It provided users with a whopping 30MB of online storage for files, and it’s obvious that the competition is stiff. After all, Microsoft’s SkyDrive now gives users 25GB of storage at absolutely no cost.

–Tips, Tutorials, and Reviews–

Ubuntu Pocket Guide
This 164-page guide is designed to be a compact way for Ubuntu users to figure out their way around the operating system. It has all the vital information, and serves as the perfect reference for newcomers. It’s available for free in PDF form, or just $10 from Amazon.

4 Extensions to Search & Organize Firefox History
This article covers 4 different Firefox extensions that all focus on unique ways of searching and organizing your browser history. I’m sure most of the extensions you probably haven’t even heard of, but are definitely worth checking out.

Get Chrome’s New Tab Page in Firefox
In Google Chrome when you open a new tab you’re presented with several thumbnails of the sites you visit the most, along with recent bookmarks. You can now get the same feature in Firefox, but you’ll have to install the Google Toolbar add-on first.