Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on July 04, 2007 by CyberNet.

Web Browser Wednesday

URL’s make the Web go round, and depending on how easy or hard they are to remember can make a huge difference as to whether someone will return to a site or not. So it makes sense that URL’s and links are a good item to target when trying to make yourself more productive.

To get us started, I thought I would roll out some interesting stats that you may not know regarding the length of URL’s. Have you ever tried to see how many characters your browser would support in a URL? It’s fine if you didn’t, because one guy did and this was the result:

• Internet Explorer: The longest URL that’s supported is 2,083 characters
• Firefox: The longest URL that’s supported is 100,000+ although it stopped showing the characters in the address bar after 65,536 characters.
• Safari: The longest URL that’s supported is 80,000+ characters.
• Opera: The longest URL that’s supported is 190,000+ characters, where the author noted that in Opera 9 the URL was still “fully editable, copyable and pasteable” even at 190,000 characters.

So today I want to present some Firefox extensions that will make your life easier when trying to copy or manipulate URL’s and links. Here we go…

–Ones You Probably Know About–

The first thing that I want to point are the extensions that you probably already know about or ones that we have already written about. I decided not to count these against the 10, but thought I would point them out anyways:

1. Locationbar² (Homepage)
   This extension has become very popular because it makes the actual domain stand out in the address bar, as well as make different parts of the URL clickable similar to a breadcrumb trail. It was even nominated as a feature that should be included with Firefox 3.
   
2. Linkification (Homepage)
   Makes text links clickable that aren’t otherwise clickable. For example, someone pastes a hyperlink in a forum and it isn’t clickable since they didn’t use the proper code…Linkification will make that link clickable.
3. Link Alert (Homepage)
   When you hover over a hyperlink there will be a little icon showing you what type of file it is, or whether the link will open in a new window.
   
4. Snap Links (Homepage / Our Review)
   Lets you draw a box around a group of links and have them all open. It’s really nice when reading news, and is very configurable.
   
5. iReader (Homepage / Our Review)
   Shows a text-based preview of the the site being linked to. It’s similar to the Snap Previews that show the thumbnails, but this is purely text.
   
6. Next Please (Homepage / Our Review)
   This adds buttons to Firefox that are similar to Opera’s Fast Forward and Rewind. These are especially useful when going through search result pages where clicking the button will take you to the next results page.
   

–Address Bar–

The Address Bar is undoubtedly the most popular location for a URL to reside, so here are some extensions specific to the Address Bar:

1. Tab URL Copier (Homepage)
   Ever have a bunch of URL’s that you want to send to someone? With this extension you can copy the URL’s of all open tabs to the clipboard.
   
2. New TabURL (Homepage)
   This extension isn’t unique because it lets you pick the homepage for all new tabs that you create. Instead it is unique because you can adjust the settings so that it will load the URL that’s on the clipboard when you open a new tab.
   
3. URL Fixer (Homepage)
   Automatically fixes the errors you make when typing in a URL, such as “.con” instead of “.com”. You can set it up so that it notifies you before making any corrections to the URL.
   
4. MyURLBar_a (Homepage)
   Adds search-by-name capabilities to the address bar, so that you can type the name of the site you want to visit. It will search both your bookmarks and browsing history, with the bookmark results being placed on top.
   

–Hyperlinks–

Hyperlinks are an amazing tool, and with them we can navigate the Web faster. There’s always room for optimization though.

1. TinyURL Creator (Homepage)
   Makes a TinyURL of the site you’re currently on through the use of the right-click menu.
   
2. LinkChecker (Homepage)
   Checks to see whether the links on a page are valid, and highlights them accordingly.
   
3. Super DragAndGo (Homepage)
   Dragging a hyperlink and dropping it anywhere on the current page will open it up in a new tab. It’s essentially the same thing as holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on the link, but Super DragAndGo makes it a one-handed operation.
4. CoLT (Homepage)
   Let’s you copy a hyperlink into a specialized format. For example, you can copy a hyperlink into a format that makes it ready to be inserted into a forum. It even lets you create all of your own formats.
   
5. All Your Maps Belong To Us (Homepage)
   Translates URL’s to other mapping sites into a Google Maps link. It tries to avoid translating unsupported URL’s and seems to do a fairly good job.

And Last, but Not Least…

I came across one extension on my journey that did something I had never heard about. The extension is called Mobile Barcoder and it creates a 2D barcode (also known as QR Codes) that can be scanned using certain cellphones. By having these barcodes you could quickly scan a URL into your phone so that you didn’t have to type it in.

As of right now this feature is found mostly on Japanese phones, but if you have a phone that supports it, this barcode should take you to our homepage :

–Overview–

So there you have it…URL madness! I’m sure there are a lot more useful extensions for managing and manipulating URL’s, so hit us up in the comments below with related extensions!

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

Related Posts:

CyberNotes: What Are Your Favorite Firefox ExtensionsYour Week in Review with Sunday’s SummaryYour Week in Review with Sunday’s SummaryWhat do you want your Firefox to do?The Ultimate Firefox Test: Installing Over 100 Extensions

This article was written on August 21, 2008 by CyberNet.

Tutorial Thursday

Windows; Mac
One of the things that Apple hasn’t made easy for iPhone owners is providing a way to create custom ringtones in Windows. If you’re a Mac owner you can use GarageBand, but Apple doesn’t provide that application on Windows. Instead what they expect you to do is purchase a song for $0.99, and then convert it to a ringtone for another $0.99.

As it turns out in a few steps you can actually convert a DRM-free song into a ringtone using only iTunes in Windows. The trick also works for Mac users, but using GarageBand is a lot simpler so we’re focusing primarily on the Windows side.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Start iTunes and find the [DRM-free] song you want to convert to a ringtone. Right-click on it and select the Get Info option.
   
2. On the Options tab locate the Start Time and End Time options. This is where you want to specify the portion of the song you wanted converted into a ringtone. Check both of the boxes, and make sure your ringtone is under 30-seconds. Press OK when finished.
   
3. Right-click on the song you just modified, and choose the Convert to AAC option. If you don’t see this in the context menu navigate to Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Importing, and make sure the AAC Encoder is selected in the Import Using menu.
   
4. Once the song has finished being converted to the new format it will appear in your music list, and the “Time” should reflect the correct duration of the ringtone (which should be less than 30-seconds). Now navigate to your iTunes music folder to find the converted song. Here’s an example of where my Green Day ringtone was located:
   
5. Make sure you’re able to see the file’s extension (.M4A) like in the screenshot above. If you don’t see the extension go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View (Organize -> Folder and Search Options on Vista), and uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box. Then click OK.
6. Copy the music file (with the .M4A extension) to your desktop. Once you’ve done that rename the file’s extension to .M4R which will make iTunes recognize it as a ringtone. Make sure there are no symbols (underscores, hyphens, etc…) in the file name.
   
7. In iTunes go to File -> Add File to Library, and then browse for the file from step 6. Once you’ve selected it press the Open button. iTunes will place the ringtone in the respective section in your library:
   
8. Sync your iPhone with iTunes and your newly created ringtone should get transferred over. If it doesn’t be sure to check the Ringtones tab in the iPhone configuration section of iTunes to verify that it is setup to sync your ringtones.

–What is DRM?–

I’ve been getting all kinds of questions and emails from people asking what DRM is. An anonymous commenter below did a great job answering the question. Here is his response:

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. In a nutshell, a song with DRM is meant to keep you from giving it to someone else. If you’re using Windows XP (and I’m sure there’s some equivalent for Vista), you can right-click on a song file, and choose Properties. Under the Summary tab, click the Advanced >> button if it’s there. Under the Origin heading, you will see an entry named ‘Protected’. If it says No, then the song does not have a DRM. If it says Yes, well, you may be able to pay Apple money to convert the song to an iTunes Plus track, which will be DRM-free. Hope this helps, best of luck!

That’s all there is to it. Now you can save yourself a bunch of money on ringtones. A big thanks to the Apple Blog who assembled the original instructions on how to do this for the Mac!

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

Related Posts:

Your Week in Review with Sunday’s SummaryApple Announces iPod Touch and $399 8GB iPhoneNew iTunes 7.3 Required for iPhoneiTunes 7.2 “Plus” Offers DRM-Free Music and Vista CompatibilityCyberNotes: Your Week in Review with Sunday’s Summary

Barnes & Noble has updated the firmware of its Nook e-reader to v1.3. The update tweaks existing features and adds a few brand new ones.

The most exciting is the addition of a web browser, classified as “experimental”, just like the one on the Kindle. It uses the e-ink screen, not the touch-sensitive color one at the bottom, but it will let you choose bookmarks from the LCD, as well as using its virtual keyboard to enter urls.

There are also chess and sudoku games, which both seem perfect for a slow-updating grayscale display. The chess game offers a computer-controlled opponent with three skill levels. This is one of those things that seems obvious once you hear about it, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see chess on the Kindle in the future, if its non-Android OS is up to it.

There are also a few interface and menu tweaks, but the addition B&N seems most proud of might actually be the lamest, which is why I have shifted it to the end of this post. The Read in Store feature has been updated to let you read entire books when in an actual B&N store. You know, just like you can do with a real paper book. Why is this lame? From the blurb: “you’re free to read any parts of any available eBook for **up to an hour** per day!” [emphasis added, excited exclamation mark in original].

Yeah, one measly hour. What is the point of limiting reading time when the person in the store can just go and pick up the freaking paper book? This, rather than being a feature is just a way to piss off Nook buyers. Way to annoy your most loyal customers, B&N.

UPDATE: A B&N representative got in touch to clarify that this one-hour limit is per-book, which should be plenty long enough to decide if you want to buy.

Despite this, the update looks to add a lot of extra stuff, and free. Your Nook should update itself over the next week when connected to Wi-Fi. If you’re desperate to grab it right now, you can use the “Check for new B&N content” command the under “My Library” section, or download it to your computer from the update page.

New to NOOK: Version 1.3 Available Now! [Barnes & Noble]

Support and download page [Barnes & Noble]

See Also:

• Barnes & Noble Nook
• Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen 'Nook' E-Reader …
• Nook Torn Open, Hacked, Rooted
• Nook E-Reader Gets Hacked to Run Apps, Browser
• Barnes & Noble's Shiny, Sharing-Friendly 'Nook' eBook Reader …

Let’s be honest. When most people moan about the lack of multitasking on the iPhone or iPad, what they really want is multiple windows. IPhone OS4 won’t fix that, but Desktop, an appropriately named iPad app from Aqua Eagle, has a pretty good try.

The App is actually an application suite, offering a split screen interface that lets you choose any two of the included applications to run alongside each other. Here’s the list:

Web Browser
English Dictionary (powered by Wiktionary)
Calculator
Language Translator (46 languages)
Currency Converter (60+ currencies)
Maps
Email Composer
US Weather
Unit Converter
Device Stats (Memory and Disk)

It looks pretty handy, letting you compose an email while keeping a browser window open, for example, or quickly pop open a currency converter or translation widget when you need it. You can split the screen in portrait mode or landscape, and there is a text editor coming soon, which could actually be very useful.

For lightweight tasks, the $1 app looks ideal. But we do wonder whether any of these utilities will be as good as purpose-designed, standalone apps, especially as the whole bundle comes in at a rather worryingly small 1.6MB. What we do know is that this a smart use of the iPad’s extra screen-space, and replaces a few of the widgets that Apple decided to drop for the iPad, like the calculator.

Desktop [iTunes]

Adobe will no longer pursue its plans to bring Flash to Apple’s iPhone and the iPad.

Adobe on Tuesday evening said it is ceasing investment in a software tool that enables Flash developers to port software into native iPhone and iPad apps, according to Mike Chambers, Adobe’s principal product manager for Flash developer relations.

“The primary goal of Flash has always been to enable cross-browser, platform and device development,” Chambers wrote in a blog post. “This is the exact opposite of what Apple wants. They want to tie developers down to their platform, and restrict their options to make it difficult for developers to target other platforms.”

Adobe is reacting to a new rule in the iPhone developer agreement, which stipulates that iPhone and iPad apps must be coded with Apple-approved programming languages, such as C++ or Objective C. If enforced, the rule would effectively ban any apps coded with Adobe’s Packager for iPhone, a tool enabling Flash-coded software to be easily converted into native iPhone apps, released last week with Adobe CS5.

Faced with Apple’s new rule, Adobe pulled the plug on Packager for iPhone. That ends, for now, any hope that Flash apps (or apps that incorporate Flash) will ever be able to run on the iPad or iPhone.

Apple’s new app policy has been met with furious debate. Critics say Apple is depriving consumers of choice, because Flash apps that could have been on the iPhone will never see the light of day. Supporters of Apple’s decision, including Steve Jobs, say the move was necessary to retain quality of apps in the App Store and nimbleness of updating the platform.

Apple has been steadfast with its lack of support for Flash on the iPhone OS. Some customers have complained that without Flash, iPhone and iPad users are missing out on a big chunk of the internet. Jobs said during a staff meeting that Flash was not supported because it is “buggy” and frequently causes crashes on the Mac OS, according to a secondhand account first reported by Wired.com.

Rather than supporting Flash, Apple has reportedly pushed website creators to use alternative web standards, including HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, which are all supported by the iPhone and iPad browser.

Apple said Adobe was incorrect to accuse Apple of locking in developers by not supporting Flash.

“Someone has it backwards — it is HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and H.264 (all supported by the iPhone and iPad) that are open and standard, while Adobe’s Flash is closed and proprietary,” an Apple representative said in a statement provided to CNET.

However, as simple as it may sound for web developers to switch to different standards, Wired.com’s Webmonkey editor Mike Calore said the transition to HTML5 for video playback would be complex. He explained that there’s no agreed upon video format for HTML5, and support varies greatly from browser to browser.

“Not to be overly critical of Apple — anyone pushing for open web standards deserves kudos — but the company seems more deeply concerned with digging Flash’s grave than it does with promoting semantic markup,” Calore wrote.

See Also:

• Adobe Reacts to New iPhone App Policy (Updated)
• Jobs: Google’s ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Mantra is ‘Bullshit,’ Adobe Is Lazy
• Flash Lands on iPhone — One App at a Time
• Why Apple Won’t Allow Adobe Flash on iPhone
• As Apple Barricades Flash, HDTV Embraces It
• Adobe Apps: Easier to Pass Through the ‘i’ of a Needle?
• Google Fires at Apple, Integrates Flash Into Chrome Browser
• Steve Jobs Debates Developers Over Apple’s New App Policy