Oct 08

Remember the Milk gets some Google Gears Love

Posted in: Google, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on June 06, 2007 by CyberNet.

Remember the Milk GearsIt’s only been a week since Google launched their open-source Gears project that can take online services into the offline world. They setup Google Reader to work with Gears, and it appears that it is starting to inspire other developers to do the same thing.

Remember the Milk (our review), an awesome task management site, decided to integrate with Google Gears so that users could manage their tasks whether they were online or offline. So what can you do with Remember the Milk (RTM) when it is offline?

Not only can you access your lists, but you can add new tasks and notes, edit existing tasks (complete, postpone, prioritize, tag, and change due dates to your heart’s content), use your own personal tasks search engine, create new Smart Lists, and more.

Of course, the joy of using Google Gears is that everything will immediately sync back up once you get back online. I’m getting really excited to see other sites pick up on the usefulness that Gears provides, but I just wish that it was a little simpler to get your stuff offline.

Remember the Milk GearsIf a lot of services start to use Google Gears, there needs to be some way to easily take all of your stuff offline at the same time. Maybe a System Tray icon, or something along those lines, that I can click on to take every service that I’m subscribed to in an offline state. After all, if I’m getting ready to take a long flight I wouldn’t want to sit there visiting 20 websites to take each of them offline, and then when I’m connected again I have to put all of them back online. That would be a huge chore.

I guess Google Gears is still in the development stage, so hopefully something like this will be implemented in the near future. An even better solution would be to constantly synchronize the online and offline content so that the services are always ready to go offline. That way you wouldn’t even need to worry about switching into an offline mode!

Source: Remember the Milk Blog [via Lifehacker]

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Oct 08

CyberNotes: Discount Airfare via cFares.com

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on September 16, 2006 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Weekend Warrior

Airlines and airfare always seem to be a hot topic with increasing prices, and financial struggles always keeping them in the news.  A few weeks ago we wrote about FareCast which is a great service that gives you a good idea if you should buy your tickets now or wait.  There’s yet another new startup catering to the airline industry called cFares. If you’re a frequent traveler, it’s another ”must-see” site you’ll be wanting to check often.

cFares

– How Does It Work?–

cFares has been compared to a Costco (or Sam’s Club) where you pay an annual membership fee in return for discounted prices.  This is exactly what cFares is all about; the savings would easily pay for the membership fee in a short time.  They offer two different memberships — Gold and Platinum. A Gold membership is free for all and will give any consumer the opportunity to view and purchase discounted domestic tickets.  A platinum membership will cost $50 per year but there are a few extra perks associated with it for the cost.  The biggest perk is that you’re able to get discounted prices for both domestic and international flights that will save you some $$.  

– cAgent–

Another unique but helpful service of cFares is their cAgent.  This service will take your “ideal price” and will act as your virtual agent searching and waiting for the desired airfare to be found.   When they find the fare you’re looking for, they’ll hold it until you’re ready to buy or decline the tickets at no additional fee.

– How Can They Offer Such Low Fares?–

cFares is able to offer fares at low rates generally because of their “real-time” wholesale inventory setup. According to Vajid Jafri, Chairman & CEO,

Consumers get real-time ‘on-the-spot’ discounts through our patented ‘Dynamic Pricing’ technology. The technology lets airlines see what other airlines are bidding on a specific itinerary at a specific moment so they can change their price to ‘win the deal’ with the consumer. Thus letting them create a one-time, unique offer just for that consumer, at that moment.

 

This  is certainly a Website you’ll want to bookmark for future reference whether you’re a frequent or occasional traveler.   They offer additional services such as a small business program with benefits that may be worth looking into.  This site eliminates the need to search site after site for the best rate! If you’re wanting to get the maximum value for your dollar while traveling, check out cFares.

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Oct 08

Flickr: Serving 12,000 Photos Each Second

Posted in: Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on May 31, 2007 by CyberNet.

Flickr GeotaggingThe other night I was in the middle of doing some work on my Flickr account when all of a sudden it went down for maintenance. I knew it was going to happen because they notified users in advance, but I had just forgotten. To help the two hour maintenance period go by a little faster they decided to post some fun stats that are almost mind boggling (times mentioned are in the Pacific timezone):

  • We serve 12,000 photos a second at peak times — that’s 2,654,208,000 bits each and every second (8:20 PM)
  • We set an all-time upload record yesterday: 2,070,075 photos in 24 hours! (8:40 PM)
  • The Flickrverse has over 8.5 million registered members (9:00 PM)
  • Over 10 million unique tags have been added to photos on Flickr (9:20 PM)

WOW! 12,000 photos per second is a lot more than I had imagined. Of course, that is at their peak, but by my calculations that is one-gigabyte worth of photos every 3.23 seconds!

They did leave off one stat which I was expecting them to post as well, and it’s that over 17.7 million photos have been geotagged. A geotagged photo is simply one that has been given a location of where that photo was taken. Just recently I started to get into the geotagging of my own photos, and it is also fun to see what pictures people take in your area. For example, on the Iowa State University Campus there have been over 500 photos geotagged.

Be careful though, browsing the map looking at the geotagged photos can be addicting! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Oct 06

DivShare Gets a Redesign and Offers Direct-Linking Plans

Posted in: Apple, Microsoft, Screenshots, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on June 13, 2007 by CyberNet.

DivShare Redesign

Last night DivShare launched a new redesign that added some really awesome features. One of the more most notable things is the new thumbnail view when managing files on your Dashboard. You can always switch back to the list view by using the appropriate link on the left sidebar, but I’m really digging the thumbnail navigation.

Previously DivShare also had a Premium plan available at $9.95 for a month, which gave users the ability to upload 2GB worth of files, FTP access, and made the download page ad-free for all of the visitors downloading your files. They decided to swap that plan out and replace it with a new service dubbed DivShare Direct. The new service lets you add your own logo to their Flash music/video player and lets you link directly to the files you upload. It almost sounds too good to be true, and it kind of is. There is, of course, a monthly fee associated with the service which also adds limits to the amount that you can upload:

  • $4.95/month – 5GB of storage and 50GB of data transfer
  • $9.95/month – 10GB of storage and 150GB of data transfer
  • $19.95/month – 25GB of storage and 400GB of data transfer
  • $49.95/month – 75GB of storage and 1,000GB of data transfer

I’m a little disappointed that they don’t even offer an unlimited plan, but I guess it is understandable since they will receive no traffic or advertising revenue from people using the service. To be honest I was preparing to purchase the Premium plan prior to this because of the FTP access and ad-free pages, but the DivShare Direct offers a lot more than I need. I also don’t like the idea of being capped, and needing to monitor my usage to make sure I don’t exceed my plan.

The redesign also spelled the end of groups, profiles, and inboxes/favorites. I didn’t really use any of that myself as DivShare was only a file hosting service for me, but judging from the comments on their blog there are some people who were upset that these features were removed. Although by removing those features it gives them more time to focus on what they do best: file sharing.

So I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that they’ll bring back the Premium Plan because being able to link directly to the downloads I post isn’t a huge concern of mine. Having the FTP access, ad-free pages, 2GB file limit, and unlimited file storage/bandwidth is a lot more appetizing than the DivShare Direct in my opinion.

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Oct 05

Microsoft’s I’m Initiative Expands to Hotmail

Posted in: Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on May 06, 2008 by CyberNet.

The last time we mentioned Microsoft’s I’m initiative was just a couple of weeks ago when they announced that they had already raised $1.3 million dollars in a year. While impressive, reader “Iain Purdie” noted that this initiative is only available in the United States. Recently others have said that it’s a little disappointing that Microsoft hasn’t expanded it into a global effort. We believe eventually they will expand it so that it’s available in other countries and involves more global charities, but for now it looks like they’re just expanding it in the United States.

Now Microsoft has expanded the program to include not just Windows Live Messenger users, but Hotmail users as well. If you opt-in and you use Windows Live Hotmail, they’ll share a portion of their advertising revenue with a charity of your choice. So how do you go about doing it? For existing Hotmail users, you’ll want to click here. You’ll be taken to a page that looks like this:

Windows Live Hotmail im initiative.png

From there you’ll just choose the charity or organization that you want to support, click save, and you’ll be all set to go. For those of you who don’t have an account, you’ll be able to opt-in when you’re setting up a new Hotmail account. Just remember, this is a US only option, for now.

Source

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Oct 03

Download Music From MyBloop.com For Free

Posted in: Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on April 30, 2006 by CyberNet.

Download Music From MyBloop.com For Free

A user on Digg had posted a method to get music from MyBloop.com for free. MyBloop.com allows users to have unlimited storage for their files and music. This workaround to get music from their servers will not last long because it should be considered a bug, so take advantage of it while you can!

The original method that they posted made you sift through source code looking for filenames, but I have found an easier way to do it and have posted it here:

  1. Do a search for a file or MP3.
  2. A list of matching files will now be displayed. Once you have found a matching file right-click on the filename and copy the link ( the link will look like this: http://mybloop.com/?id=blollooopobopllpbboopooolb.mp3 ).
  3. Paste the link that you just copied into your address bar. DO NOT EXECUTE THE LINK YET.
  4. Before executing the link you need to change “?id=” to “view/” (your link should now look like this: http://mybloop.com/view/blollooopobopllpbboopooolb.mp3 ).
  5. Now execute the link and your browser should provide the “Save” dialog box to let you store the file on your computer.

This has worked for all links that I have tested so far. If you find that it does not work in some cases please let us know.

News Source: Digg

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Oct 02

The “Real” Facebook Classifieds Launches

Posted in: Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on May 14, 2007 by CyberNet.

Last week we reported that Oodle Classifieds had launched a classifieds service on Facebook as the latest way for people to find or sell something.  While we thought this was going to be Facebook’s primary classifieds system, we were wrong.

Unfortunately for Oodle, Facebook just launched their own classifieds service called Facebook Marketplace. It’s integrated into the whole Facebook experience, so chances are, Oodle’s Facebook Group probably won’t be doing very well. When you go to Facebook, you’ll notice a link to the Marketplace in the left side-bar for easy navigation. 

It’s divided up into networks, just like I was hoping they would do so that when you buy, chances are it’s from someone in your area. I belong to the Iowa State and the Chicago, IL networks, so when I go to the marketplace I’m able to see what’s listed in my networks. If you belong to multiple networks, those will be tabbed up at the top so you can switch easily among them.

Marketplace:

Marketplace

Facebook is huge with college students, and I can see this classifieds service becoming the best way to sell text books, find an apartment to sub-lease, etc. Here’s a taste of what’s listed in my network, and I’m sure it’s similar in other networks:

  • Pet Sitter! – Going on vacation this summer?
  • For Sale – $10 Graduation Cap & Gown
  • $65 – Physical Chemistry – A Molecular Approach (text book)

Marketplace Listing:

Marketplacelisting

Listing:

If you decide that you want to list an item, all you have to do is click on “add a new listing” and from there you’re walked through the entire process. You select whether it’s something for sale, housing, jobs, or other, and then from there you select a sub-category and start entering in details. It’s a really simple process, and one that I could see many Facebook users using.

Wrapping it up:

There are a few things that concern me with Facebook’s system, with one of them being Spam. I’m not sure what system they have in place to prevent spam, but hopefully it’s a good one because it would be easy for the Marketplace to fill up with it.

And of course, another concern is rule breakers.  They’ve got a pretty lengthy guidelines page that has listing rules, prohibited items (no firecrackers, hazardous goods, etc.), and general rules and guidelines, but that doesn’t mean that everybody will follow them.

I’ve read a few bloggers saying that newspaper classifieds will really be hurting, which I could see happening, but only in college towns where students have previously turned to their college newspaper to find an apartment for rent, or to sell a textbook.

All in all, I like it.  In typical Facebook fashion, it’s a simple, clean interface that’s easy to use. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of effect, if any, that this will have on other classified services out there, both online and in print.

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Oct 02

Priceline’s New “Sunshine Guaranteed” Promotion

Posted in: Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on June 05, 2008 by CyberNet.

Summer is just about here which means warmth and sun, long days, and maybe even a vacation. When you plan a vacation, most people hope for days that are free from rain and storms so that they can enjoy whatever it is that they’re doing whether it’s lying out on a beach or sightseeing. So what happens when someone’s well-deserved vacation is interrupted with rain? Well, usually nothing. You just have to suck-it-up and deal with the fact that no one has control over mother nature, unless you booked your vacation through Priceline.

Priceline has been around for 10 years now and to celebrate they’re having a “Dealstravaganza!” One of their deals is a Sunshine Guarantee where if you book your summer vacation and it rains, you’ll get all of your money back. This offer is good from June 2nd until July 17th, and the traveling has to occur between July 1st and September 7th. Not a bad deal, huh?

priceline sunshine guarantee.png

Of course there are a few “guidelines” that they have. It has to rain at least a half of an inch or more on at least half of your vacation days in order for you to receive a refund. For an 8 day vacation, it’ll have to rain for at least four days, or for a 6 day vacation it has to rain for at least 3 days. They’re not charging you a penny for this coverage which means you have absolutely nothing to lose if you were planning to book a vacation anyways.

Powering the Sunshine Guarantee is a service called WeatherBill which “provides affordable and easy-to-use weather coverage to protect revenue and control costs for the millions of businesses impacted by the weather.” Each Priceline customer taking advantage of the guarantee will get their own customized link so that they can track how much rain has fallen at their destination, online.

Priceline has probably looked at enough weather data thanks to WeatherBill to know that chances are, in most places, there won’t be at least a half of an inch of rain that falls for several days in a week’s time. This means they wouldn’t have to fork out too many refunds. The deal sounds enticing enough though that it just might lure-in more customers.

Source: TechCrunch

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Sep 30

Where to go for the Best Product Reviews

Posted in: amazon, Reviews, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on November 15, 2007 by CyberNet.

It’s hard to believe it, but the #1 most influential reviewer on Amazon who has submitted over 5,000 reviews to the site doesn’t even have an Internet connection in his home! His name is Peter Harris – he’s 56 from Leicester, UK, and over 50,000 people have seen his reviews. He started writing reviews when he lost his job in the IT field and says that his reviews are written from home, but he travels to his local library to use their Internet connection to actually publish them to Amazon’s site. It’s too bad that he couldn’t get paid for all of his hard work (5,000 reviews! Wow!), but he says it’s something he loves to do and it keeps him busy.

reviews

This got me thinking about the roll that product reviews often play in determining whether or not we buy something. If multiple people have given a bad review for a product I’m considering to buy, those reviews usually end up being my deciding factor. Amazon is probably one of the more well-known and widely used sites out there that offer reviews, but there are so many others like Newegg, Best Buy, Dell, even Wal-Mart has started a review section. Do you check sites for product reviews before buying something and if so, where is it that you go for the best product reviews? Let us know in the comments!

Source: The Inquirer

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Sep 27

Flickr Gets Into The Holiday Spirit

Posted in: Google, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on December 13, 2006 by CyberNet.

Flickr Easter Egg Flickr is definitely warming up to the holiday season. First off, they have an Easter Egg and it can be revealed when you add a note to an image. In that note if you type ho ho ho beard or ho ho ho hat then that note will turn into a beard or hat, respectively. It is actually kinda fun and definitely creative! [via Boing Boing]

More importantly, however, is that Flickr announced free members can upload 100MB a month in images compared to the previous 20MB. Similarly (and even more amazing), anyone with a Flickr Pro account gets unlimited uploads instead of being restricted to just 2GB! That means for the $24.95 per year you will receive all of this:

  • Unlimited uploads
  • Unlimited storage
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited photosets
  • Permanent archiving of high-resolution original images
  • The ability to replace a photo
  • Ad-free browsing and sharing

Despite the free accounts having their limitations I have to admit that Flickr has set the bar very high for other photo services. Even Google’s Picasa Web Albums has a few different paid versions and Flickr makes Google look greedy:

  • 6.25GB ($25 USD per year)
  • 25GB ($100 USD per year)
  • 100GB ($250 USD per year)
  • 250GB ($500 USD per year)

So I wonder what these other companies are going to do now?

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