In fact, Ubiquity started as a Mozilla Labs project and is still an experimental add-on and hasn’t even reached version 1.0 yet. But, the promise it shows is unbelievable and you can read a bit about it in my earlier Ubiquity review.

Ubiquity is an experiment in natural language interfaces. If you have used an application launcher like Launchy or Humanized Enso Launcher, Ubiquity brings a similar command screen to Firefox.

By typing a few commands you can check weather, open Google Maps to the address you want, send update to Twitter, email a site link or text selection in the page you are on, etc right from your browser.

Ubiquity 0.5

New Lanuguages

This new version is dubbed the First International Ubiquity. It features a new input parser that supports many languages and this launch brings Ubiquity in Catalan, Danish, Japanese & Portuguese.

More Natural Commands

Plus, if you had used previous versions of it, you’d have noticed we had to use hyphens in commands like ‘add-to-calendar’, ‘close-all-tabs’, etc. making typing cumbersome. Version 0.5 brings more natural commands that supports spaces. Now you can say things like ‘add 9am meeting with the boss to calendar’.

New Interactive Tutorial

Learning and utilizing a powerful tool such as this requires a little bit of practice. Tutorials and tips go a long way. Ubiquity now has an interactive tutorial inspired by levels of video game tutorials. It holds your hand, makes you a cup of coffee, is ware of where you are and tells you what you can do every step of the way! I have used Ubiquity before but still found this new tutorial fun and easy to go through. Look for a link to it in the first welcome screen you see after you install it and restart Firefox.

Smart Suggestions

Earlier when you entered a command that wasn’t in Ubiquity’s vocabulary, it would have just stared back at you. Now, it can make network calls to various web services and give you smart suggestions on what you might be after! For eg. if you typed a new command ‘Pasta’, now it will look up and show you maybe you want to query Yelp! To try it enable it from the ‘Settings -> Enable external calls for all Parser 2 queries’ screen. (Settings is actually in a web page and you can get to it from Add-ons and clicking on Ubiquity Preferences.)

New Command API

This may not sit well with Ubiquity command developers. If you have written commands, you have to rewrite them using the new API to take advantage of all the new features. Fortunately, the required updates are reportedly minor. Here’s a tutorial to help you out.

Ubiquity 0.5 is a large step in the right direction in the natural language interfaces. I used Humanized Enso Launcher for the very same reason but a little saddened to see not so much progress with it. Some of the Enso team actually worked in Ubiquity project as well! I use Launchy now.

The update isn’t pushed automatically so you have to install this to update your version.

Download Ubiquity 0.5

If you haven’t tried Ubiquity yet, I highly recommend it. It can change the way you interact with your browser. For the better.

Ubiquity 0.5 Speaks More Languages, Naturally - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

When Google released its Google Chrome browser 9 months ago, the Google OS rumors kinda died down. Plus, the mobile devices OS platform Android was also another reason.

Google Chrome OS

Not to be confused with Android OS or the Google Chrome browser, Google Chrome OS is an entirely new build of an operating system sharing its roots with the Android and Google Chrome browser.

Google has attempted to rethink operating system usability and security and has built one from a Linux kernel that will run both on x86 and ARM chips.

The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies.

Google Chrome OS is a new project that is set to achieve a few goals for those who live in the Internet

• get your email instantly without waiting for your computer to boot up
• have a fast computer just as when you bought iy
• access your data wherever you are
• not worry about backing up your data
• don’t spend hours trying to configure new hardware you bought

It will be interesting to see how this project pans out. Google has a knack of keeping things simple and making it really usable. Even though I am such a Firefox browser fan, I can’t help opening Google Chrome now and then to get to some things fast. Of course, it is my fault that I have over 20+ Firefox add-ons installed.

Google Chrome OS is initially set to target netbooks. At present running even Windows XP on a netbook is a joke in terms of usability and this could be a sweet spot to hit for Google.

The Rumor is True! Google is Building an Operating System - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Traditionally, it involved using proprietary software like Norton Ghost, Symatc Ghost, etc to ‘ghost’ your machine.

Clonezilla is an open source clone system solution (OCS). Clonezilla is DRBL, Partition Image, ntfsclone, partclone, and udpcast, allows you to do bare metal backup and recovery.

Clonezilla Features

• Clonezilla is available as Live and SE (server edition).
• Live supports single install and SE supports massive deployments
• Clonezilla saves and restores only used blocks in the harddisk
• Supports a host of file systems - FAT, NTFS of Windows, HFS+ fopr Mac OS, and ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, xfs, jfs of GNU/Linux
• For unsupported filesystems, Clonezilla performs a sector to sector dd copy

How to Use CloneZilla Live?

Just download the Clonezilla ISO file and burn it as a bootable CD/DVD. Then boot the machine you want to clone with this CD/DVD.

Download Clonezilla Live ISO

Check out these step-by-step instructions to see how to create and restore an image.

You can also use Clonezilla from a USB flash drive or a usb hard drive. You can also install it on a hard drive with a OS installed already.

Even if you aren’t a system admin, you’d hate to see that your hard drive failed. Even if you had a backup of your important data, it’s a pain to get to install and configure all your software like you want.

Go ahead and image your hard disk right away with Clonezilla and be prepared for those unpredictable moments!

CloneZilla - Open Source System Ghost Utility - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Here is what it looked like when I was writing this.

I am off to enjoy the sunset and will post this when I get back to our cabin.

Back soon with more fun stuff.

Out at the Lake Superior - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

What is Weave Sync?

Weave Sync is a prototype from Mozilla that encrypts and securely synchronizes your ‘Firefox experience’ across multiple computers. The key difference here is the syncing your Firefox experience and not just bookmarks and passwords.

Weave Sync aims to sync your bookmarks, browsing history, saved passwords and even tabs across various Firefox browsers. So, you have the same exact experience no matter which computer you are logged into - work, home, laptop, desktop or even your mobile device using Firefox Fennec (mobile version of Firefox).

And all this data is safely encrypted before it is loaded into Mozilla’s servers.

Just like other Mozilla Labs projects we have looked at - Mozilla Prism, Ubiquity, Mozilla Snowl, BeSpin Web Code Editor, Mozilla Geolocation, etc, Weave Sync excites me at the potential.

Granted its still a prototype so far, Weave Sync version 0.4 adds some new features.

• Preference syncing (including Personas)
• Identity support (automatic login, including use of OpenID logins)
• Better support for addons using Weave
• Support for Fennec 1.0 beta 2 on Maemo Linux
• Significant improvements in performance during startup and opening new windows.

I have tried Weave in its earlier stages but I opted out for the more robust Xmarks add-on. I liked Xmarks offering of being able to keep a ‘work’ and ‘home’ profile to keep my bookmarks separate.

Install Weave

But, Weave looks promising enough now that I have installed and ready to give it a try in all my Firefox browsers. I will report back with how I like it.

If you are already using Weave share your experiences with us.

Weave: Firefox Bookmark & Passwords Sync Add-on - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Mozilla has released the final stable version of Firefox 3.5.

Download Firefox 3.5

While it’s downloading, check out a few Firefox 3.5 posts I like

• Learn what’s new in Firefox 3.5
• Check out Firefox 3.5 Features
• Firefox 3.5 Release Notes

I will be back with more fun Firefox 3.5 stuff soon. Now, go enjoy one of the best browsers in the world!

Firefox 3.5 is Ready for Download - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

There are plenty of website monitoring services out there. We are gonna look at a simple yet effective website monitoring service I have been using for a while - Montastic.

Be it personal or a business site, Montastic is free to use!

Montastic Features

Montastic is a no-frills and free website monitoring service.

• Sign up for an account and start monitoring your website in a few minutes
• Get an email when your site goes down
• Get an email when your site goes up
• You can also read status via RSS, PC & Mac widgets
• Monitor upto 100 websites for free
• Supports HTTPS and port numbers - NEW
• Sites get monitored atleast every 10 mins
• Site status is also checked from different locations

Do you run a couple of websites? Get Montastic to monitor your sites and let you know when it goes down.

Montastic Gets HTTPS Support - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

I use TVersity media server to stream music, movies and pictures in my computer to my Sony Bravia via Playstation 3. Tversity can even stream your media onto the Internet and you can access it from anywhere and from any web enabled device.

But, this required running a dedicated software in your computer. I don’t run it all the time and have to get into my computer through LogMeIn and turn it on when I am away.

Opera Unite

Opera is one of the leading web browsers and with the Labs release of Opera Unite they have turned a web browser into a powerful web server. I am so excited about Firefox 3.5 but Opera has its own good things going for it.

With Opera Unite, anyone can serve and share content directly from their own computers in the form of intuitive applications. Instead of locking it down to certain features, Opera has opened up this feature to developers so they can develop services. The platform for developers offers choices only limited by your imagination.

The best thing is that it needs no special software but just Opera running on any device - be it desktops, laptops or even mobile devices.

Oh, you do need a Opera account to share your stuff with friends and family. Once you sign up for an account, you get to name your computer and you get a unique and easy to share website address for your computer. For eg. You’d get http://home.jackson.operaunite.com
if your user id was jackson.

It’s that easy!

Opera Unite Services

Opera Unite comes loaded with a few services pre-installed.

• Photo Sharing - self-explanatory. You start the service and select the folder with pictures to share.
• The Lounge - You can host your own chatroom! Friends can chat with you from any browser. Just send the unique URL you get when you click invite to your friends. You can even password protect for additional security.
• Web Server - You can serve up HTML files directly from your computer! No PHP, MySQL support so you can’t run your WordPress or Drupal from there.
• File Sharing - self-explanatory.
• Media Player - Your friends and family can listen to your MP3 files you shave shared in this folder.
• Fridge - The most fun service of all. Your friends can leave a note for you on your virtual fridge.

All these services can be opened up for public access or limited access protected by unique passwords for each service or totally private and just for your use.

Opera Unite can be a great tool for anyone who don’t want to install special software for sharing files, music or host a chatroom. I am definitely going to be using this in the days to come. But, just be wary of using it while you are online as it can suck up your bandwidth pretty quick but great for at times when you are not home.

Opera Unite is a Labs release but it worked fine in my testing without crashing. It is available as a free download for Windows, Mac & Linux.

Download Opera Unite

Turn Your Computer Into A Web Server with Opera Unite - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

I love finding and sharing good Firefox add-ons. Mozilla has just made this effort of mine and plenty of others who share their love for Firefox with the community really easy and efficient.

And I can’t agree more with this statement about Firefox:

The ability to completely customize your browser with thousands of add-ons is one of the best features of Firefox, and highlights the talent, dedication, and innovation of our great community.

Besides the Firefox Extensions: Picks of the Week series, Top Firefox Extensions is the place to visit. This is where my most favorite extensions are categorized and ordered and made easy for you to the find the ones you want.

Add-on Collections

Firefox launched a collection of add-ons they recommended to new users as Fashion Your Firefox. Following its success, they have extended this ability to create and share their own collections with everyone.

With the Firefox add-ons site’s new design, they have completely integrated Collections Directory showcasing popular collections and Editors picks.

Create Your Own Collection

You can create a Mozilla account if you don’t have one yet. I created mine when it was required o login to download experimental Firefox add-ons (you don’t have to anymore).

Once logged in, you can create your own Collections of favorite Firefox add-ons.  You can use the Manage Collections link to add add-ons to your collection. We will see another convenient way to manage your add-ons shortly.

Each collections you create could be given a unique name and a url so you can use that to share with others. You can also browse other’s collections shared in the directory.

Add-ons Collector

The power behind this concept is brought to the forefront by the Firefox Add-on Add-ons Collector. This add-on lets you add your installed add-ons to your Collections right from the Manage Add-ons window in Firefox.

Another great thing is that this add-on lets you subscribe to others Collections and you can see updates to those collections.

If you are used to referring to lists like Top Firefox Extensions, this is like RSS feeds for other’s collections of Firefox Add-ons.

One thing I noticed about adding your installed add-ons to your collections is that, you had to subscribe to your own Collections before you will see that in the Add-ons window.

ShanKrila Add-ons Collections

I have created a few Collections of extensions based on my Top Firefox Extensions and I will keep them updated.  Without further adieu here they are:

• ShanKrila Must-haves
• ShanKrila Power User
• ShanKrila Blogging
• ShanKrila Social Networking
• ShanKrila Web Developer
• ShanKrila Fav Themes

Firefox add-ons Collections definitely fills a void in this huge community of developers and Firefox enthusiasts for sharing their favorite add-ons with the community.

I hope you find some of these collections I shared useful.

Firefox Extensions: Picks of the Week 09-06-23 Collections Edition - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

It’s no secret today is the iPhone 3G S launch day! We are getting blitzed by the media with news about it. There are lines and lines of people to grab one at AT&T and Apple stores around the world. But, it sounds like its far less a spectacle than what what it was last year. It was crazier last year when I was in a AT&T store line to get my wife’s 3G.

And guess what? I am getting mine shipped right to our house today. In fact, it is in a FedEx facility about 50 miles from my house at the moment and should arrive here anytime.

Top iPhone Resource

Being the nice guy I am, My wife has had a iPhone 3G since last summer. And if you didn’t already know we run a iPhone blog - Top iPhone Resource. That’s one reason why you don’t see any iPhone related posts thats typical of a technology blog. We just have a special blog for it!

With another iPhone in the household, you can see our iPhone blog picking up steam shortly. There is even a site re-design in the offing celebrating the arrival of the 3G S. In fact, we are considering inviting guest authors to our iPhone site. Drop me a line via the contact form if you are interested.

iPhone 3G S - Is it worth it?

I have had friends wonder if 3G S is worth the purchase and here’s what I think. If you are new to the iPhone world or a first generation iPhone user, with 3G S you are getting a iPhone with all its past complaints (video, copy/paste/mms/ tethering,etc) addressed and with a kickass processor and memory upgrade.

If you have a iPhone 3G, the iPhone OS 3.0 brings about so much improvements just through software and the 3G S doesn’t offer enough justification for the pricey upgrade option offered by carriers like AT&T. I’d hold off until the next iteration of iPhone comes out - possibly next summer.

So if you are a iPhone owner, drop by at our iPhone blog and say hello. As lame as it sounds, we do want to make out site your Top iPhone Resource!

iPhone 3G S Launch day and Top iPhone Resource - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Mac4Lin is a free download that is a package of skins, wallpapers, icons and interface refinements with an automated installation script. It not only transforms your Gnome desktop to look like a Mac but also provides interface tweaks to popular apps like Firefox, Songbird, Thunderbird, etc.

Mac4Lin Features

Mac4Lin v1.0 sports these new features

• Fully supports GNOME 2.26 and backwards compatible
• Improved support for GlobalMenu, support integrated in the default GTK theme
• Better native Xfce support
• Icon additions
• Statusbar is now fixed
• New progress bars
• New tabs
• Improved installation and uninstallation scripts
• Integrates well with Globus
• Finer UI refinements
• Metacity theme now supports different button sizes
• Firefox 3 themes are now updated
• Songbird plugins included
• Pidgin AWN 64bit plugin now included
• Fonts are now consolidated
• Transparent top panel
• GDM theme is now in-line with Mac OS X login window
• Cairo dock is the default recommended dock

Download Mac4Lin

I use Kubuntu 9.0.4 and hope Mac4Lin supporting KDE4 will be available soon. It would be really awesome to use one.

Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like a Mac with Mac4Lin - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

I was trying to get my weekly volleyball invites that I sent via evites switched over to Facebook events. I even created a Facebook page for our volleyball club to get my peeps over there. But, it turns out that Facebook is blocked at most of their workplaces.

So, I was venting my frustration in Twitter and the kind folks at @Yarplet sent me a tweet about Yarp.com. New web services make me feel like a kid in a candy store.

So, for this week’s volleyball game, I sent out a Yarp instead of an eVite. So far, I like it.

What is Yarp?

Yarp is a a very simple invitation/survey web application. When I say simple, it is so simple that you don’t even need a login to create and send invites. Same goes for the recipients. Individual machines are tracked via cookies.

Lets see how Yarp works. As you see in the screenshot, the home page gives you an option to create one of the 2 kinds of yarplets - Invitation or Survey. The only difference is a survey doesn’t let you post a guest count.

So it fits for those times when I try to decide which park we want to play volleyball this weekend whereas I’d use an invitation to get a headcount for the game.

You create a Yarplet in 3 steps: Name the event, add the content, choose possible responses and you are done. Now, your event gets a unique URL in Yarp and you can share this url with your folks by emailing them or sharing it via IM or even Twitter.

I have an email group in my Gmail for volleyball and I just sent the Yarp url out to them.

When your recipient clicks on the Yarp URL they can quickly respond and also start a comment thread. This is excellent as you get a timeline with the comments just like in a blog. We have a comment thread thats already 17 comments deep!

And if you sent out the Yarp, you can see your past Yarplets on the left side. Also, on the right side of the screen you will see an option to save your Yarplets. You do this by saving a unique Yarp URL created just for you so you can access your Yarplets from other computers or even from the same computer if you cleared your browser cookies.

I save it in my Firefox bookmarks and have it synced across all my computers with the Xmarks Firefox extension.

Will you like Yarp?

If you have used Evite, you might be wondering what you might miss in Yarp. Remember I said Yarp is simple? It boils down to having the simple functionality of being able to send an invite and receive responses. Nothing less and nothing more. You won’t get the invitation design based on the occasion. You won’t get an address book to store your contacts.

If your needs are simple and everytime you try to set up an Evite you cringe at the bloat, Yarp will do it for you. I will still use Evite when I need the additional bells and whistles. But, I can see myself using Yarp more often this summer and may be well past it.

What do you think? Will you give Yarp a shot for your next event?

Yarp - Yet Another Evite Alternative - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Circuit City brand, trademark and website have been acquired by a leading multi-channel retailer of computers, electronics and industrial products.

On May 19, 2009, Systemax Inc. purchased the Circuit City brand and website. Systemax Inc. has been in business since 1949.

And the CircuityCity.com website has been brought back to life under the new management. You can purchase items from the website like before.

Opt-out from CircuitCity.com

The purchase of the Circuit City brand included past customer information.

So, if you were a past Circuit City customer and do not wish for your information to be transferred to the new client, you can opt-out prior to June 9th.

The personal information that is going to be transferred includes name, address, email, phone and purchase history. It does not include credit card data or other personal financial information. You can opt to have even your basic personal information purged out of their system.

Check out the new CircuitCity.com website although I don’t think there is any redesign that went into this launch. I also found that they have a Twitter account and a Facebook page.

[via Amit]

Circuit City is Back Online - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Firefox Extension Picks of the Week

• Juice: If you are a power Internet surfer and do a lot of research, you might like this one. Juice intelligently delivers related rich media content to your sidebar based on the things you highlight in any page you are viewing. You can also bookmark and organize your content for current or time-shifted consumption.
• TidyRead: TidyRead turns your web reading into a fast, smooth, no-fringe
  experience again. TidyRead renders web pages as an easy-to-read manner,
  similar to eBooks, by accurately extracting the content text and
  removing the cluttered materials. This one started as a nifty bookmarklet and add-on adds more functionality by adding auto-detect & auto-convert. It even has a iPhone 3g/iPod Touch friendly bookmarklet.
• KwiClick: Another add-on for the Internet researcher. KwiClick enhances the way you interact with your favorite services like YouTube, Google Maps, Flickr, Twitter, Amazon, Wikipedia, etc. For eg. you can search Google without opening another tab by just selecting and right click any word(s). It shows the results in a dedicated popup. Likewise you can play YouTube video while browsing or view Flickr pictures, Twitter updates, etc.
• SortPlaces: If you find yourself heading into ‘Organize Bookmarks’, you might notice those sort options aren’t permanent. This add-on takes care of it. You can sort your bookmarks with various options. Check it out for yourself to see what I mean.
• Desktop: If you have used Speed Dial add-on or used to Opera’s Speed Dial option, Desktop is very similar. This experimental add-on not only shows you thumbnail previews of your favorite sites but it also lets you arrange them like you would want to see it in on your desktop. You can create your own layout with drag and drop and it’ll remember it. Pretty cool, huh?

Greasemonkey Script of the Week

I am not a big fan of the Twitter’s web interface and as my buddy @MattJabs would tell you, I’m addicted to the adobe air Twitter client Twhirl. But, at times I need to use the web interface, I’d only do so with Troy’s Twitter Script. It makes the web interface so much more useful with features like - nested replies, @mentions, custom search tabs, auto pagination, media embed, auto url expansion and much more.

Looking for some Google Greasemonkey scripts?

Firefox Theme of the Week

Sky Plus! is a must have for a fan of blue color. It is very pleasing to the eyes and pretty stylish too with some nice gradients everywhere.

Hungry for more Firefox extensions, don’t get to stop by my Top Firefox Extensions collection.

Firefox Extensions: Picks of the Week 09-05-20 - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

And WordPress 2.8 beta 1 has been released! So, I grabbed a copy of it and installed it to take a look at what’s in store for us.

WordPress 2.8 New Features

WordPress lovers, we have a ton of new features/improvements although a lot of them subtle. I’ll try to highlight a few that I loved to see.  You can read the complete list at the WordPress blog linked at the bottom.

User Features

• Improved Admin icons
• Search/Install new Plugins/Themes from Admin
• Theme editor gets syntax highlighting
• Upto four columns for Dashboard widgets
• Post via e-mail - just set up an email account with POP3 access and go!
• Auto-save post/page with Ctrl+S
• Description field for tags
• Setting timezone made easy - choose a city in your timezone

Developer/Tech Features

• Improved database performance
• Using SimplePie for widget and dashboard feeds
• Using TinyMCE 3.2.3
• Better script loading performance
• Enhanced support for custom taxonomies
• Proxy support via wp-config.php - great for Intranet WordPress installs to get updates to plugins, themes, etc
• jQuery 1.3.2 with minify support
• New Widgets API
• Menu reordering via Plugin

WordPress is looking better than ever with 2.8! It’s great to see the community involvement and the fast release cycle. With the easy auto-update feature in WordPress 2.7+, I like the fast development cycle better than ever.

WordPress 2.8 beta 1 Features - full list

Download WordPress 2.8 beta 1

WordPress 2.8 New Features - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Prism is based on the same technology as Firefox browser but is designed to run your web applications just like its desktop counterparts. It gives you the best of both worlds letting you access apps from anywhere in the Internet via a browser and on your desktop via Prism while you are at your computer.

Prism is also available as a Firefox extension that lets you dynamically split a web application to your desktop right from your browser.

You can read more in my Mozilla Prism review here. I recommend taking a look at that before continuing if you are new to Prism.

What started as a Mozilla Labs experimental project has reached v 1.0 beta today with some significant improvements. Also, Prism has a new website.

Prism New Features

• Ability to set fonts and application-specific settings
• Supports proxy setup just like Firefox
• Clear private data on demand
• New API functionality for Prism powered websites to take advantage of
• Prism apps are automatically updated with newer Prism versions
• Tray icon, submenus & system tray menus support.
• SSL exceptions support
• Full OS X 10.4 support
• Run applications automatically when you start your computer
• Minimize and close apps to system tray
• Protocol handlers can associate Prism apps with specific URLS like mailto:

Download Prism

Download Prism Firefox Extension

Previous Prism Articles

I have been using Prism for iGoogle gadget for Remember the Milk since its early days. Other web apps I run in Prism are Evernote, gTalk iGoogle gadget in linux, Passpack, etc. Lets look at some good posts on Prism here

• Mozilla Prism: Bringing Web Applications To Your Desktop
• GTalk Gadget + Prism = GTalk Alternative for Linux and Mac Users?
• Top Web Applications Best Suited for Mozilla Prism
• 3 Great Ways to Run Gmail From Desktop

You can find out how to use Prism from one of the above articles or through this official Prism how-to video.

Needed Improvements

Although there are workarounds to get Firefox extensions working in Firefox, Prism really needs full out support for Firefox extensions. Just Greasemonkey and Stylish add-ons can make Prism so much more useful and I will stop using Gmail and Google Reader in Firefox.

I am sure it is coming soon as the Add-ons window has been in Prism since a previous release. Take a gander at the Prism Google Groups site if you have questions on it.

With technologies like Adobe AIR, Silverlight are gaining momentum, it is nice to see this little jewel from Mozilla Labs making its stride into becoming a powerful tool.

And I am rooting for it.

[image & news via Mozilla Labs Blog]

Mozilla Prism Renews Interest with 1.0 Beta - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

If you are new to PassPack, I have written a few articles on Passpack and welcome you to read them if you like

• Passpack Integrates OpenID, Google & Windows Live
• Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for PassPack
• PassPack - Online Privacy Manager Reviewed

If you are still wary of storing your passwords online, check out the topic ‘Host-Proof Hosting‘. It basically means even Passpack staff can’t peek at your passwords stored in their servers. It is encrypted and decrypted in your computer with your key. But, that’s another topic for another day.

Lets look at the new features released in Passpack 7.

New PassPack Features

Secure Sharing

Passpack now lets you securely share passwords with other Passpack users. This can be very useful to small businesses and organizations where you can safely store, share and manage passwords, pins, codes, registration numbers, etc.

• A single repository of passwords - much safer than spreadsheets
• Deploy passwords for a central control panel
• Manage user permissions - read only or read/write

You have to register a nickname in your Passpack account. And you can start sharing passwords with other people who have done so. You have to know their nickname to start sharing.

More New Features

• Automatic Saving - a huge time saver and helps if your browser crashes. It can be optionally turned off.
• Search Tags and Filter - a slight interface redesign, moving these to the left.
• Quick Filters - This new section lets you see your passwords based on different filters
• People tab - Your shared users + option to invite users. You can also rename people in your People tab.
• Home tab - New design with tutorials, videos and a things to-do list
• Click to Copy - A very useful feature. When you are in the main password list screen, click on one of these little icons to copy that data to clipboard!
  
• Entry Details Screen - This screen has a new design as well. Laid out much nicer and the notes window gets 2 more tabs - Options and Sharing.
• Password Suggestions - You can find this nifty tool under Tools menu
• Import - You can now import passwords from KeePass and Clipperz

Among the other password storage services, Passpack continues to innovate (secure sharing) and lends a keen ear to their users and implement those much needed improvements.

I am glad I started using Passpack for just remembering passwords for web services I was registering to review here. Today, it has totally relieved the pressure to remember so many day to day information for me and my wife. We comfortably turn to Passpack to store information we both would tend to forget.

There are a handful of web apps I can’t live without and Passpack is definitely one of them.
[via Passpack blog]

PassPack Gets Secure Sharing & More Features - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

It’s easy to find your Orkut friends in Facebook now!

Find Orkut Friends in Facebook

1. Drag this Facebook bookmarklet to your browser bookmarks bar
2. Login to your Orkut account and click the bookmarklet button. If that doesn’t work for you for some reason, try clicking here.
3. Facebook Friend Finder tool will now look through your Orkut contact list and find your friends.

It took a few minutes for it return my friends list. So, be patient when you try it.

That’s it!

Facebook Friends on Google Maps

MapMotive.com lets you see your Facebook Friends in Google Maps! It is available as a Facebook app and you just need to allow it to see all your friends pictures in Google Maps! Very cool.

Find Your Orkut Friends on Facebook - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

Their website is running on WordPress and here’s how we added Google Maps to their website.  Just note that these instructions are for self-hosted WordPress blogs only.

1. Get a Google Maps API Key from here. It’s as easy as logging in with your Google account.
2. Install Inline Google Maps WordPress plugin
3. Go to Plugin configuration page and enter the Google Maps API Key from step 1 and save it.

   

4. You can adjust your Maps dimensions for your site here:  it defaults to 500px by 300px.
5. Go to Google Maps, find the place you want in the map, adjust the zoom and double click on the place you want to be in the center of the map. (or right click on the pin and choose to center map here)
6. On the top-right corner, find the ‘Link’ button and copy the link there. You may have to play with this a little bit to get it right. Try generating links at various zoom level and check how it shows up in your website.

   

7. Now go to the page you want to insert the Google Maps
8. Type in a text you want to appear in the marker in the map like ‘Discover Smiles’ and add the link you copied in step 6

   

9. Make sure you give the link a title of ‘googlemap’ (you can enter a title of ‘googlemap;nocontrol’ if you don’t want an interactive map)
10. Publish your page and you are done!

Hope the above steps weren”t too hard to follow. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

You can also add various options to the map via plugin parameters. Also check out Avi’s post linked at the bottom if you are looking to add more bubbles, features to the map.

[via Avi Alkalay

How to Add Google Maps in a WordPress Site? - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone

So, we usually make a checklist of items to take either in a list app in iPhone or in a plain excel spreadsheet.

We have an upcoming trip to California in a few weeks with 2 other families. And I have found an excellent tool to create and share a packing list with our friends.

PackWhiz Features

PackWhiz is a free web application for travelers that let’s you build a packing list on the web. A few quick features of PackWhiz are

• No new user account needed - just login with your Google Account!
• Answer a few questions about your trip and PackWhiz generates a packing list for you
• Generates a comprehensive list of stuff based on yoru destination, means of trasportation, accommodation, weather and places.
• Add custom items not generated for you
• Even reminds you of things to do before you leave - charge batteries, upload mp3 to your player, take out trash, etc.
• Generate as many lists as you want
• Store all lists in one place
• Publish your list in the web as a web page and share it with your friends

That’s as simple as it gets for generating your packing lists.

Travel Resources

Here are a few more resources I have covered on traveling

• Offbeat Guides - Create & Print Your Custom Travel Guides
• Schmap - Travel Guides Supercharged
• Get Directions from your Mobile Phone
• 4 Cool Ways to Track Flights
• Get Free Wi-Fi if you have AT&T DSL
• Travel deals - Web resources

I have already started to create a packing list at PackWhiz for our California trip and will be sharing it with the friends we will be traveling.

[via MakeUseOf]

PackWhiz - Generate Packing Lists For Trips - Published at ShanKrila.com (RSS)

KarShan Media blogs: ShanKrila - Top iPhone Resource - Spicy Tasty
@KIntheHouse - @TopiPhone