It never ceases to amaze me what you can learn online. From the interesting psychology reflected by the average user to the most basic of instructions for the tiniest task that may simply have eluded you, the worldwide web is that bit of tech that just keeps on giving. There are several places you can go on the web to get to the heart of it all (for you) and learn useful things (how-to’s, the best software — or cupcake — for your money, how to get things done that need doing and do it on the cheap, etc.), not the least of which are Google and YouTube, but for me, one place stands out as the go-to spot for most things I might need: Lifehacker. The name says it all, really — and yes, I am perfectly aware that I am promoting another blog on this one, but credit goes to where it’s due, my friends — and just look at the cool odds and ends I learned (and often shared) in just the past week:
Category: Internet (page 8 of 10)
It’s no secret that you’re tempting fate if you use Internet Explorer (IE) as your primary browser. This was highlighted recently, when it was revealed that Chinese hackers breached some Google accounts, thanks to an exploit in IE. Even if you don’t use Internet Explorer as your primary browser, sometimes don’t have a choice and must use it. For example, if you’re using Windows XP, you need to use Internet Explorer to run Windows Update. Or, perhaps you’re in a work environment, and your email program opens hyperlinks in IE (opening email links is a danger in and of itself, but that’s a post for another day). Here, then, are five steps to take to lock down Internet Explorer. Read more
Last week, Google officially opened the doors of Google Chrome Extensions, the extensions site for the Google Chrome browser. This puts Google Chrome one step closer to being a serious competitor for Firefox 3.5, especially considering the super-fast loading speeds of the Google browser. Google Chrome Extensions launched with over 300 active add-ons, with more being released daily, and features an auto-update (in the background) functionality to avoid the constant requests to update extensions that many find annoying in Firefox. Extensions are currently only available for the latest Beta version of Chrome, which can be found here, as well as for developer versions, and have seen some success on Mac and Linux platforms as well as Windows.
After a few late nights of obsessively searching the Chrome Extensions site and testing everything that caught my eye, I have compiled a list of add-ons that may sway you to (or sway you back to, as in my case) install Google Chrome as your primary browser.
Google Sidewiki, a tool that allows people to comment directly on nearly any website, launched this past week to muted shrugs from the tech world and a nervous shudder by website and business owners alike. Sidewiki is a part of Google Toolbar, widely available for and in active use on Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers, and will be built directly into Google Chrome (it is not supported at this time).
If it’s handled well, Sidewiki could prove to be a very interesting and useful tool, from a user perspective. If handled badly, it will suffer a long and gruesome death (for both readers and abused websites). Read more
Ethics In Technology: Web2Rule
What about end-user manipulation of those same technologies? Is that acceptable? Web2Rule, a new service for internet marketers that allows for en masse manipulation of search and social media results, brings that question to the forefront.
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