Make Tech Easier » Shevonne

Lunascape – The World’s First Triple Engine Browser

Shevonne — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:00:54 +0000

Web developers know the importance of testing web sites and blogs on the different web browsers available. A site/blog can look great on one browser, but if you try to access it on another one, it can probably look garbled. It’s a hassle checking a web site/blog on Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc. What if a browser combined the three main browser types, which removed the need to open up three separate browsers? There is one – Lunascape.

Lunascape is the first multilingual, triple engine browser developed in Japan. It combines the four main web browsers – Internet Explorer, FireFox, Chrome, and Safari. This mean that it supports the three layout engines, or rendering engines, that are used to create the four browsers listed above: Trident (Internet Explorer), Gecko (FireFox), and WebKit (Chrome/Safari). Currently, it only works on Windows.

One thing that I really liked about the browser is how customizable it is. When installing it, I am able to choose the default layout engine, or rendering engine that I want to use.

This doesn’t mean that I can’t quickly change to the other engines. In the lower-left hand corner, there is a globe icon that allows me to change the browser for that web page I am viewing.

You can even associate a web page with a specific layout engine, even if it’s not the default. This is especially useful when you need to test a web site/blog on various browsers.

You can even use Lunascape as a portable browser instead of having it installed on your system.

Lunascape allows you to import bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and various others. I found it a little strange that it didn’t allow you to import bookmarks from Safari or Chrome, since Webkit is one of the inbuilt layout engines.

Lunascape comes preset with four different skins – Default, Cool, Silver, and Simple. They are equivalent to the four browsers that Lunascape has. If you don’t like any of those, you can change the web skin to the 190 different web skins that were created by users. Users can also create their own skin and upload it into the skin library that Lunascape has online. There are some great skins in the library, so don’t forget to check it out.

The plugin library is not as vast. There is only one plugin available: Twitter plugin. This allows you to have the Twitter tool in the Lunascape browser. There should be more plugins available, or allow users to use the plugins from the other browsers. Looking in the Lunascape forum, it seems that users will have the capability of using Internet Explorer and FireFox plugins in Lunascape in the next release (currently in beta). Additionally, users are also able to register add-ons that they created for the browser.

Lunascape has a great built-in RSS Reader that allows you to add a single RSS feed or import an OPML file.

There is also a RSS Ticker that scrolls at the top of the browser with your RSS feeds.

It doesn’t seem that the RSS Reader and the RSS Ticker are associated with one another, which is a bad flaw. The best way to handle this is to allow you to pick and choose which feeds in your RSS Reader you want to be in the RSS Ticker. This will eliminate the redundancy of having to add an RSS feed to two different places, and not be overwhelmed with too many items scrolling at the top of the browser. A good thing is, the RSS settings are easily customizable and allows for the ease of subscribing to RSS podcasts.

In Lunscape, you are able to search different search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Ask, Technorati, Ebay, and Amazon. This is great because you don’t need to have more than one toolbar to search the different search engines.

Lunascape has various bookmarklet that have been taken from the three layout engines that you are able to use and customize to the way you want. They are sectioned off by Trident, Gecko, and Webkit, so you know where the bookmarklet came from. It gives you the capability of customizing the browser even more than you already can.

Overall, I have to say that Lunascape is a browser that web developers should use. There are a couple of issues with the browser, but nothing that takes away its customizability and usefulness.

Lunascape

Lunascape – The World’s First Triple Engine Browser originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Amaya: A Simple, Yet Useful Alternative to Dreamweaver

Shevonne — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:10 +0000

While on a project, where money was scarce, we were scrambling around looking for a free or open source HTML editor that can provide us the same functionality as Adobe Dreamweaver. During my analysis of the different HTML editor out there, I came across Amaya. What intrigued me about it was that it was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). As someone who loves Dreamweaver, I thought that I would never find something comparable to it that was free (open source), but I was wrong.

Amaya is an open-source HTML editor created by the W3C. If you don’t already know, W3C is an international community that develops Web standards. It was founded by Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited as inventing the World Wide Web. In 1998, Amaya was invented. Since then, there have been various releases that have given more functionality to Amaya.

Amaya is the most user-friendly HTML editor that I have come across. One of its features that is very similar to Dreamweaver is that you are able to split the screen to view the visual editor and the HTML code. In this way, you are able to code while seeing the changes, or you can do the other way around. It’s a great way to learn HTML, if you don’t know already. On the sidebar, you are able to easily modify the HTML, like in Adobe Dreamweaver. Different profiles can change the way they see the sidebar displayed.

Another great feature is the CSS functionality. With the press of a button, you are able to create a CSS stylesheet. You do not have to know CSS in order to create one, which is great for people trying to learn CSS and/or if you are trying to design a stylesheet quickly. This is a great way to have your site’s formatting and style be in a different file than the HTML code. It provides a way to add flexibilty to your web site/blog. It also has a debugger to check your code for errors.

One good thing about Amaya is that it allows five different user editing profiles, so if someone wants to change the behavior of the Amaya tool, he/she can have his/her own profile that is different from someone else. In addition, Amaya runs on Linux, Mac, and/or PC, so regardless which OS you are using, you will be able to use Amaya for your coding project.

What’s can be improved on?

Amaya is a quick and neat HTMl editor. I couldn’t find any issues, except that it needs to keep up with the new technologies. For instance, it isn’t made to build smartphones apps, which I saw in other free HTML editors. It also doesn’t support Ajax, which is being used more and more.

When it comes to features, Amaya is definitely not on par with Dreamweaver, but if you are looking for a free, simple, and useful HTML editor, then Amaya is a good candidate.

Have you use Amaya before? Tell us what you like/dislike about it.

Amaya: A Simple, Yet Useful Alternative to Dreamweaver originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

The Top Three RSS Readers for PC Users

Shevonne — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:42:23 +0000

In previous weeks, we have discussed the best RSS Readers for the Web and the Mac. This time we will be talking about the desktop-based RSS Readers for the PC.

1. FeedDemon

FeedDemon is an application, made for the PC, created by the people behind NewsGator. It has numerous functionalities that will help enhance your RSS feed management. It has the basic layout: All Subscriptions, Unread Items, Starred Items, Shared Items, and tags.

During the installation, users are able to sync the FeedDemon with their Google Reader, if they choose to.

They are also able to decide if they want to allow FeedDemon to add default feeds, which is useful if you do not have any subscriptions. Another useful option is the ability to import subscriptions from Bloglines, OPML file, RSS Bandit, or a Windows Common Feed List.

There is also a featured called “Watch,” where you are able to add keywords. Whenever one of your feeds has one of those keywords, the folder is smart enough that it contains it. If you want to remove posts, you are able to do so using the Cleanup Wizard. It allows you to remove them by date, number of items, and folder.

Other useful features are desktop alerts that are customizable by time and feed; ability to share with other people specific items; and the fluidity with Internet Explorer. If you want to choose another browser, you can always open links outside of FeedDemon.

It’s definitely a great RSS Reader with tons of functionality, which is especially useful if you have tons of RSS feeds, like I do.

2. Feedreader

Feedreader is a simple RSS Reader that does not have the number of features that FeedDemon, but it does what it sets out to do. The layout is very similar to FeedDemon, which has your subscriptions, unread items, and starred items.

If you want to import your Google Reader (or from another service) items, you can do it by uploading the OPML file and picking the feeds to import in. Feedreader allows you to add default feeds to get you started.

There is this useful feature call “Rating” that you can turn it on. When it is on, Feedreader will monitor your behavior and suggest items that you might find interesting. If you do not want a keyword to be used to make these suggestions, you are able to blacklist it, so that the application doesn’t take it into account.

It also has desktop alerts that summarizes the unread items for each feed.

This is definitely an useful RSS Reader if you are just looking for simplicity.

3. Snarfer

Snarfer is a robust RSS Reader that really uses Google apps. the layout is just like the other two RSS Readers.

It is very similar to the other two that it allows Snarfer to import default RSS feeds to start off users that need the assistance. After you select the feeds you want, you are able to place them in preexisting folders or folders you have already created (or imported).

If you don’t want to put your feed into one of the folders listed, the application should give you the option to create a folder. Users are able to add two plugins: Google Reader Synchronization plugin and Google Reader plugin. These allows you to import and sync your feeds you are maintaining in Google Reader, and the ability to share interesting items with others. Snarfer even has a Google translate function, so you are able to translate feeds from one language to the next.

Snarfer also allows you to do three types of searches: ebay, keyword, or web. If you want to monitor items that you bid on Ebay, you are able to do this using Snarfer.

Like FeedDemon, you are able to watch certain keywords, and whenever it comes in, Snarfer automatically adds them to a “Watch” folder. You are also able to search by web sites. It really takes searching to another level. Snarfer is the most visually-pleasing RSS Reader of the bunch. Additionally, it has great plugins that enhance the reader even more. However, needing to add plugin, whereas with others, it is already built-in the app, is an extra step that isn’t needed. It also doesn’t have desktop alerts, which can be useful. Overall, it’s a nice RSS Reader application.

Which RSS reader do you use on your PC?

Image credit: dwingdwang01

The Top Three RSS Readers for PC Users originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Three Free RSS Readers for Mac Users

Shevonne — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:28:15 +0000

More and more, people are relying on RSS feeds for their way to get their news, videos, audio, etc. An RSS Reader is a must-have for anyone who is reading RSS feeds on a daily basis. It provides a way to organize RSS feeds in a way that makes it easier to manage. Before, I reviewed the top three web-based RSS Readers to use. Now, here are three free desktop-based RSS Readers for Mac users:

1. Shrook

Shrook is a powerful RSS readers that provides you with the capability of accessing and synchronizing your RSS feeds among all your Macs, iPhone, or PCs. This is done by registering an account with shrook.com.

When you first open up the Shrook application, you will see six listing under Source – Subscriptions, Feed Guide, Attachments, Flagged Items, New Items, and Scrapbook.

Subscriptions shows all your RSS feeds that you are currently subscribed to.
Feed Guide provides popular feeds that you might find interesting. It’s a great way to get started if you don’t have any feeds.
Attachments are items, such as podcasts, that are able to downloaded.
Flagged Items are items that you want to save to review later.
New Items are items that you haven’t read yet.
Scrapbook is similar to Flagged Items, except you would use it for items that you have read but want to save.

One of the unique things about Shrook, is that you are able to link it to your iTunes, which is great if you download a podcast. Another great feature is that it gives you the ability to blog about any item in your feed. Overall, Shrook is a very rich RSS feeder that has everything that you would need.

2. NewsFire

NewsFire is a very user-friendly RSS reader that allows even the last tech savvy person the ease of using it. Similar to Shrook, you are able to download podcasts from your RSS feeds into your iTunes.

One of the neat things about NewsFire is that you are able to find out the RSS feed URL of the current site your viewing without having to search for it. Another functionality is that it has a “Smart Feed” feature that allows you to group feeds with a query. It is very similar to the Smart Playlist in iTunes. It’s a great way to group feeds, even new ones that you subscribe to after you create the Smart Feed.

NewsFire is a straightforward RSS Reader that gives you the basic needs in managing your RSS feeds. If you want something simple, then this is the RSS Reader for you.

3. Vienna

Vienna combines the best of both worlds: ease of use and tons of functionality.

When you open up Vienna, it’s has three default folders: Marked Articles, Unread Articles, and Today’s Article. Like Spook the Marked Articles folder is for items that you want to review later. The great thing is the Today’s Articles folder. There are many times where you might just want to view the RSS feeds of that day. This allows you to do that. Your RSS feeds and groups are listed. Vienna also has the ability for you to create Smart folders, similar to NewsFire, that lets you create queries that will automatically group RSS feeds. Like Shrook, it also has blog integration.

Vienna is a great desktop-based RSS Reader that has so many features built into it.

Which RSS readers do you use for your Mac? Share it with us in the comments.

Three Free RSS Readers for Mac Users originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

10 Social Media Plugins for Windows Live Writer

Shevonne — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:43 +0000

Windows Live Writer is the best desktop-based blog editor for PC users. It allows you to manage different blogs and has rich functionality that makes it easy to create blog posts. Additionally, it provides a way for you to add social media features into your actual blog post, or notify services when you are publishing them. Here are ten plugins that will help your blog be social-media ready:

1. Twitter Notify Plugin

The Twitter Notify Plugin provides a way for you to tweet your blog post to your followers when publishing using your Twitter account. You are able to customize the format of the tweet in the Options area, or when you press the Publish button. In addition, there is a built-in URL shortener in the plugin. If you are a Twitter user, then this is a must-have plugin for your Windows Live Writer.

2. Delicious Notify Plugin

The Delicious Notify Plugin allows you to notify Delicious whenever you publish a blog post. In the Options, you are able to enter your Delicious userid and password, and check if you want to automatically publish your blog posts to the service.

3. TweetMeme Plugin

The TweetMeme Plugin lets you add the TweetMeme button into your blog posts. The Options allows you to add your Twitter name, use an URL shortener, and position the button on the top or bottom. When you publish your blog post, the TweetMeme button will appear. This allows your readers to tweet your blog post, so definitely a plugin to add.

4. DiggThis Plugin

The DiggThis Plugin adds the Digg button to your blog posts, so your readers are able to Digg it, if they want. In the Options, you are allowed to decide on four different types of button styles: badge, compact, button, or the little guy. You are also able to choose the alignment to be either to the right or left. Digg users will love this plugin.

5. WLW Bit.ly Plugin

The WLW Bit.ly Plugin lets you shorten all of the URLs in your blog post using the Bit.ly URL shortener. If you have a Bit.ly user account, you can enter it in the Options area. This allows you to use the Bit.ly statistics to view information like how many people clicked on a certain link.

6. Twitter Inserter Plugin

The Twitter Inserter Plugin provides a way for you to add your tweets into your blog post. You are able to select the number of tweets in the Options area. It’s great to use once in awhile. However, if you use too much, you might alienate your readers.

7. Flickr4Writer Plugin

The Flickr4Writer Plugin lets you add Flickr images from your albums or any image that is allowed to be blogged. You are able to select the image size, spacing, positioning, and alignment. It’s a way to add images to your blog without stealing images. One of my favorite ones, and I use it often. Definitely a must.

8. Zemanta related articles & images Plugin

The Zemanta related articles & images Plugin provides a way for you enter add links, related articles, and images to your blog posts. It is on the side of the Windows Live Writer window, so it provides easy access in allowing you to save time in finding items for your blog posts. Another one of my favorites. It helps you save time and enriches your blog posts.

9. Amazon Book Linker v1.3 Plugin

The Amazon Book Linker v1.3 Plugin lets you add book information to your blog posts. You are able to modify the image size and the template, which is how your readers will view the Amazon item. If you have an Amazon Associates ID, you are able to add that as well, so you can make profit on the books you add. Great for people who reviews books or want to share a great book with their readers.

10. xPollinate – Cross Post Plugin

The xPollinate – Cross Post Plugin allows you to cross-post a blog post, or a snippet, to your other blogs and post to Ping.fm when you are publishing. Ping.fm allows you to post to different social-media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., so you are able to notify your followers of your blog post by using this plugin. I am starting to use this plugin more often now. Ping.fm is one of the social media tools that I use often, so this saves me plenty of time.

Which social media plugins do you use for your Windows Live Writer?

10 Social Media Plugins for Windows Live Writer originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Firefox Extension Adds Functionality to Google Analytics

Shevonne — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:30:34 +0000

If you have a web site or blog, you probably rely on web analytics to understand about your visitors. It provides a way for you to know

1. How they found your site
2. The items on your site they find interesting and
3. Location information about your visitors.

The best known and most widely used web analytics tool is Google Analytics. There are over 80 reports that can be accessed to track and analyze the health of your web site/blog. Additionally, it also has an ad hoc reporting function that allows you to further tailor these 80 reports, or create your own from scratch. There are other tasks that allow you to monitor vistors’ paths on your site/blog, monitor your AdWords, group similar visits together, etc. What if you were able to extend the functions that Google Analytics offer? There is a Firefox add-on that will allow you to do that. It’s called the Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension.

What does it do?

Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension enhances Google Analytics by using a variety of GreaseMonkey user scripts. The add-on uses user scripts created by different developers into one area. It gives Google Analytics some of the user-friendly and additional features that are missing.

What do I need to do before I start using it?

The first thing you need is to go to the FireFox add-on page, and install GreaseMonkey. After GreaseMonkey is up and running, install the Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension add-on.

How do I personalize it?

After installing Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension and GreaseMonkey, go to Tools->Add-Ons->Better Google Analytics Firefox. Press the Preference button. There are three tabs: General, Reports, and Other.

What do I do in the General tab?

Go to the General tab. There are three options: automatically entering Google Analytics; automatically expanding the sub-navigation items; and increase the text boxes.

If you want to automatically enter Google Analytics whenever the button is displayed, then check the check box next to this option.
If you want to have all the sub-navigation expand automatically, then check the check box.
If you want to increase the text boxes, then check this check box.

What do I do in the Reports tab?

In the Reports tab, it provides you additional report features that will make the Google Analytics’ reports area, more powerful. It adds search functionality, export capabilities, full-screen reader, profile enhancements, table sorting, and social media metrics. If you want to select one or all of the options, check the check boxes next to them.

What do I do the in the Other tab?

In the Other tab, it allows additional features to other areas of Google Analytics. It provides two Google Analytics Conversion University functionalities: “Expand All” button and the time. Also, it has a URL builder override for the “utm_nooverride” url variable.

What did I think?

I really love this Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension. It gives extra functionality to Google Analytics that makes it more user friendly and easier to navigate. Before I found this add-on, I was using the basic functions that Google Analytics had to offer because I didn’t really understand how to use it. With this add-on, I am using it more, using more reports, and even the goals/funnel features. If you have never use it, and you have a web site and/or blog, install it.

How do I get more information?

To learn more about Better Google Analytics Firefox Extension, please visit: http://erikvold.com/tools/firefox/betterga/index.cfm
To learn more about GreaseMonkey, please visit: http://www.greasespot.net/

Firefox Extension Adds Functionality to Google Analytics originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Five WYSIWYG Plugins to Enhance the WordPress Built-In Editor

Shevonne — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:06:48 +0000

The WordPress built-in editor has the minimum features to create a blog post. It’s one of the reasons that many bloggers use desktop-based blog editors that provide them with additional features that is lacking in the WordPress editor. Here are five WordPress plugins that will give you the functionality as a desktop-based editor without leaving WordPress.

1. Front-end Editor

The Front-end Editor plugin allows you to make changes without having to go to the WordPress built-in editor. It’s a great tool if you have already created and published your blog and just want to make quick edits. It’s great for making edits that do not require any significant changes. However, it’s not really a standalone-type of editor. It’s more to use alongside another one. It doesn’t have any additional features to add to the WordPress built-in editor, but it is nice to have something that doesn’t require you to go to the WordPress administrative area.

2. TinyMCE Advanced

The TinyMCE Advanced plugin adds 16 buttons to the WordPress built-in editor. One of the great things about it is that it’s easy to drag-and-drag the buttons in and out of the window. Therefore, you are able to choose what buttons to have accessible to you when creating or editing a post. You are also able to add your current theme’s CSS stylesheet, so you are able to visualize how the post will look like when you are done.

3. Dean’s FCKEditor For Wordpress

Dean’s FCKEditor For Wordpress plugin enhances your WordPress built-in editor by providing desktop-word-processing-type of editor. Out of all the editors, this one has the most functionality. Other than the basic word processing features: formatting, styles, find/replace, printing, etc, it comes with a built-in file and upload manager. In addition, it integrates well with the WordPress default media manager and also allows you to insert flash movie and smiley icons into your post.

The plugin also provides you three templates that help in creating your blog posts. It’s definitely worth looking at, if you don’t want to download a desktop blog editor.

4. WP Super Edit

Just like the above-mentioned plugins, the WP Super Edit plugin allows you to add plenty of additional functionality to your default text editor. Like TinyMCE Advacned, it allows you to add extra buttons (and hence more functionality) to your toolbar. What is more important is that it provides a way for you to arrange your toolbar according to the user role. Now, you can restrict your subscriber or contributor to only a limited set of toolbar while the author or users with higher level of permission to access to the full range of functionality.

In addition, there are also a whole lot of useful HTML tags (like DIV, STYLE, TABLE etc) that you can use in your post. This is particularly useful for coders/developers.

WP Super Edit allows bloggers to control the editor better than the other two. Additionally, it has more features than the other two. However, it can be tedious adding buttons and arranging them in a way that makes sense. It would be easier if they start with all the buttons, and allow users to remove the ones they do not need.

5. Custom TinyMCE

The Custom TinyMCE plugin provides the same type of functionality as the WP Super Edit and TinyMCE Advanced plugins. However, it lacks the flexibility that the latter provides bloggers. You are able to go into the administrative panel and check the check boxes of the buttons you would like to appear in the your editor. It’s much easier to navigate in that aspect.

However, if you choose the majority or all of the buttons, instead of going to two or more lines, they are just kept in one line. This causes a visual problem because you will have to search for the functionality you are seeking. Furthermore, it also disappears behind the sidebar. It’s a good plugin if you want to add a couple of more buttons to your editor. If you want to add more than that, then this plugin is not for you.

What other WordPress plugins do you use to enhance your text-editor?

Five WYSIWYG Plugins to Enhance the WordPress Built-In Editor originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Visual View of Your Firefox Web Search History With History Tree

Shevonne — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:09:02 +0000

Having a visual view of something is usually helpful to many people. It’s one of the reasons that charts, graphs, and mind maps are widely used as an aid to represent data that would just be numbers or text. Browsers (e.g. Chrome, Safari, and Opera) have started to have a way to visually view your most-visited web sites all on one page. However, Mozilla Firefox, which is one of the most used browsers, doesn’t have the functionality. What if it did? What if it also helped you view your entire web-searching history? This is where History Tree can help.

What is History Tree?

History Tree is a free Firefox extension that provides you the capability of viewing your web history as a tree and/or a web grid of screenshots. At the beginning of the page, you will see statistics:
1. Pages you have visited
2. Tabs now open
3. Tabs closed.

There are two icons at the bottom of each box, the up arrow indicates that this web site has pages that are linked to it. If there are none, then this icon will not be available. The question mark icon allows you to view a bigger view of the screenshot when clicked.

What versions of Firefox does it work with?

History Free works with Firefox versions 3.0 and 3.5.

How do I open it up?

The easiest way to get to History Tree is by going to Firefox’s Tools->History Tree.

How does it work?

There are two views: web-site screenshots and historical tree. Choose your preferred way of viewing your web history.

After selecting the view that you want, choose what kind of web site history you want to see. You are able to view your web history in four ways:

Show all open tabs
Show all open pages
Show selected tab
Show all closed tabs

You are able to expand/minimize the history tree/web-site screenshots. If you are using the history tree, you will see a Tree Spacing option. If you are using the web-site screenshots, then you will see the Image Size option in its place.

If you have a bunch of web sites in your history, History Tree has a search functionality that allows you to find the site that you are looking for without having to waste time searching through many web sites. You are able to search by name or URL. When it finds the page(s) that you are looking for, they are highlighted in green.

Are there things that History Tree won’t do?

History Tree does not give you the capability of saving your history. If you close the browser, it does not restore the history. It’s something that is suppose to be added in a future release.

Where can I install it or find out more information?

You are able to download it from the FoxTree web site or at the Firefox add-on web site.

Visual View of Your Firefox Web Search History With History Tree originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Four Sites to Promote Your Cause

Shevonne — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:28:51 +0000

The Internet provides charities a way to connect with people in all parts of the world. Charities are able to educate people about their cause and ways that they are able to help. Donations are important to a charity because it helps them get products, good, services, and money to aid them in their cause. What can you do on the Internet to make people aware of the cause you are passionate in helping? Here are four sites to use to help your charity of choice’s presence on the Internet:

1. Squidoo

Squidoo allows you to create pages, which are called lens, that you can use for making profit for yourself or donating it towards the charity of your choice. After a simple three-step process, your Squidoo lens is created. Squidoo provides various add-ons (e.g. Amazon, CafePress, Flickr, Youtube, etc.) to enhance your lens and make it appeal to viewers. This is a great site for charities because you don’t have to be a webmaster to create a functioning page that has all the information about your charity with tools to show images, videos, and even vanity items, like shirts with your charity’s logo on it. You can also join groups of similar charities, which provides a great way to network and share resources.

2. Facebook Pages

Facebook Pages combines the best of groups and profiles to create a way to interact with people interested in your charity. When creating your page, you choose a category (there is a “Non-Profit” choice), name, add a photo, and enter information about your charity. It’s a very simple way to get a web presence that will reach millions of people. You are able to promote the page on your own Facebook profile, web site, or blog. Just like Squidoo, you are able to add images, videos, events, etc.

3. SocialVibe

SocialVibe is unique because it partners with charities and other organizations, and then people are the way to make others aware of the cause, and ways for them to help. It is versatile because it interacts with FaceBook, different blogging platforms, and MySpace, so people who join the cause are able to promote it in whatever way they want. If you are a charity, you work alongside SocialVibe to be listed on the site. It would be nice if there was a way to do it online without having to contact them, but the versatility of the site makes you forget that little annoyance.

4. Kiva

Kiva provides a way for normal people to donate money to people all over the world who need money to finance their dreams. It uses PayPal or credit cards to receive the funds from lenders to give to entrepreneurs, people needing the money, to start their business. This is a great service for people who are weary of big charities and want to cut out the middle man. You are able to use and promote Kiva in various ways – iPhone app, WordPress widget, and analysis sites. Kiva allows you to create or join teams that are interested in the same types of things. Additionally, there is a section where entrepreneurs can write journal entries, and lenders can comment. It’s a great way to interact and learn more about the people you are trying to help before any money is exchanged. Kiva is a wonderful site that will help you feel like you helped a person with a face and name to him/her, which is sometimes missing with big charities.

Which sites do you go to promote your cause?

Image credit: Swamibu

Four Sites to Promote Your Cause originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Five Free Business Tools for Mac Users

Shevonne — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:43:33 +0000

Running a business can get pretty expensive, including all the pricey software tools that you need to keep on top of all your administrative tasks. Entrepreneurs sometimes have to spend a ton of money to get basic business tools that are needed to have a business running smoothly. Here are five business tools that will help you keep track of your business if you are a Mac user:

1. NeoOffice

NeoOffice is very impressive. It is a user friendly office tool that will help you develop all the documentation, spreadsheets, and presentations for your business. If you have used other office application softwares, it has the same basic functionalities, as well as additional ones. NeoOffice Writer has everything you would need a word processing software to have. One great feature that I haven’t seen anywhere else is the Bibliography Database. If you are creating extensive documentation that has numerous references, Bibliography Database keeps track of them. NeoOffice Calc helps you create easy and robust spreadsheets that you can use. NeoOffice Impress helps you create impressive presentations that will wow your clients. NeoOffice Drawing allows you to design your own documentations, very similar to Adobe’s InDesign. Overall, it’s a great suite of office applications with the quality of expensive versions of it.

To download NeoOffice, here is the site: http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php

2.GanttProject

GanttProject allows you to create a work-breakdown structure that will keep track of your project schedule, critical paths, and milestones. Additionally, it allows you to monitor your resources. It is very similar to MS Project, but without the cost. You can easily add resource information, task-related options, and link tasks that people have complained is pretty hard to do on MS Project. This can be used for any project, including blog creation, marketing schedule, or social media game plan.

To download GanttProject, here is the site: http://www.ganttproject.biz/

3. EverNote

Evernote is a way of keeping track of all your notes that you collect for a project. It is great because you can capture images, videos, and another forms of media that you are unable to get using a basic word processing tool, or scribbling notes by hand. The great thing about it is that you can sync it to the web, smartphone, and computer, so you have all your information any time. The free version gives you 40MB a month, so if you want more space, you will need to upgrade, which gives you 500MB. Overall, it’s a great capture-all software that can keep all the notes for your project.

To download EverNote, here is the site: https://www.evernote.com

4. Buddi

Buddi is a simple finance accounting software that provides you a way to keep track of your expenses. It doesn’t have a way to interface with your financial institution, like you could probably get from web-based finance accounting tools (e.g. Mint or Yodlee). However, the budget reports more than make up for it. There are reports and charts that you can use to view your budget in different formats. Overall, it does the job to keep track of your business.

To download Buddi, here is the site: http://buddi.digitalcave.ca/

5. FreeMind

FreeMind is a mind map tool that allows you to create mind maps of your project. Mindmapping is a great way to help you with planning. It’s a tool that many businesses are starting to adopt because they see the value in using this as a way to plan projects before the work begins. FreeMind has the basic functions that allows you to create a mine map. Furthermore, your maps can have images, colors, and attachments to make it come to life. Another great feature is the ability to write notes that append to a node so you can have additional formation that could not be shown mind map. You can also link to external web sites, and get to them from FreeMind.

To download FreeMind, here is the site: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

What other software do you use to manage your business?

Five Free Business Tools for Mac Users originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

3 Free and Useful AntiVirus Software for Windows

Shevonne — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:25:00 +0000

Having a reliable antivirus software is something that every Windows user should have on his/her own computer. However, these antivirus tools are usually very expensive and use up way too much computer memory.

Here are three ~~open source~~ free antivirus software for Windows. They have functionality that will give you the ability to protect your system and information the same way as paid antivirus software.
Note: Remember that it is very important to keep it up-to-date because there are different viruses popping up every day.

1. ClamWin

ClamWin is a standalone, open source virus scanner with a scanning scheduler. It gets the job done by scanning and removing harmful malware that could affect your system. One of the great features is that it automatically downloads updates to fight and prevent new viruses that have appeared after you initially install the software. ClamWin is the most simplest of the three antivirus software.

Another useful functionality is that it integrates with Windows Explorer; in addition, there is an add-in to Microsoft Outlook to automatically remove virus-infected attachments. It doesn’t have an online scanner, which is not good because the Internet is usually accessed when the computer is on.

Another issue is that there is no automatic way to scan a file for viruses. In order to scan for viruses, you have to manually perform this process. For this antivirus scanner to be useful, you would have to also have an additional scanner that prevents malware from being placed on your system from your internet browser.

To download or find out more information about ClamWin: http://www.clamwin.com/

2. AVG Free

AVG is another antivirus and antispyware software that protects against viruses, spyware, adware, and trojans created for Windows. Like ClamWin, it does automatically scan for new virus definitions daily. It also has an added advantage that it is able to scan online items in a real-time capability. It has a Scheduler that can let you set and change time frames of when the virus scanner should run.

One of the major cons with AVG Free is that it does not protect against identity theft, hacker attacks, infected downloads, infected instant-messaging and spam. If you want to protect your system from these types of attacks, you will have to upgrade to the paid service. Furthermore, the free edition does not give you access to AVG technicians in case you run into a problem, which can be a major flaw because that is something that should be offered, even if you are not paying. AVG Free has useful functionality that can be sufficient in protecting your computer, but it does not fully protect the way it should.

To download or find out more information about AVG Free: http://free.avg.com/

3. AntiVir Personal 8

AntiVir Personal 8 scans both internal and external hard drives. The antivirus software has the increasingly popular “Advanced Heuristics Analysis and Detection” technology, which provides new levels of virus detection and cleaning by intelligently analyzing whether or not something is a virus. This is something that ClamWin and AVG Free do not have.

Additionally, AntiVir has the capability of allowing users to remove viruses by a one-button removal button. When it opens, AntiVir opens up to an overview of your last scan, last update, and what version you are running. The software has an internal event log that shows a detailed look of the your entire system. There are also reports that you can run to check your system and how well the software is protecting it.

Out of the three software, AntiVir seems to offer more functionality that is similar to paid antivirus software. It does not leave any needed feature out that could allow malware to infect your system.

To download or find out more information about AntiVir Personal 8: http://www.free-av.de/en/index.html

Others

Don’t forget too about the free Microsoft Security Essential that we have previously covered. While Microsoft has stop the free download, you can still find a copy at Softpedia.

3 Free and Useful AntiVirus Software for Windows originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

3 Useful Plugins For Multiple Authors Collaboration

Shevonne — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:55:05 +0000

Collaboration in blogs is a growing need with more and more blogging teams, newspapers, and magazines using the Internet. Additionally, there are times that one post may be assigned to more than one author. In WordPress, the only way to co-author a blog post is to share login information or for the users to have a higher role than “Author.” Here are three WordPress plugins that will allow you the ease of collaborating blog posts between more than one author. Each of the three plugins have their pros and cons, so test them out and see which one is the best fit for you.

1. Co-Authors Plus

Co-Authors Plus allows a blogging team to assign a blog post (or even a page) to more than one author. It has a search-as-you-type input box that makes it easier to find the authors. This is a great tool because you do not have to know how to write their full name. After installing the plugin, you use template tags to allow the listing of the multiple authors. These are the allowed template tags:

coauthors()
coauthors_posts_links()
coauthors_firstnames()
coauthors_lastnames()
coauthors_nicknames()
coauthors_links()
coauthors_IDs()

These posts will appear on the authors’ posts and feeds. It’s great because it provides blogging teams with many authors to have an easier way to find the desired authors. However, it’s a little difficult for people who do not know how to code.

To find out more information or download the Co-Authors Plus plugin, please visit: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/co-authors-plus/

2. WT Co-Authors

WT Co-Authors allows multiple authors in a different way than the previous plugin. It uses WordPress custom fields to show more than one authors. The custom name field to use is “coauthor.” The value will be the user’s name. There is no maximum in the amount of authors used. You have to ensure that the WordPress theme that you are using has “the_author()” function. If it doesn’t, you will have to manually add

if(function_exists(wt_the_coauthors_link)):
wt_the_coauthors_link();
endif;

It’s an easier way to show collaboration; however, it does not fully use the WordPress role functionality, so Administrators and/or Editors can assign Authors to one blog post.

To find out more information or download the WT Co-Authors plugin, please visit: http://anime2.kokidokom.net/all-team-blogs-attention-the-ultimate-mega-super-awesome-co-authors-plugin-is-here/

3. SP Authors

SP Authors provides a simple way of allowing multiple authors to be assigned to a blog post (or a page). After installing the plugin, you will se a new area that provides a way to manually enter the author’s name. It also has a drop-down menu of all the authors, if you are not sure how to spell their names. Another great feature is if you place the short code [sp-authors], you are able to show a list of the particular’s authors links of other blog posts that he/she has written.

SP Authors is the simplest plugin to use to collaborate among multiple authors in a single blog post. However, the drop-down menu might be overwhelming if you have many authors.

To find out more information or download the SP Authors plugin, please visit: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sp-authors/

If you have a blogging team, one of these plugins will really give you the flexibility of allowing multiple authors to colloborate on a single blog posts. This is especially useful in a complex post that allows you to assign different sections to various authors.

3 Useful Plugins For Multiple Authors Collaboration originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

How to Create a Multi-national Blog Without Being a Language Expert

Shevonne — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:32:04 +0000

The Internet continues to make the distance between people in different countries shorter and shorter. People, regardless of where they come from, are constantly interacting with one another. As we all know, not everyone speaks the same language, so how can you make your WordPress blog multinational to reach different language speakers. The best way to do this is by the Global Translator WordPress plugin.

What is Global Translator?

Global Translator is a WordPress plugin that gives you the ability to make your blog accessible to your readers in 41 different languages (Please see the next section for the 41 languages). It uses four different translation language – Google Translation Services, Promt Online Translator, Altavista Babel Fish and FreeTranslator – that will be the deciding factor as to which languages your blog can be displayed in.

What are the 41 languages?

The 41 languages are Italian, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Portuguese, English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Greek, Dutch, Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian, Danish, Finnish, Hindi, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Catalan, Filipino, Hebrew, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Albanian, Estonian, Galician, Maltese, Thai, Turkish, Hungarian

Note: Remember that the number of languages you are able to access depends on which translation engine you choose

How do I install it?

If you are using WordPress 2.7 or higher, you are able to search for the Global Translator plugin on the plugin search page and automatically install it.
If you don’t, then you can click this link: Download Global Translator here

- Extract the zip file and upload global-translator folder folder into the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
- Login to your WordPress admin page, click Plugins. Look for “global-translator,” and click the Activate link.

How do I customize it?

After installing the Global Translator plugin, on your Dashboard, go to Settings->Global Translator.

1. Choose your translation engine (i.e. Google Translation Services, Promt Online Translator, Altavista Babel Fish, or FreeTransalator)

2. Select your default language in the My Blog is written in drop-down menu

3. Choose which languages to make available to your visitors

4. Select how you want the language flags displayed

5. Press the Update Options button

6. Go to the Appearance->Widget section, drag the Global Translator widget to your blog’s sidebar

What if my blog is not widgetized or I want to show the language flags on the actual blog post?

Go into your Editor to the location you want the language flags to appear and type the following php code:


if(function_exists(”gltr_build_flags_bar”)) {
gltr_build_flags_bar();
}
?>

What do my users have do to translate it to their desired language?

I recommend placing the Global Translator widget as the first widget on your blog’s sidebar. Users will select their desired language’s flag, and the page will be translated. Below is a an example where the blog was translated from English to Spanish:

What other software do you use to translate your site?

How to Create a Multi-national Blog Without Being a Language Expert originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

How to Create a Video Blog on Twitter Easily

Shevonne — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:36:38 +0000

Video blogging is increasingly becoming a popular form of reaching out to your audience. Wouldn’t it be great if you can combine this with the popular social media tool – Twitter?

There are three services that are doing just that. They are helping Tweeples with video/web cameras broadcast to their followers. More and more, bloggers, podcasters, music artists, celebrities, etc. are using them to engage with their audience in a colorful way. Here are the three video tweet services that will help get you on your way:

1. BubbleTweet

BubbleTweet provides tweeters the ability to create or upload a 30-second video that will help give some personality to their tweets. It requires no registration; only your Twitter login information. After creating your video, you are provided with a unique BubbleTweet URL that you can share with your followers. BubbleTweet archives your video tweets indefinitely. The only issues is that currently only works on web browsers and cannot be embedded on any other sites, other than Twitter. Additionally, unlike the other two services, Bubble Tweet does not allow you the ability to broadcast live.

2. CamTweet

CamTweet is the newest creation of the makers of the popular video service Justin.TV,, except it is made specifically made for Twitter.

Like BubbleTweet, CamTweet does not require registration. You login using your Twitter information. With CamTweet, you are able to broadcast live to your followers. At the same time that you are broadcasting, you are also able to simultaneously chat with your viewers.

CamTweet provides you a link to share with other people who are not on Twitter. After you finished broadcasting, you are provided a unique URL that you can use to share as well. The only issue is that you are unable to embed it onto another site or blog. There is no FAQs on the site, so I am not sure if the video tweets are archived indefinitely. More than likely, they are being that they have unique URLs that have to be pointing to something.

3. TwitCam

TwitCam provides users with the ability of broadcasting and chatting with their Twitter followers. It is powered by Livestream. Unlike the other two services, TwitCam does require registration. However, you register using your Twitter login information. By registering for the service, you are provided a unique TwitCam page that shows a profile and recent broadcasts. Similar to CamTweet, TwitCam provides you with the ability to simultaneously chat with your viewers while broadcasting live. Twitcam is the only one of the three services that lets you embed your video tweet into another site or blog, even while broadcasting live. When you are done, you are able to save the broadcast.

Whichever service you decide to use, using video on Twitter is a great way to engage your followers. It also gives you a personal touch that usually cannot be achieved in any other way.

Have you tried any of these services? Or do you know of similar ones? Post them in the comments, so we can check it out.

How to Create a Video Blog on Twitter Easily originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

How to Make Your WordPress Blog Mobile-Friendly Using MobilePress

Shevonne — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:11:09 +0000

Smartphones are becoming one of the main ways that people are using to browse sites. People are using them as a computer, telephone, camera, MP3 player, game system, etc. They provide flexibility and mobility when you are constantly on the move. Due to the increasing demand for smartphones, companies and individuals are having to ensure that their sites and blogs are mobile-friendly. If you are using WordPress to power your blog or site, there is a plugin that does the work for you. It’s called MobilePress.

What is MobilePress?

MobilePress is a WordPress plugin that uses customized themes to allow your WordPress blog or site to be viewable via smartphones. It also allows developers to create their own custom mobile themes if they do not want to use the ones provided. Mobile SEO is another feature that detects Google and Yahoo mobile search bots. The bots will use the mobile version of your blog/site, which will help with optimization on Google and Yahoo.

How do I install it?

If you are using WordPress 2.7 or higher, you are able to search for the MobilePress plugin on the plugin search page and automatically install it.
If you don’t, then you can click this link: Download MobilePress here
- Upload mobilepress.1.0.4.zip file into the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
- Login to your WordPress admin page, click Plugins -> Installed. Look for MobilePress, and click the Activate link.

How do I customize it?

After installing the MobilePress plugin, go to MobilePress->Options.

If you want the mobile search bots to show a different title and description for your blog/site, then enter them in Blog Title and Blog Description. If not, then leave them blank.
For Force Mobile Site?, leave it at the default, if you only want mobile sites to pick up the mobile theme. If you want normal web browsers and smartphones to pick up the mobile theme alike, then change it to “Yes.” It’s best to leave it at “No.”
For Treat iPhone as a web browser, Treat Windows smartphone as a web browser, Treat Opera Mini as a web browser, leave it at the default if you only want the mobile theme to be displayed on the smartphone. If you want the regular web version of your blog/site to be displayed on your smartphone, change the appropriate one to “Yes.” As above, it’s best to leave on the default “No.”

How do I choose the mobile theme that I want?

After choosing your options, go to MobilePress->Themes.

Choose the mobile theme you want, and press the Select! button.

What if I want to use my own mobile theme?

Upload your mobile theme to the /wp-content/plugins/mobilepress/themes/ directory. It will then appear in the MobilePress theme selector. You will now be able to use your custom mobile theme.

How to Make Your WordPress Blog Mobile-Friendly Using MobilePress originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

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Qumana: An Easy-to-Use Alternative to Desktop Blogging

Shevonne — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:01:44 +0000

Desktop blog editors provide bloggers additional functionalities that are missing in your blog’s default editor (e.g. WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, etc.). Additionally, you are able to write and edit your blog posts offline, which provides a way to save your work on your computer’s hard drive while also not having to be connected to the Internet. One of the best desktop-based blog editors is Qumana.

What is Qumana?

Qumana is a desktop-based blog editor that allows you to create and modify blog posts for more than one blog. Additionally, it provides you access to blog posts offline and without a need of a browser. It eases editing and insertion of various types of media that is usually a headache in your default blog editor. One unique function is the integration with its own keyword-drive ad system, which is very much like Google AdSense. It also allows you to add basic Technorati tag that is usually only able to work with other blog editors if you install a plugin. Furthermore, it rivals fee-based blog editors that have the same or less functions that Qumana has to offer. It can be installed on Mac, Windows, or Linux.

What Blog Platforms does Qumana Work With?

Qumana works with a variety of blog platforms. They are the following:

Angelfire
Blogger/Blogspot
BlogHarbor
Blogware
Bryght
DiaryLand
Drupal
LiveJournal
MovableType
MSN Spaces
Tripod
TypePad
Roller
SquareSpace
Wordpress.com
Wordpress.org
Plus most platforms that support the Blogger, MovableType or MetaWeblog API’s

Can I edit blog entries that I didn’t create using Qumana?

Yes, you are able to import your blog entries you created outside of Qumana. You can also import your blog categories. Tags are the only items that you are unable to reuse. You have to continue retyping them for each new blog post.

Can I ping services to know that I updated my blog?

Yes, Qumana provides you the ability of adding different ping services, so you can alert them after you publish a new blog post.

Does it support plugins?

At this moment, they do not support plugins.

Can I reuse what I write?

Yes, with Qumana’s DropPad. You are able to drag and drop images, texts, and links to your posts. The DropPad allows you to copy+paste information you find while browsing without having to open another program to contain what you collect.

Can I insert ads in my blog posts?

Q Ads is an advertising network that works within Qumana to insert keyword-driven ads into your blog posts. It provides an easy way to make money on your blogs without having to create an affiliate or Google Adsense account. Q Ads is easy to sign up for and use within Qumana.

Qumana provides a blog editor for all systems. It still lacks some functions that other blog editors have. However, it makes up with it by being user friendly and low maintenance.

What blog editor do you use to write your posts?

Qumana: An Easy-to-Use Alternative to Desktop Blogging originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Ten Tips to Get the Most Out of Posterous

Shevonne — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:34 +0000

Posterous is the newest way of lifestreaming. What is lifestreaming? Lifestreaming is a feed of a person’s daily activities. This is usually done by social aggregating and/or the person posting photos, videos, and statuses through his/her smartphone. Posterous provides the service for you to do this by posting using email or SMS. It simultaneously posts to various services (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.), so you don’t have to scramble around doing it yourself. Posterous is very flexible in that it allows you to pick-and-choose the services you want to post to, and it also allows you to have multiple Posterous sites. Below are ten tips that will help you get the most of out of Posterous:

1. Use a Distinct Site Name and Address

Select a site name and address that will make readers remember you. Posterous provides the capability of having your own custom domain name. Therefore, you can host your domain that directs the service to it.

2. Edit Your Profile

Write something interesting about yourself that will make readers want to return.

3. Use Google Analytics

If you haven’t used Google Analytics, then you should start. It really helps in showing trends and keywords that are popular with the viewers of your Posterous.

4. Manage Your Emails and Phone Number

Add all the email addresses that you use, so you are able to post to any of them at any time. Also, add your phone number, so you are able to post statuses using the number “41411.”

5. Enable Your Notification Settings

Choose when and how often you are notified when someone takes action on your Posterous. These are emails, comments, and subscriptions.

6. Add Services to Autopost to

Select the services that you want Posterous to automatically post to whenever you post something. WARNING: Ensure that these are places that you want to do this because in some places, like FriendFeed, it might look like duplicate postings.

7. Customize Footers

This is what gets posted to the services whenever you post. Modify it to fit your needs. If you make a mistake, Posterous allows you to reset to the default footer.

8. Control Where You Post

Posterous allows you to post to all or some of the services that you identified. The following screenshots shows the possible combinations that you can use when posting.

9. Add Tags

Tags are great ways for readers to find your Posterous. Add them freely on each of your posts, so that people are able to easily find you when searching for something that relates to your post.

10. Use the Bookmarklet

The Posterous bookmarklet makes it easier to add interesting items to your Posterous. Be careful from where you post because some sites might have copyright rules that will make it hard to share their stuff.

Add your Posterous site on the comments, so that others can read and subscribe to it.

Ten Tips to Get the Most Out of Posterous originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Enhance Your Blog Posts and E-Newsletter With Zemanta

Shevonne — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:20:29 +0000

You have already spent time thinking and writing an innovative blog post. Now, you have to spend more time searching and adding links, images, and related articles. Don’t you wish there was a way to speed up the process? This is where Zemanta comes in.

What is Zemanta?

Zemanta provides a way to enhance your blog posts by searching for keywords within your posts and suggesting related content. Additionally, Zemanta suggests post tags that you can use, so that it’s easier for search engines to index your posts, or readers to find content within your site.

Zemanta helps alleviate plagiarism because all of the material is free to use or links back to the original. Zemanta also works with Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. If you are writing e-newsletters, this provides a way to enrich your newsletters, so that your readers want to continue their subscriptions. It’s point-and-click approach is a timesaver that gives you more time to think up more blog posts or e-newsletter items. According to their site, they have access to over 5-million pictures, 5-million articles, and 10-million related content. Therefore, there are plenty of items to use.

What does Zemanta work with?

Below is a diagram of what apps work with Zemanta, and what kind of content Zemanta brings in:

You can also register with Zemanta, so that you are able to bring in user-defined content from different sites (e.g. Twitter, Mashable, Facebook, etc.). Zemanta allows you to input your Amazon Associates ID, so you can link to books, cds, and any other product on the Amazon affiliate system. If you click on the “My Stuff” image, you will only search through this content. When you unclick it, you are able to search the entire Zemanta database.

How can I use Zemanta?

There are four ways to use Zemanta:

Browser Add-On – Zemanta can be added on Firefox or Internet Explorer. Whenever you open your blogging platform, regardless of which one it is, Zemanta will open up and allow you to add related content to your blog. If you use the add-on and use Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, Zemanta adds an “Add Zemanta” button in your Compose box, so you can also enhance your emails or e-newsletters.
Bookmarklet – If you are using one of the other browsers or don’t feel like using the add-on, you can add the bookmarklet instead. When you press it, it will provide the same interface, like the add-on.
Live Writer Plugin – For Live Writer users, the Zemanta plugin enhances the application to better help you write your blog posts.
Server-Side Plugin – You can download plugins for either WordPress, MovableType, or Drupal. It works just like the browser add-on and bookmarklet. However, you are not able to use it within your email.

I am still not convinced. Can I test it out?

Zemanta has an interactive demo that allows you to input text, and see how Zemanta can work for you.

Enhance Your Blog Posts and E-Newsletter With Zemanta originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

10 Useful Tips to Using FriendFeed

Shevonne — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:06:43 +0000

FriendFeed is increasingly becoming a popular social media tool for being a social aggregator with community features. It was one of the first to use the “Like” functionality that more and more web sites (e.g. Facebook, Digg, Seesmic, etc.) are adopting. Additionally, FriendFeed has built a social community that allows you to quickly find an answer to any kind of question that you ask, or get to know other people who share similar interests. New users are usually overwhelmed by the social media site, and are not sure what to do or where to begin. Here are ten useful tips to enjoying all that FriendFeed has to offer:

1. Aggregate All (or Majority) of Your Feeds

If you plan on only aggregating Twitter into FriendFeed, you won’t get the full experience of the service. Add as many feeds as you can, so others are able to get a full picture of your interests and you.

2. Setup Your Notifications

You are able to receive email, IM, and/or desktop notifications for your and other people’s posts. It comes in handy when you are away from your computer, but want to ensure that you respond to users’ comments.

3. Select Twitter Publishing Preferences

FriendFeed provides a variety of options to publish items to Twitter. Select the options that you want to post to Twitter. It’s a good way to bypass the Twitter character limit, but still have your Twitter followers see your posts.

4. Choose a Theme

There are seven themes to choose from so you can have a more personalized feel to your page.

5. Edit Your Profile

Enter a brief description about yourself, so that people can get to know you better. An avatar also helps. It doesn’t have to be your picture, but something that represents you.

6. Follow Some People

To get the most out of FriendFeed, follow some people. FriendFeed offers a suggested list that will start you off on the right path. Another great resource is Louis Gray’s monthly list of the “Top Ten People to Follow. It compiles a list of people with a variety of interests who provide value to FriendFeed.

7. Join Some Groups

FriendFeed users have created all kinds of groups that will appeal to someone. This is a great way to find users, who are not on the FriendFeed Suggested List or Louis Gray’s list, who will have items that you are interested in.

8. Get the Bookmarklet

Add the FriendFeed bookmarklet to your browser and ease the way you share interesting items. The great thing about the bookmarklet is that it allows you to share with different groups or individuals, embed images, and publish it to Twitter.

9. Comment and Like on People’s Posts

The only way that people are going to get to know what you think is by the comments and clicking “Like” on their posted items. One great feature is the Friend-of-a-Friend option. You are able to view the content of the people your friend has subscribed to. It helps because you are able to also get to know people who you were not initially subscribed to.

10. Have Fun

Regardless on the reason you are using FriendFeed, whether for business or pleasure, remember to have fun. I have met many wonderful people on FriendFeed and I’m still loving it after being on there for over a year. It can be addicting, so be careful. Other than that, enjoy yourself!

10 Useful Tips to Using FriendFeed originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)