ScribeFire Next 4.0

ScribeFire is an extension that lets you post a blog from within the Firefox browser. Upon installation, you’ll notice a notepad icon on the bottom right corner of the window. Click on this icon and the bottom half of the browser opens ScribeFire. Add your blog credentials by clicking on Add a New Blog, and you can start blogging from the built-in text editor.

Download ScribeFire 4.0

After The Deadline 1.51

After the Deadline is a handy spelling and grammar checking tool similar to that of Microsoft Word. To activate the proofreading feature, press F4 and it highlights possible errors and provides suggestions. Language and customized grammar styles can be tweaked in the Options menu of the extension.

Download After the Deadline

Zemanta 1.0

Zemanta is an extension for suggesting photos, links and other related articles based on the blog post you’re working on. Once activated, you’ll notice a sidebar on your dashboard’s screen. This shows you a selection of photos and related articles for your post. You can click on a photo and it automatically appears where the cursor is on your blog post window. You can also add your own blog links and images (from Flickr) by clicking on the My Sources tab.

Download Zemanta 1.0

 SEO Blogger 1.0.8

If you’re serious about your blog’s SEO status, then this extension is a must-have. SEO Blogger is a search tool within Firefox that lets you look for the right keywords you can use to optimize your post. Just click on the W icon on the bottom right corner of the browser to pull up the extension’s interface.

Download SEO Blogger

The Ultimate Free Stock Photo Search Addon

Searching for quality, royalty-free images for a blog post can be tedious. With the numerous resources in the Internet, one simply can get overwhelmed. With this extension, you don’t have to look at multiple stock photography sites. This add-on aggregates up to 200 sources of free stock photos for your convenience. Click on the add-on’s icon on the top right corner and choose the sites you want to search. You then need to type a keyword on the search bar and click on Search/Browse Checked Sites. Be warned, though, that each photo website will open a new tab within your active Firefox browser to show the search results.

Download Ultimate Free Stock Photo Search Addon

Conclusion

Blogging should not be a stressful experience for anyone – in fact, some people blog to take a break and relax. These extensions are sure to make you blog more efficiently with less difficulties. With features mentioned above, using these extensions can help you focus more on writing great blog posts.

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I have been a fan of Windows Live Writer (WLW), Microsoft’s desktop blogging tool, for quite some time. It allows me to blog from the desktop and relieve myself of the cumbersome web interface. With the release of its newest incarnation (WLW 2011), it is also a good time to provide a review of its features.

WLW now has a Ribbon

WLW is a blog-publishing application featuring WYSIWYG and media editing. One of the greatest strengths of WLW is that it integrates with your blog, so when you are editing a post or creating a new one it does not feel like you are using an alien application. The newest version of WLW incorporates Microsoft’s much lauded ribbon feature which dynamically changes as you select different items on the page.

When text is selected:

When images are selected:

Integration with WordPress.com

To get started, you have to first add your blog detail to WLW. To add a new blog you must first click on the “Add blog account…” button under the “Home” tab on the ribbon.

This will launch the WLW wizard for adding a new blog.

Microsoft has recently partnered with WordPress, so if you select Create a new blog, you will be directed to the WordPress.com website to create a new account and blog.

If you are using other blogging platform, such as Blogger or self hosted WordPress, you can select one of the other platforms to connect it with WLW. For example, when I first added my technology blog TechComet to WLW, I selected the “Other services” link as TechComet is hosted on Google’s Blogger platform.

On the next page you will have to enter the URL of your blog and its username and password. Since, all Blogger blogs are linked to your Google account, simply enter your Google username and password here.

Once you have entered your account details, you will have to create a nickname for your Blog.

That is basically all it takes to add a new blog. Once WLW downloads all the technical information from the Blog, you can start writing and publishing your posts immediately.

Posting

WLW has a number of unique features, and my favourite is its ability to download the theme of your Blog.

As you can see, the theme of my blog has been downloaded and this is an useful visual indicator of how a post will look after publication.

Once you have completed a post you either hit the “Post draft to blog” button if you want to make further edits to your post before publishing, or you hit the “Publish” button to immediately have your new post appear on your blog.

Media Management

WLW’s most powerful feature is its ability to manage videos and pictures as though you were editing a local document.

Along the ribbon you have the option of adding picture or video files from a variety of sources.

Pictures

You can add pictures directly from your computer hard drive, or from the web.

Alternatively, you can add pictures through the “album” function, which allows you to use Window SkyDrive service to create a virtual slideshow of your images.

First select the “Create online album…” or “Add online album…” option.

Next add as many pictures you want into your album and select “Publish” from the ribbon.

Once published, WLW and Windows Live Services will automatically create a slideshow of your images on your blog.

Next, you can use SkyDrive to view these images as a slideshow.

Videos

The video options also allow you to add videos from external video sources such as YouTube.com.

Conclusion

WLW has eliminated the need for me to use Blogger’s, sometimes frustrating, web interface when creating a new post. I believe it will be useful to you too.

WLW is free for download and use. WLW is Windows only.

Download Windows Live Writer 2011

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Really Useful Web Apps has put together a really great combination pack for bloggers. It packs together 5 different applications that every person making a living online needs. You can grow this offering with both free and paid add-on apps.

What is included with the bundled applications are:

• an account locker (password keeper)
• code editor
• project manager
• task manager and
• a dashboard to get a bird’s eye view of everything.

Dashboard

When you start the application, the dashboard will be your command center. It shows a snapshot and gives easy access to everything you typically use. This saves a ton of time jumping from your analytics site to email to calendar and so on.

With add-ons for commonly used sites such as Mailchimp, Facebook and even your Xbox friends accounts, you can easily spot what may need your attention with a quick glance.

Integrated Code Editor

The code editor is a handy thing to have on board. When you are working on a project which requires you to create or modify Javascript, CSS, HTML, or a few others, you can import or start a new file right from the Project Explorer.

Project Explorer

The Project Explorer is a spot where you keep everything you are working on in one spot. Each time you create a new project, a new folder is created. All of the files are saved to this folder.

Create projects to manage files relating to whatever you’re working on. Project Explorer keeps files organized and adds useful features like website browsing to your files & folders.

You can create a numerous file types including a database, keyword lists, tasks, CSS and many more. These files will be kept together in the same folder for easy access.

Account Locker

The account locker is a built in password keeper. When you sign into an application or site, you are given the chance to save your credentials for later logins. According to the creators, your credentials are securely encrypted to your computer and only used when you are using Really Useful Web Apps.

Task Manager

The task manager lets you create a task list within each project. I like this feature a lot, because with many other applications you have categories and tags. While those are helpful, there is a chance you will get projects mixed up or tasks crossed. With an individual project list, you can work on and check off tasks as you are doing them.

Applets

The add-ons, or applets as they are called, are a big part of what makes Really Useful Web Apps so handy. You have several to choose from including different Google tools and one from Mailchimp. Some require an API from the original app or site.

To get the different applets on your dashboard, you simply go to the Add content link on your Really Useful Web Apps dashboard. You will be brought to a page showing all of the available free applets. If you choose to, there are also other free and paid applets in the app store. Access the store from the link at the bottom of the window.

Conclusion

As more applets become available, you will be more likely to use this Really Useful Web Apps as your everyday work destination. The integrated SEO and website comparison tools deserve a look.

Here is a video from their blog talking about their website database tool.

The integrated browser is an older version of IE. I think it would be great to have Firefox, Chrome or even a newer version of IE as the browser. When you go to Google Docs, you have a header that says Google doesn’t support older versions of the browser.

Overall, the application shows a lot of promise. The packaging of very useful apps can make this a strong tool for people making a living on the web.

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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.

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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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Live Writer Plugin – For Live Writer users, the Zemanta plugin enhances the application to better help you write your blog posts.
4. 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.

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I went on a hunt and found a couple different choices. To be honest, I tried the Firefox add-on Scribefire first; I never quite got to the second one. The reason I didn’t go any further is it did what I needed it to do and it did it well. Scribefire lets me post to multiple blogs, storing of notes and uploads images. I can work on multiple posts at the same time by opening different tabs. This smart little Firefox add-on auto saves my progress while I work and also when I close the editing window.

Adding Visuals

This feature rich editor gives you a few ways to add a few pieces of flair to your post. Video is becoming wildly popular and very common in every kind of site. Scribefire lets you search for videos on Youtube right from the editing window. The videos can be previewed in the search window before you embed it in the post. Here is a look at the preview window.

When its time to add pictures, there are a few more options. Pictures can be uploaded from your computer, the web, Flickr or Zementa. Below is a sample of the search results when looking on Flickr.

Never having used Zementa before, I found a few of the features pretty neat. When searching, the pictures show up in the sidebar (not the neat part). As you hover over the picture, the text tells you if it is free to use.

When you decide on a picture, it adds in credit for the photo and a link to the picture on the web. Some editors have a specific way they want things laid out, so a simple copy and paste can move the credits where you want them.

Add Some Ads

Off to the side there are a few tabs, one of which is aimed to help monetize your blog. Currently inLinks (the provider of the HTML ads) only supports WordPress, Drupal, Moveable Type, Joomla and Ruby on Rails sites. None of the free hosted blogging options are supported.

Share your Post

Another tab offers options to share your post. I personally would like to see a few more options, but I am not going to complain too much.

Under the Hood

In the sidebar, there are tabs to set up and select the blog you want to post to. The next tab lets you see all of the entries and notes. The notes are essentially autosaving drafts. In the categories tab, this is where you apply any tags or categories to your post. The fourth tab lets you modify the timestamp, add Technorati tags, trackback URLs and choose what sites to ping.

If you prefer to use it, there is the source code editor option. I am not much for doing the extra work if I can drag and drop it; Everyone has their preferences though.

What blog editor do you use to write your posts?

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