This last Part show you the Google Reader keyboard shortcuts for the application itself.

Application
r: refresh
u: toggle full screen mode
1: switch to expanded view
2: switch to list view
/: move cursor to search box

This 3rd Part of the 4 Part series on Google Reader keyboard shortcuts is about jumping around in Reader.

Jumping
g then h: go home
g then a: go to all items
g then s: go to starred items
g then + s: go to shared items
g then u: open subscription selector
g then t: open tag selector
g then + t: open trends page

This 2nd Part in the 4 Part series on Google Reader keyboard shortcuts concerns Action. Basically, how does one act (star, share, view, tag, mark, expand, email) on a given item?

Acting on items
s: star item
+ s: share item
v: view original
t: tag item
m: mark item as read/unread
o/enter: expand/collapse item (list only)
+ a: mark all as read
e: email item

Happy New Year!!!

I've just started re-using Google Reader again and am going to give it the old college try this time. Last time, I chose Netvibes over Reader, but everybody seems to love Google Reader so much that I feel compelled to try to make the most of it, surmising that perhaps I missed a lot last time around.

I'm a visual sort of fellow and Netvibes really fills the bill there. But Reader has a lot more productivity-enhancing features that it's worth a shot. So, here is the "official" list of Google shortcuts.

Enjoy. By the way, the shortcut for the list of shortcuts, within Reader, of course, is Shift + / (that's a Shift key and a forward slash at the same time).

These shortcuts should cut down a lot of mousing around.

Here's Part 1 of the list, as copied directly from Google's page on the subject:

Navigation
j/k: next/previous item
space: next item or page
+ space: previous item or page
n/p: item scan down/up (list only)
+ n/p: next/previous subscription
+ x: expand folder
+ o: open subscription or folder

One of my favorite web sites, makeuseof, has a great post on Firefox tips, one of which is immediately useful and interesting:

4. Start downloads instantly

Instead of right-clicking on a download link, choosing “save to target” and pressing enter, just drag the download link to the “downloads icon” in the toolbar. The download will start automatically.

Now, in order to get this to work, you'll have to add the download icon to your toolbar menu (View, Toolbars, drag icon to toolbar menu, Close).

Five Firefox Tips You May Not Know About | MakeUseOf.com

Surely, Kaspersky regrets the inclusion in its virus definitions the program most rooted in the bowels of Windows, the program needed to make it run. But, as many of us are aware and have probably thought to ourselves already, Explorer sometimes does act like a virus: You catch it and it won't let go, leading you to decide to kill your computer rather than make it --and you -- suffer its horrific death.

Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but you get the point. To be fair, I sometimes feel this way about Apple, too.

Techdirt: Kaspersky Decides Windows Explorer Is A Virus

Google furthers its agenda in taking over entire Internet, but this is a good thing.

Report: Google preps online storage service

UPDATE: It doesn't work with a Mac:

System Requirements:

* PC running Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* 128 MB RAM (256 recommended)
* 10 MB free disc space
* Internet connection (broadband recommended)

Not sure if it works with a Mac. But worth a try.

Confessions of a freeware junkie: Print to any computer over the 'Net: Printer Anywhere 1.0.008

This is a nice summary of many command line entries in Windows.

Microsoft Windows XP - Command-line reference A-Z

Here's a great image creation tool that is free:

Data Recovery Software - File System Utilities

Here's a good rundown of how to use the software:

Hot Image Your PC's Hard Drive with DriveImage XML

I use Facebook. I've found it's a nice way to keep in touch with my family and friends. I originally started using it because I thought I could leverage the social networking utility to bring in more readers to my blogs.

So far, I think I've failed in that respect.

Imagine my horror, however, when I started reading posts about people who had purchased something online, only to find that minutes later, their purchase was being announced on Facebook.

Facebook employs a "beacon" that other web sites use to share information about buying habits of its users. You buy something online, the retailer you purchased from shares the data with Facebook. I have no idea how Facebook knows who you are if you're not signed into Facebook, but it seems as though there are people out there who have had their purchasing history shared with Facebook when they weren't signed in. They might simply be using IP addresses, which brings up a whole host of other issues (as innocent as my children buying something online to something as whacked as somebody I don't know spoofing my IP and then buying a giant dildo on an adult site).

Facebook claims that no privacy issues are taking place because only your "friends" see these notices.

User privacy is extremely important to Facebook. We designed Facebook Beacon to enable effortless sharing, but we've also put in features to protect user privacy. When you send an action to Facebook, the user is immediately alerted of the story you wish to publish and will be alerted again when they sign into Facebook. The user can choose to opt out of the story in either instance, but the user doesn't need to take any action for the story to be published on Facebook.

First of all, that policy could change. Privacy policies and other policies of companies largely are one-way agreements where the company holding the agreement holds all the cards, and if you want to use the site, you have to agree with the policy.

Second, the key to Facebook success (or any other social networking site like MySpace) is getting as many friends as possible. Many of these folks are not friends, but internet acquaintances that could turn out to be stalkers, creeps, or other sorts of miscreants. Maybe even killers.

Thirdly, now the "beacon" shares purchasing history. But it could share browsing history. Imagine how you might feel if you type in the wrong URL and instead of going to visit the White House, you instead visit a porn site (typing in "whitehouse.com" used to take the surfer to a porn site, now it takes you to an election-type site that is in no way affiliated with the White House).

In any event, I, for one, do not wish to share what I do outside Facebook with Facebook, true friends or not. This newfangled advertising money grab is just too creepy for me to accept. So, I stumbled upon the Idea Shower, a site whose author, Nate Weiner, dreams up solutions to problems. Sometimes, he devises the solution himself, like in Read it Later; other times, he finds an existing mechanism that then may need to be tweaked a bit.

"Block Facebook Beacon" is one of those instances where Nate employs an existing piece of code and applies it to a specific use. The details, and how-to solution, are featured in this post.

I highly recommend you install the Firefox extension in every computer you use. I also recommend setting up your Facebook preferences (External Websites) to not share any third-party information with Facebook.

Here's the best deal I've seen yet on online storage -- 50 GB of storage, online, FREE.

I just signed up for the beta of ADrive - Online Storage & Backup. It's worth a shot. I wouldn't put any critically important files up there for now, until I had a chance to see it work for a while. But I believe that online storage is a crucial part of anybody's backup plan.

Get ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware FREE today only.

ZoneAlarm by Check Point - Award winning PC Protection, Antivirus, Firewall, Anti-Spyware, Identity Protection, and much more.

Don’t Throw Out Your Broken iPod; Fix It via the Web - New York Times

It's good to know that others experience the same frustrating customer service as I do, though I'm a little depressed now, since I thought I was special, just like everyone else.

Below is a link to Andrew Tobias' web site, where he occasionally becomes a fanboy of IBM Thinkpads (now Lenovo). In short, he tells a tale of trying to downgrade his laptop from Vista to XP.

"Buy a Mac."

Lenovo Recommends Vista - II

This is a great start to building a new computer. Some day, I'll put together a similar guide, but with my 'essential' software.

To this list, however, I'd add a few things right off the bat:

Firewall: Comodo
Virus checker: Comodo
Spyware: Comodo

(Can you tell I'm a fan of the free software?)

Music: iTunes (I have a love-hate relationship with this software)

Microsoft Office (still the best)


The Cut Out and Keep Guide to Essential Software Programs | MakeUseOf.com

1. Right click on an empty spot on your desktop and select New - Shortcut.

2. Type %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks in the box.

3. Click Next.

4. Give your shortcut a nice name like “Clear Memory”.

5. Click Finish and you’re done.

Nice little trick to speed up a slow system --

1. Open Explorer
2. Goto Tools > Folder options > View
3. Uncheck the first check box "Automatically search for network folders and printers"

Windows Tip: Speed Up a Slow My Computer with a Simple Tweak

Well, this is pretty cool. You can now sync your gmail inbox across various devices (iPhone, Thunderbird to name 2).

Official Gmail Blog: IMAP access now available for all users

The folks at lifehacker have put together a nice how-to on GrandCentral, a phone service, recently acquired by Google, that allows you to have one phone number that you give out to people, and, depending on who calls you, various of your 17 phones ring. This means that you can have your friends ring your cell and home phones, business partners ring your business cell and business landline, and telemarketers get a message that says this phone number has been disconnected. Additionally, you can set up different voicemail greetings based upon who calls.

Pretty cool, huh?

Screenshot Tour: Consolidate Your Phones with GrandCentral

Some not-so-random links:
Rants 'n Reviews
David Pogue
Andrew Tobias

I've got 10 invitations to give out. If you want one, leave a comment.

I love this site! There's always practical information that's easy to understand and implement. One of the best resources on the 'net for computer software.

Reinstall Windows and outfit your system with all freeware programs Review & Download Link | freewaregenius.com

Easy Flash Drive Data Recovery with PhotoRec - kentbrewster.com

Knock on wood, I haven't had to try this at home :)

But I will load it immediately on one of my flash drives (so it's portable) and also load it on my PC (in case any of my flash drives ever goes belly-up.

It's always a good idea to have more tools in your toolbox than have to go find/buy tools when the need arises.

Windows XP Commands

Don't mess with the help desk, especially on Friday at 5pm. You're asking for a frozen computer.

Or burns over 100% of your body.

And you don't get a choice.

helpdesk_warning_sign.jpg (JPEG Image, 425x340 pixels)

Mozy Online Backup. 2GB Free or $4.95/mo for Unlimited Backup. It's simple, automatic and secure!

Yes, this is a sales pitch, but for good reason. You don't want to lose your data, do you? Retrieving lost data is expensive and sometimes impossible. Do the easy thing -- back up your data online. It really is easy, safe, and secure. Oh, it's automagic too.

All good tools to put in the PC toolbox

MakeUseOf.com | Cool Websites, Software and Internet Tips

This is cool.

iTunes Plus Now Offers Over Two Million Tracks at Just 99 Cents

This is great news. Finally, now that Amazon has entered the fray, there is some competition for Apple and its iTunes store.

iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks expanding, dropping to 99 cents

AppSnap - get your apps in a snap

Great practical tutorial on using Audacity to digitize records and tapes

Linux.com :: Digitizing records and tapes with Audacity

Earlier, SAP bought out Hyperion. This is a BIG deal in a lot of analysts' worlds -- SAP now owns two of the most dominant analysis and reporting tools. Let's hope they integrate the products well without killing one or the other.

SAP agrees 4.8-billion-euro buyout of Business Objects - Yahoo! News

Online Office, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, CRM and more

Online apps are getting very good. Check out Zoho: They offer a word processor, a spreadsheet, meeting, database, and wiki, to name a few.

Amazon.com--News Release

Is this the end of Apple's dominance of the digital music scene? I hope that competition encourages all the music suppliers to reduce prices, offer a greater selection.

Amazon.com is encoding at 256kbs for $.89 to $.99 per song with albums priced between $5.99 and $9.99. Best part of all: They're in the mp3 format, which means 100% compatibility with nearly all music players (I can't think of one player on the market that won't play an mp3, except for Sony's now-dead last generation minidisc players.

Hurray!

UPDATED: amazonmp3 beta

Starbucks to Give Away 50 Million Songs - New York Times

Pretty cool. I might start drinking coffee. Nah, but I will buy their pastries. They're pretty good.

Old Version Downloads - OldApps.com

Sometimes, not all the time, the older version of a specific software works better than the "new and improved" version.

This site just might have that old software available to you. It's worth a try!

This is a great resource for IT professionals and hackers alike.

Links

This is a great tip!

Viewing non-present devices in Windows XP's Device Manager

So I signed up for BlogRush with the hope of driving more targeted traffic my way. Will it work? I don't know? Is it worth a shot? Maybe. Will I offend more real and potential readers with one more ad? Perhaps.

That is not my intention. I hope to derive more readers, a more active dialog about today's issues, and, to be completely honest, a little more cash. I'm not here to make a fortune in the blogosphere, but wouldn't it be nice to get a little change for inspiring others to think about what's going on in the world of computers and technology?

How does it work? Basically, two ways. You install the BlogRush widget. You get one credit each time the widget loads. This means, that within the network, if I get 100 pageviews today, my blog gets "published" in other BlogRush widgets 100 times today.

I also get credit if you sign up. (See all the links in this post?) Sheesh!

If your blog gets 500 pageviews, I get 500 credits. It's like a giant Ponzi scheme, only it appears to be made of real money! :)

Free Software - Downloadpedia

Admin Hack | HackMac.org -- how to create an admin account in OS X with an admin password

Recovering Scratched CDs | Hardware Secrets
Re-surfacing CDs so they work again. - Instructables

Here's a couple of ways to get audio CDs to play again or stop skipping. The first -- toothpaste. The second, Brasso.

I ran across Bleeping Computer when I was searching for a solution to a problem a family member was having with his PC -- something called VirusProtect Pro, a piece of malware that, ingeniously I might add, runs in your taskbar and alerts you to all sorts of "bad things" going on in your computer and then tells you how to get rid of them -- by buying their software.

Kinda like the cure to kidnapping -- ransom.

Not only is there a list of complete instructions for removing the crapware, but there is a link to automated tools to rid yourself of it without manually modifying your registry. Very nice.

So, I looked at the overall site, and it's wonderful. It offers lots of good information, and better yet, solutions to common and not-so-common problems.

Check it out!

Links to VirusProtect Pro fixes.

eConsultant : Ultimate Web Developer Lists, Web 2.0 Directory, Technical Tips and Lists

Wow, super extensive list of lots of sites for web development, blogging, music, software, etc.

Why You're Not Getting Your Money's Worth Out of That New CPU

Here's a neat tip on keeping your tables current.

» Create a field for a changing Access data table using the Lookup Wizard | Microsoft Office | TechRepublic.com

Windows: Get rid of Windows Update restart nag - Lifehacker

Tipping the Microsoft Cash Cow Could Be Adobe's Next Move

qsol.com.jpg (JPEG Image, 579x778 pixels) - Scaled (97%)

QVC's New Product For Sale: Live Bands - Business on The Huffington Post

Strange business idea that just might work. They should hook up with those Time-Life and K-tel people to sell their wares. That little countdown clicker thingamajig moves product!

UltraNewb: A beginner's guide to BitTorrent - Lifehacker

I need this! You need this! It's a great system in which to move files around.

Google Cheat Sheet (Version 1.06)

Good reference material. Download the pdf.

McAfee SiteAdvisor - Phishing Quiz

Time to toot my own horn -- I scored 10 out of 10! I rock. And I'm very lucky.

Langa Letter: XP On Your Thumb Drive -- USB Drives -- InformationWeek

WindowsSecrets.com - Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Windows Update

Check it out.

How to make Windows XP last for the next seven years

Daily Cup of Tech Tumblog » Unblocking Proxy

From the guys over at Hackszine.com

I, too, have a few cell phones laying around that I'd like to donate but never have for fear of the new owner having access to my contacts (even if you erase them, they're still there).

Dumb Little Man

Instant Domain Search

I "found" this through Dumb Little Man. Web 2.0-ish domain search that finds as you type. Pretty cool.

Folder Size download and review - adds folder size column to Explorer from SnapFiles

Blogger Backup - Home

CTRL + SHIFT + ESC = Task Manager

Restore Show Desktop Icon to Quick Launch on Taskbar

So I came into work today to find my "show desktop" icon gone, having had this happen a few times before, always getting it to work -- eventually, after searching -- so I decided to publish this resource.

Google Linux Software Repositories

interesting

RoboForm - World's Most Popular Password Manager - Highly Recommended

Compliments of PC World.

Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD



Ever try this? It's worth a shot, eh?

Web 2.0 Backpack: Web Apps for Students

Flashblock :: Firefox Add-ons



This works very well. At times, sites loaded with Flash animation (youtube) hang, depending upon from where I'm browsing. Most of the time, I just want to read the text on the page; I don't even care about the graphics!



So, I found this. Flashblock is a Firefox extension that works. It has a whitelist for those sites that you don't want to block. For those sites that you don't want to see Flash, you simply load the page, Flashblock puts in the place of the animation an icon that you click if you decide you want to see the video.



Couldn't be any better or easier than this!

Hackszine.com: HOWTO - Read/Write to NTFS drives in OS X



To a Mac newbie and long-time Windows user, the frustration of not being able to write to an NTFS drive is unbearable. What is wrong with this machine, you might say.



Never fear, you need more drivers.

The Latest News, Reviews, Guides and Rankings for Motherboards and PC Hardware. Motherboards.org

Permanently set Windows XP's Windows Explorer as your flash drive's default AutoPlay action

Google Gears (BETA)



Not sure, exactly, what it does, but I'll be checking it out.

20 Tips for getting better results from Google searches.



Dumb Little Man

20 Tips for More Efficient Google Searches - Dumb Little Man

This affliction has affected me once or twice (!) and this article offers 3 very good alternatives to delete locked files. This is something you don't normally want to do, but once in a while, when you really know you want to delete a file, use one of these methods.



How to Delete an Undeletable File | [Geeks Are Sexy] Technology News

TrialPay seems like a great way to get free software products...Anybody try them yet?



TrialPay: How I Found a Scam Free Way to Get Free Stuff - Associated Content



ZoneAlarm by Check Point - Award winning PC Protection, Antivirus, Firewall, Anti-Spyware, Identity Protection, and much more.

FREE products include PC Magazine Editors' Choice, Comodo Firewall.



SSL Certificate Free Firewall Anti Virus Internet Attacks Online Banking File Backup Network Security Solutions

This is the place to go when researching hardware purchases. In the market for a new CPU -- check out Tom's Hardware.



Tom's Hardware - Computer Hardware News, Tests, Ratings and Reviews

Apple's iTunes' newest release, 7.2, is available for download. Check out some of the cool features here before you download.

The new version, 7.2, adds support for previewing, purchasing and downloading DRM-free music through the iTunes Store.

Playlist: iTunes 7.2 supports DRM-free 'iTunes Plus' music

Helpful Windows Vista site for those looking for some help with the new OS. I haven't made the jump yet. I like XP and don't really want to switch...might even go the free Linux route when XP is no longer supported by Microsoft.



Windows Vista help, tutorials and tricks

There is a wealth of free utilities here. What got me here was NirCmd, a replacement for the Cmd Prompt in Windows. All you do is place the executable in the C:\Windows directory and begin using it instead of Cmd.



Useful things you can do with NirCmd: Increase or decrease volume, turn off the monitor, logoff, reboot, empty the recycle bin, etc.



NirSoft - freeware utilities: password recovery, system utilities, desktop utilities

I'll have to check out GreenBorder. Sounds like an interesting concept: Prevention of installation of any viruses, trojans, or spyware during a browser session and never needs updating.



Google Bringing Anti-Virus Tools to Google Desktop?

This is a great article (with an excellent illustration!) on the subject of protecting your home network. It's a very comprehensive, yet concise, overview of the topic.



Daily Cup of Tech is one of the most useful sites in my bookmarks. I read it every day and learn something new each time. One of the best sites on tech on the 'net.



Daily Cup of Tech » 10 Ways to Protect Your Home Network

Interesting subject...



Google Trends

I haven't tried it out yet, but it looks promising. I already use something similar on my Mac and it works beautifully. Great way to record internet radio and play later to see if you like the music.



MP3 My MP3 Recorder - Record sounds and music to MP3 Free!

Used to drive me nuts until I did this.



ArsGeek - Free your inner geek » Adobe Acrobat Reader got you down?

Handy reference for switches on the command line for Explorer (like file manager).



Windows Explorer Command-Line Options

Open Source Alternative - Find Open Source Alternatives to commercial software

This is one very handy piece of software (freeware) -- I needed to send a 400MB file through email, 10MB at a time!



This application is so easy to use and the self-uniting .exe that you can package with the files makes reassembling them so easy, even a cave man could do it!



Put this one in your utilities arsenal. It's a beauty!



Gsplit download and review - split large files into smaller self-uniting pieces from SnapFiles

The Party's Over as LCD Television Prices Hit Bottom

Windows key + Break

Windows Keyboard Shortcut of the Day » Windows key+Break: Show System Properties

Lifehacker Top 10: Top 10 Mac OS X tweaks - Lifehacker

Neat trick -- hold down Control while double clicking



Change Windows XP's Browse Folders setting on the fly

Nice set of portable apps, suitable for USB drives and other portable devices.



PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB drives | Your Digital Life, Anywhere™

2 GHz, 13.3 inch screen, 1GB RAM, 80GB hard drive, built in iSight camera, combo drive. $1099 in white, $1499 in black (Black comes with 2.15 GHz processor, 160GB hard drive and double-layer SuperDrive).



Apple - MacBook

Developed by MIT, this new tool, called Scratch, offers programming easy enough for a small child.



BBC NEWS | Technology | Free tool offers 'easy' coding

I've almost decided never to buy anything that's not Apple ever again. Since Macs can run anything nowadays, why limit myself to Windows only?



That said, Macs are so much more elegant. I think with the right software and a sprinkling of off-the-shelf hardware, I could build a video server, replete with MPEG encoding and decoding, for a little less than an HDTV Series 3 TiVo.



Am I right? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?



HDTV Magazine Articles: Roll Your Own Video Server - Mac Mini-style

Very cool site for finding awesome (and not so awesome) free software.



freewaregenius.com » reviews and downloads of the best and coolest freeware

There are a lot of web applications here that cover almost everything you might need.

Codswallop » The Freelancer’s Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need

Not sure how it's going to work in the real world, since it bonds 4 cables together (as far as I know, each house gets a single cable), but it is impressive nonetheless.



Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Tech & telecom

It's about time! I like the idea of a one-click move of all my yahoo photos to flickr. Great idea.



Breaking: Yahoo To Shut Down Yahoo Photos In Favor Of Flickr

The folks over at TrendMicro have developed browser plug-ins for IE 6 and 7 and Firefox 1.5 and 2.

TrendProtect adds a new button to your browser's toolbar area. The icon
and color of the button changes to indicate whether the page currently
open is safe, unsafe, trusted, or unrated, or whether it contains
unwanted content.

TrendSecure | TrendProtect™ Overview

Furnished by the folks over at "Daily Cup of Tech," this list of software is comprehensive and provides a great way to load up a USB drive with PC recovery and repair software and utilities.

Daily Cup of Tech » USB Drive Systems

I just started giving Netvibes a trial and I like it so far. It's a great way to get the web sites and feeds I look at every day within the same browser window or tab. It has oodles of modules and a super-easy way to add RSS feeds. I really like it. Give it a shot, you may like it too.

Here's a Lifehacker guide to getting more out of Netvibes.

Alpha Geek: Trick out your Netvibes - Lifehacker

Batch script primer

Adobe's ubiquitous Reader exposes your system to complete control by malicious hackers. There are only two solutions: Remove Reader from your system or install the latest version. Since Reader files are so prevalent, the latter option is the only viable option.

PDF security risk greater than originally thought | CNET News.com

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