Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

The things I do for you readers! Oh and thanks for reading.

Today I spent some time going through all the Google Chrome extensions and finding what I consider to be the good ones. Ok I didn’t go through all 2670 (at time of research) but I did go through the top 400.

Remember the days of using Firefox, and its extensions, until it got all so buggy and memory hungry that it kept crashing? And even session manger couldn’t rescue it!

Well then Chrome came along and we got all minimalist for a bit. Stoically and philosophically said “don’t need extensions!”

So why go back to extensions. Well, Chrome is probably the best browser out there right now. Memory use and security wise its ahead of the others. Screen space its miles ahead with no extra “chrome”, toolbars and other stuff using valuable screen real estate, and for those who know I run off 6 monitors, yes even then screen real estate is important. So there were some things I found missing from Chrome that I have now found extensions for.

Import an RSS Feed into Google Reader. This extension puts an RSS icon into the address bar when the page being browsed has an RSS feed or feeds. Clicking it allows you to select the feed and open a subscribe to this feed using … subscribe page – very useful. This RSS Subscription Extension is an official Google one.

Google Wave

I’ve been Google waving a lot this last week – talking with customers, staff and other friends. Its a pretty cool system.

If you have had an invite and cant figure the thing out these resources may help. If you are on teh wave find me by adding jethroconsultants@gmail.com.

• Complete Guide to Google Wave
• Google Wave Cheat Sheet

Photography How To’s and other tools bookmarked to read this week:

• White Seamless – Studio How To
• 13 High speed Photography images
• Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker – hers is the mosaic i created from my latest project, 365 days of Bokeh.

David du Chemin has some cheap eBooks for sale including:

Smith: Unum's two million dollar man

Recently I found that Unum, a Fortune 500 company that provides long term and short term disability, group life and long term care insurance for more than 100,000 companies, uses OneNote 2007!  Looks like they save over $2 million by switching to OneNote by going to a paperless system.

Creating, Saving, Sharing Themes in Windows 7. An in depth how to from the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

From Sarah Arnold: Opportunity to win a Windows 7 Laptop if you are a Microsoft Partner

The Worldwide Windows Marketing Team has launched a Windows 7 partner video contest and I would love to see Australian Partners involved.

To get involved all you need to do is be a Microsoft Partner, create one or many 2-3 minutes video(s) and post it to DigitalForumTV.comfor voting by anyone with a Live ID.

Microsoft Mapping Roadshow – Melb, Syd, Brisbane - 9-12 June

Places are limited so if you do wish to register please do so ASAP at https://www.microsoft.com.au/events/register/home.aspx?levent=324573&linvitation

Sometimes i get time to wait – whether its waiting for a code procedure to run, files to upload or staff to complete a task. Often its easier to wait then it is to star al alternate jhob. Sometimes I multitask but this depends on what the other task is also and whether it can be left easily to come back tot he main one. Often I write emails.

Today I am publishing some links to interesting information on the web while waiting for a staff member to debug his code that I am checking. (Thanks Nick!)

Amit writes two tutorials for IE8; one titled How to Write an IE8 Web Slice for WordPress Blogs and the other titled Turn your RSS Feed into a Web Slice for Internet Explorer 8

I followed the instructions and have set up a webslice for SpyJournal. You can do the same.

My friend John’s dad passed away today. John has written some memories and tributes.

Joe has posted a review of the Samsung Instinct phone – looks very nice.

Check this video out. The Geeks are Sexy site has linked a video from [H] showing a .50 cal Amour Piercing Incendiary being shot at 18 hard drives. The bullet sticks in the 17th drive.

Google chrome is the least likely browser to be hacked. I am going to switch out from Firefox on all the kids PCS straight away. I have been using Chrome since it was released and love it.

Australian TV viewers using ICETV EPG this is an important notice regarding the new Digital Channel ONE HD.

And once again clearing my browser of all the interesting tabs I opened this week. Not many – I have been working too hard on deadlines!

Microsoft Technologies

IE8 has been released and being rolled out. I have been using the beta and RC1 for months. Time to get the real thing now. Download IE8 now.

The Windows Experience Blog has some page load time tests for IE8 versus Firefox and Chrome.

Embed your live calendar on your website or blog. Sarah Perez posts a how to.

Sarah also posts on the instructions to setup POP3 for hotmail – now available worldwide.

Some interesting comments over at Daily Dose of Excel about the future of VBA.

Doug posts up a cool excel window minimise /maximise animation piece of VBA.

Gadgets

Doug shows off a portable wireless hotspot in a backpack.

Internet

The Technium posts a treatise on the concept of building a fan base of 1,000 true fans in order to generate a living. There is a follow up with some reality checks on depending on True Fans.

Live side gives us Face book comes to Windows Live Frameit Power Toy.