I usually buy domain names when I think of something cool and it is available. (ilovetotsinpdx.com anyone?). The easiest way to find domains the "Web 2.0" way is using this cool AJAX’y interface to search open domains.
http://instantdomainsearch.com
Makes it fun and easy! BTW I do use http://www.active-domain.com for my DNS/domain registrar and I use http://hostmysite.com for all my hosting. Why? Just because I found it easiest 🙂
I installed this extension: GooglePreview – about a month ago, pretty awesome. When you search Google (or Yahoo) it puts a little thumbnail preview up by each search result. I am so used to it by now that when I search Google without it (say in IE for example) it just feels weird.
check it out:
The other day I turned on my MacBook (thanks Reena! – still waiting for the “real” power charger…) and noticed the battery had a black X in it. I had it plugged in, it wasn’t charging. I unplugged it, and the MacBook shut down. Dang.
I unseated the battery, put it back in, and plugged it in, tried again. Same thing.
I did some digging on Apple’s site..
I tried Resetting MacBook and MacBook Pro System Management Controller (SMC) . That didn’t work. They talk about battery update 1.2 (which I already had) was supposed to fix this problem, so that wouldn’t be the issue.
I then found another link, http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
Looks like the jackpot. Free battery replacement outside of warranty for this issue. Looks like I am heading to the Apple store in the West Towne Mall, to see if they actually go for it. I am going to print off the page and see.
Update: I went to the apple store, and signed up for the genius bar. They had a wait, the guy was like ” why don’t you sit through the iPhone getting started training. Ok I said, what a joke.. But as far as the battery, I got a new one for free. She was like “let it drain once a month” – which is what caused the problem in the first place, ugh
Check it out here
I have been a huge fan of Newsgator since it came out. For the last few weeks I have been using Google Reader, which is OK, but not as good as FeedDemon by far, there was an article posted about that here recently..and in the comments all the trolls yell “but goog reader is free!!” – well , now is Feed Demon (and the rest of the products) – awesome.
Now just sync with Google Reader (really this is a request for the Google Reader team to allow auto import or sync with Newsgator) and I will be happy. I have a feeling I will be switching back to Newsgator soon though..they have iPhone interface, they have FeedDemon, NewsNetWire and Online versions…so it fits all my devices!
So I read last week you could order pizza via text message now, from Papa Johns. Was feeling like some pizza last night, so I decided to try it out. I already had an online account at Papa Johns, to order delivery, so I went there and checked it out. I set up 4 favorite orders, and then texted FAV to 47272. You have to have your mobile set up in your online account so it knows it is you first.
Once I texted FAV, it texted me back with my 4 options I set up, and I texted back FAV1 to order my first favorite. It wanted me to confirm, so I texted Y1 to confirm. Since I already had it set up online to deliver to my apt, and the tip amount set, and to use my check card as payment, I didn’t have to do anything. 35 minutes later, the pizza shows up, I sign the receipt, and all is good.
I think the next logical step is for me to just “think” about pizza and they just bring it to me automatically.
I started reading blogs steady back around 2002-2003, and started my own in 2004. Since I started reading blogs, I have went through the gamut of readers…
First I started with SharpReader for a while, a fat client, that was OK..but a lot of feeds had errors..
I then started using RSS Bandit, which was good, but slow sometimes for the amount of feeds I had.
I then found Newsgator. Most people use Newsgator for just the online reader, but it is so much more. What it really is, is a online store for your feeds (OPML) that you can use between all their different clients, even the newest builds of RSS Bandit support the Newsgator sync framework.
I used Newsgator Inbox for a while, with Outlook, then I used Newsgator Online for a while, I tried their mobile version and Media Center editions, then I tried Feed Demon, which really rocks. And since my feeds are sync’d between all these platforms, when I read one here, it is marked read there, etc. Even on my mac I tried News Net Wire… and now they have an iPhone interface as well.
Since I took the plunge to GAFYD, and I am using Gmail, etc, I decided to try Google Reader….A few WTF’s….
One of the worst things is, I can’t sync my Newsgator feed with Google Reader. This is because Goog Reader has no or a crappy API, and Newsgator doesnt want to do anything to sync with them or whatever, just sucks though..
The other thing I have found, is that feeds don’t update fast enough. I read in the help if a feed doesnt have a lot of subs, then it wont update very often, and other feeds will update about once an hour. I feel sometimes like I am missing some stuff, especially on the weekend where I try to keep my feeds read up to date..
The sharing and starring is good, I will see how that works as I go, as they just added sharing via Google Talk as well..
One thing though to add to all of this is, I can’t use my GAFYD account with google reader, I had to sign up for ANOTHER Google account using my same email/password to kind of mimic it using the same account, just wacked…another weird thing with GAFYD…
Anyways, at this point I don’t see a lot of things that make the bloggers oooh and ahh over Google Reader compared to Newsgator… The trends are nice, but it isnt mind blowing… we will see…
You can read all around the web, that Gmail has the best SPAM filtering. I call BS on that. I have been using Windows Live Domains for my email, running stevienova.com through Windows Live Domains, I get to use Windows Live Hotmail for my email. I have been using it for a year at least. I might get 1 spam a day in the junk mail, and none in the inbox.
This week I decided to switch my domain email over to Google Apps (Google Apps for Your Domain – GAFYD) – Now, I get 20+ spam a day in the Spam folder, and 1-2 a day in the inbox.
There is no way Gmail’s spam filter is better than Hotmails. Hotmail stopped more, and stopped more from showing up in the junk folder. Now I have to check my spam folder on Gmail every day to make sure there are no bogus ones in there, and it also lets junk through to the inbox. Not good!
I probably have around 10 more gripes with GAFYD, but I will save those for a later time.
I never really used Google Docs and Spreadsheets up until the last few weeks. Since I got a Mac, and haven’t bothered to load OpenOffice on it or anything, I didn’t have a good way to edit word docs. The other thing is I wanted to collaborate on a few docs, so I figured, let’s try Google Docs.
It is pretty cool the way you can share documents and everyone who has access can work on them, it is also good that you can export to many different formats. It would be nice if there was an “email X format” instead of having to export, then email.
There were a few times though while editing that the cursor just became lost, or you couldn’t add new text or edit text, with no error message or anything, this was confusing. You had to save or close the document, and go back to edit it and it worked again.
I also noticed some formatting discrepancies between Google Docs and when you export to Word, some centering issues, etc. Kind of a pain, but you shouldn’t have to double check it in word after editing in Google Docs, that kind of defeats the purpose in my opinion.
Overall though it is useful if you don’t have access to Office, and you want to collaborate.
Since Microsoft doesn’t want to enable IMAP for Windows Live Hotmail accounts (It just started enabling POP3 for Hotmail Plus users), getting your Windows Live Mail on your iPhone just doesn’t work. This really stinks if it is your main email address. GMail on the iPhone stinks because of the threaded conversations – every time you send a message, you get a new one in your inbox – ugh!
Yahoo has IMAP which is good, I just don’t use it for my email. I actually use Windows Live Custom domains and use my @stevienova.com address with Windows Live Hotmail, which is really cool.
Now, the solution I am using is IzyMail – and it works. I tried quick to set it up on the iPhone itself, and it didn’t work, but there are instructions on how to set it up if you have a Mac – which I just so happen to have. I assume if you setup and Outlook account on Windows using IMAP and sync those settings it will work too. I paid the 18 dollars for the premium subscription, and it is worth it. My email now syncs to my iPhone, and all the folders. If I move a email from the inbox to a subfolder, it moves it on the server. Now, my iPhone mimics my Windows Mobile smartphone using Windows Live HTTP (DeltaSync) email syncing (as opposed to IMAP or POP3)
Please Microsoft – open up IMAP – as even a paid option! Or, on the flipside – Apple – allow HTTP mail on Mac’s and iPhones!! Getting your email from the web to a device SHOULD NOT be this complicated!!! Maybe in like 1995, but not in 2007!
Now, just have to figure out a way to get my contacts sync’d up OTA and the phone will actually be somewhat useable!
Whew, finally got my contacts onto my iPhone. How?
I use Windows Live Custom Domains, which then I use Windows Live Mail. As you would think, none of this is supported on the iPhone in any way shape or form. There is no “over the air” sync of contacts either. Blah.
So, I cleared out my Plaxo contacts, synced that up with Windows Live Mail. Good. Then, cleared by Yahoo contacts, synced that up with Plaxo, good. Then in iTunes, set my contacts to sync with my Yahoo Address Book, then manual sync to the phone. Finally have my contacts! Although, its a manual process! Yuck!
On the T-Mobile Dash (or any Windows Mobile 6.0 Device) – you can sync directly with Exchange, or Windows Live Mail – OVER THE AIR!! And if that fails, you can sync with your Outlook Address Book manually. Also, there are 3rd party apps that will sync your contacts on your device with pretty much anything. So far I haven’t found anything for the iPhone, well I am guessing because there are no 3rd Party Apps! I haven’t dug too much into the hacked apps to see if there is anything yet.
Next – syncing my Windows Live Mail – I am not sure if this is even going to be possible!
Side Note: one thing that irks me on the iPhone is it takes two steps to get to contacts, and another to see their info. Would be nice if there was a main screen icon for “Contacts”
Update: I found this http://theliveforums.com/index.php?autocom=ibwiki&cmd=article&id=1 which I am doing now instead. The ITunes to Yahoo Address book sync is really flaky, it only worked once for me. And, which really is a pain, if I add a contact in Windows Live, I have to wait for it to sync to Plaxo then Yahoo, then Sync manually. Using the method at the live forums, I can sync my Windows Contacts directly from Vista. Much easier. Still work be nice to sync OTA though!
Steve Novoselac's Blog 