Atistr

The concept of this video is simple: you have to watch a video of two teams passing basketballs around, and count how many passes the white team makes. Can you get the correct answer?

Did you see it?

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’ve fallen head over heals in love with the latest beta of FireFox 3. Beta 5 is easily the fastest and most feature rich web browser I’ve ever used. And because of that, I’ve spent a fair amount of time getting to know it. Even though it’s the fifth and final beta, it is still only recommended for developmental purposes though. If your willing to take the plunge and download it, this guide will teach you everything you need to know (for windows at least).

The first thing you are likely to notice is the phenomenal speed increase from FireFox 2, or even the last beta. Mozilla has significantly increased javascript speed, so apps like Gmail will load quicker. The memory leaks in Firefox that can result in over 200 megabytes of RAM being used are plugged. Read on after the jump to learn how to get off the ground running with FireFox 3 beta 5. (long read warning).

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Google Docs has added support for Google Gears, a firefox add-on that enables web applications to be accessed online. Google Reader has had the support since May 31, 2007, almost as long as gears has been released.

As much as I love Google, they are stagnating. Competitors like Zoho Writer have had this functionality since August. There’s no excuse for taking so long for a feature that takes advantage of Google’s own technologies. Indeed, the support has been largely added in case a user is disconnected while using Google Docs. There is no way to create a new document while offline.

Google Gears itself, while a cool idea, is outdated. HTML 5, while not yet widely supported by browsers (Opera is leading the pack on that front), has specifications for bringing web 2.0 apps offline. Is Google Gears doomed to remain in beta forever?

Even if it is a redundant technology, and Google’s implementation of it is stagnant, there is a reason I love Google. Check it out.

note: picture from tinypic

You can find the option to go offline in the top-corner of Google Docs when editing a document. The option isn’t available to all users yet, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see it.

Version 2.5 of the popular open source blogging platform, Wordpress, which powers this site, has been released. In this version, the admin panel has been redesigned, allowing for easier posting and managing. On the small monitor of my laptop however, it looks scrunched.

Gone is the annoying dark blue theme, replaced by soothing light blue and black. The write section of the admin panel is far simpler and more to the point. You can maximize the writing screen to minimize distractions, which is a great addition.

Before, Wordpress was a way to publish a blog, the admin panel being a distraction. Now, the admin panel contributes to the creative process of writing a post.

I’ve upgraded this site to Wordpress 2.5, and it is a joy to use.

Source: WikipediaAdobe has launched a free, online version of Photoshop called Photoshop Express. Unlike the $600 desktop application, Photoshop Express is free, requires only the latest version of flash player, and gives each user 2gb of free storage.

Express is a far simpler image editing tool than it’s big brother; it only has 11 tools to edit with. Red eye removal is possible, but don’t expect to hear “express’d, the reflections are all wrong” any time soon.

In fact, several online image editors are more powerful. Aviary’s Pheonix, while still in beta, supports several advanced features such as layers and selections. Splashup is also very powerful.

The interface in Express, is clean, consistent, and pleasing to the eye. It follows the look of Adobe’s recent image editing software. That is to say that it’s dark, and uses very bright white fonts.

Adobe is slowly building up a strong web presence to supplement it’s desktop suite. It recently acquired Buzzword, a flash based word processor that bills itself as WYSIWYP, or what you see is what you print. It has an online color pallet creation tool called Kuler, which I personally love. As the co-editor of our middle school newspaper, I love color, design, and graphics. All of which makes me love Adobe’s products.

Adobe Kuler - via Flickr

Share is a tool for uploading, managing, and sharing files. Myfeedz is an RSS based recommendation system. Brio is a web conferencing tool. All of these applications are very cool, but I have to ask. What is Adobe thinking?

How does it intend to make a profit off of these apps? Will Adobe charge to create an account, or will it use advertising to make them profitable? Or is Adobe merely trying to strengthen it’s brand name to increase sales of it’s desktop suite?

update:  ReadWriteWeb has an excellent article on the same topic- check it out

Source: FlickrMozilla has updated the look and feel of its self maintained addon depository, which can be accessed at addons.mozilla.org. The new site is more user-friendly.

Experimental add-ons are tagged as such, and you can now install add-ons without opening the specific add-ons page. We like how it arranges the add-ons based on their compatibility with your version of Firefox, cause you know, betas are all the rage right now.

All said and done, the update doesn’t do that much other than clean up the aesthetics. As a Firefox add-on junkie however, this will probably prove useful. Expect to see featured Firefox extensions in the future.

Source: WikipediaQuizlet is an online flashcard app. As the front page proclaims, pretty much the only thing that beats it for learning vocabulary is brain injections.

Those can be expensive.  Quizlet however, is free. After a simple sign up process, users can take full advantage of Quizlet. Creating a “set” of flashcards is easy. You enter data into a database of sorts; one column is for definitions and one for titles. Quizlet can be used to learn vocabulary lists in foreign languages as well; a box full of insert-able symbols, such as accents, hovers on the right side of the page.

One you’ve finished entering in your data, as you would with old school flashcard, you are presented with several options to learn it, memorize it, and pretty much pound it into your brain forever. Predictably, the mode that gets the most attention is “Learn.” Here you have to type your answer, letter perfect, after being presented with the word/definition you entered earlier. You won’t get away without learning your words; it repeats any words you missed at the end of the round.

“Familiarize” is great for getting to know a new set of vocabulary. This is a tried-and-true flashcard  mode on your computer. The final mode, “Test,” tests you on how well you know your stuff. It generates a test consisting of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and matching questions.

Quizlet is a great app for learning vocabulary, but it’s more than that. Quizlet is a social app in that it allows you to share sets with your friends, make study groups, and chat with friends about homework. Quizlet is a winner.

Procrastination. We’re all guilty of it. Just when you need to concentrate and get something done, you go off in a completely different direction. It could be browsing the internet, or checking your email. Both can be productive, at the right time. Perhaps you have a project due the next day that could make-or-break your grade. Instead of buckling down and working on that French essay, people have a tendency to want to do something, anything, instead.

Breaking this habit is essential. If your trying to get work done, minimize distractions. Getting away from the computer is key. You will fail a test if you try and study in front of one. Applications like Quizlet are useful, but opening a new tab in your web browser is just to easy. Instead, make old-school flashcards. The process of making them cements facts into memory and is worth the extra effort. Print out your notes. You remember things better if you have a physical copy to look at.

Even away from the computer, there are plenty of distractions. It’s common to find yourself working on a project that you’ve been putting off for weeks when the deadline for another is fast approaching. The night before making a presentation is no time to reorganize your shoe-box.

The library is a good place to work, as is a friends house. At a friends house, you can easily get off topic. Don’t be afraid to take breaks. Just don’t take them all the time. Procrastination is a hard thing to conquer. Don’t let it conquer you.