Tag Archive for 'Features'

…Delicious looks delicious?

Delicious

Delicious (the social bookmarking site formerly known as del.icio.us that calls itself “the tastiest bookmarks on the web” and was also the father of the strange domain name), launched its long awaited redesign yesterday to help move the site beyond its late ‘90s style.

Though the underlying functionality is still the same, the new look and feel is designed to make it faster, easier to learn, and hopefully more desirable.

    Speed: We’ve moved to a new infrastructure that makes every page faster. This new platform will enable us to keep up with traffic growth while ensuring Delicious is responsive and reliable. You may not have noticed, but the old backend was getting creaky under the load of five million users.

    Search: We’ve completely overhauled our search engine to make it faster and more powerful. Searches used to take ages to return results; now they’re very quick. The new search engine is also smarter, and more social: you can search within one of your tags, another public user’s bookmarks, or your social network. Now it’s easier to take advantage of the expertise and interests of your friends, not to mention the Delicious community at large.

    Design: Finally, we’ve updated the user interface to improve usability and add a few often-requested features (such as selectable detail levels and alphabetical sorting of bookmarks). Our goal has been to keep the new design similar in spirit to the old one, so all of you veterans should be able to jump in without any confusion. At the same time, we’re hoping that newcomers to Delicious will find it easier to learn.

I’m a big Delicious user (http://delicious.com/cory411), but since I use the Firefox plugin, I rarely if ever visit the site.

Delicious Screenshot

However, with looks like this, I just might have to give it a second chance.

[Delicious]

…It’s Website Wednesday: CarType?

CarType

CarType is “a comprehensive collection of emblems, car company histories and logos, reviews of typographical and graphical applications, design features and just about anything that is car related.”

What’s interesting is that instead of the typical reviews that most car sites feature, CarType instead focuses on the design elements that go into the cars that we see everyday, including emblems, vents, body lines and more.

[CarType]

…Line Rider 2: Unbound looks crazy?

The new Line Rider is going to be called Line Rider 2: Unbound, and judging by the latest ‘preview’ video, it’s going to be crazy:

Do the extra features take away from the simplicity that made Line Rider 1 such a success, or will the additions reinvigorate a game that has fallen off the map?

[Line Rider]

…iPhone Apps are going to be amazing?

If you’re wondering what kind of capabilities and unique features iPhone Apps are going to have, look no further than OmniFocus and Schmap.

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is a professional-grade personal task manager that taps into the iPhone’s GPS to provide you with location based task lists.

OmniFocus Demo

At the store?

OmniFocus automatically pops up with the grocery list that you put together when you drive up.

Back at work?

OmniFocus automatically switches over to your list that you put together with work related tasks.

Neat, huh?

Schmap Logo

The second application, Schmap, which is actually a currently available web application, though it will no doubt be something that takes advantage of becoming a native App as well, uses the iPhone’s gyro sensor to automatically change the view based on how you are holding the phone.

Schmap Demo

Hold it vertical, and a list of available destinations pops up; but switch and hold it horizontal, and you’re automatically presented with a map of locations and additional information.

What will they think of next?

[OmniFocus]

[Schmap]

…Canon cameras are hackable?

CHDK

CHDK, or Canon Hacker’s Development Kit, is a firmware enhancement that turns your Digic II and Digic III camera into a high dollar impersonator.

Because it’s a firmware enhancement and not a firmware modifier, CHDK is also non-permanent and non-destructive, so even those with a fear of killing their camera can give it a go without worrying about the long-term consequences.

To install, simply copy a few files onto a memory card and then start the camera like you usually do. The software will automatically activate, and then de-activate when the camera is turned back off again.

So what does CHDK do for you?

  • Enhanced Image Capture (RAW)
  • Additional Information On-Screen
  • Additional Photographic Settings
  • Support for Small Programs/Scripts

Plus, because it’s open source and still in development, CHDK is still being actively developed, and new features are still being added.

Ready to take the plunge?

Then check out Lifehacker for a full rundown of what’s involved.

[CHDK]

[Via: Lifehacker]

…Mozilla loves robots?

Firefox Robot

If you’ve already made the jump to Firefox 3, Beta 5, then go to your address bar and type about:robots for an Easter Egg page with a robot flavor.

(And if you haven’t made the jump, then I recommend you do so, because I love the new features, and I haven’t had a lot of trouble with it so far. If you’re still worried though, check out Lifehacker’s The Complete Field Guide to Testing Firefox 3.)

[Firefox 3, Beta 5]

[Lifehacker - The Complete Field Guide To Testing Firefox 3]

[Via: Lifehacker]

…Socialthing! will manage your online life?

Socialthing!

Socialthing! “is a digital life manager that puts what you do online into one place. See everything that’s going on with your friends in all the sites you use, post stuff to multiple places at once and more!”

Basically, it takes your online life and combines it into one easy to read, follow, and update page. Then, instead of checking each site individually to see new messages, updates, photos, etc., you can just check Socialthing! and see them all in one place. The goal is to make interacting across multiple sites as easy as interacting through just one.

Currently, Socialthing! supports del.icio.us, Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Last.fm, LiveJournal, Pownce, Twitter, Vimeo, and YouTube, with plans for more services as the company expands.

I’ve been beta testing the site for the past few days, and I think the service has some definite possibility. Unfortunately I ran into an issue with adding my Digg profile, but issues are to be expected with any beta release, and I’m sure they’ll have things running smoothly in no time. Everything else loaded without issue though, and I was impressed by the speed with which Socialthing! fetched my data.

Overall, I’d say it’s a useful tool that has the potential to become an indispensable one. Lifestreaming is quickly becoming more popular as everyone tries to manage their vast online world, and Socialthing! is one of the first sites out of the gate, which should give them a jump on adapting and changing to meet users needs with new features and functions.

They should be coming out of beta this weekend, so head on over and give it a try.

[Socialthing!]

…It’s TGI Friday: Facebook?

Facebook

DidntYouHear.com is now on Facebook!

In an effort to find new, fun, and creative ways to promote the site, I’ve created a Facebook Page for DidntYouHear.com, and I’d love for you to check it out.

On the page, you’ll find a Facebook version of each post, along with a Discussion Board, a Wall, and a Graffiti area.

Though I’m not entirely sure what this page will become, I figure that it’s a great place for DYH readers to interact, and it can evolve into its own little community in time.

To get things started, I’m going to be doing a special giveaway to anyone who becomes a “Fan” of the page.

To enter, just click “Become a Fan” in the top right of the page, and then next Friday (March 7) I’ll select a random winner from among the fans, and award that person a $10 Amazon Gift Card (or something of equal value if Amazon isn’t exactly your thing).

I’m also looking for feedback, so feel free to contact me directly, or comment either on this post, or on the page with features that you’d like to see, general comments, or anything else that you can think of.

See you there!

[Facebook - DidntYouHear.com]

…It’s Website Wednesday: Buzzword?

Buzzword

Buzzword is “the first real word processor for the web”.

Though this description sounds rather boring, the site itself is rather impressive.

Basically an online version of Word, it’s built in Flash, so there’s plenty of fancy features, and the online interface means you can use it on either a Mac or a PC.

Another advantage of online applications: No need to install. Traveling and in need of a word processor? No problem; Just fire up Buzzword and away you go.

Having your documents online also means it’s easy to share with friends, family and co-workers, co-editing and co-writing something through its path to perfection.

Lastly, it’s owned by Adobe, so there’s definitely no lack of support, and the chance that this winds up in the dead pool is slim to none.

It’s definitely worth a try, so click the link and see what’s buzzing.

[Buzzword]

…It’s Website Wednesday: Splashup?

Splashup

Splashup is “a powerful editing tool and photo manager. With all the features professionals use and novices want, it’s easy to use, works in real-time and allows you to edit many images at once. Splashup runs in all browsers, integrates seamlessly with top photosharing sites, and even has its own file format so you can save your work in progress.”

Splashup Editor

Basically a free, online version of Photoshop, I was instantly impressed by how well Splashup works.

Open the editor, and it feels like a desktop application. Response is quick, it has a proper menu, and it integrates with your computer like it’s supposed to.

One of the best features of Splashup is the ability to import images directly from flickr, Facebook, Picasa, the web, and your computer, With a few simple clicks, you can import a photo, make the necessary edits, and then save/export the photo back into your site of choice.

Splashup Tools And Services

With the ability to edit multiple images at once, pixel-level control, layers of depth, and more, there’s not much that you’ll miss if you’re stuck in an online editing world.

Ready to give it a shot?

Then sign-up, load-up, and start splashing.

[Splashup]




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