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…PDFMeNot takes the pain out of PDFs?

PDFMeNot

From the team that brought you the fantastically useful BugMeNot and RetailMeNot comes PDFMeNot, a new web services that aims to make PDF files much easier to use.

Instead of launching a separate (and often slow) application to view PDF files, PDFMeNot takes those files via upload, URL, bookmarklet, or script and turns them into a Flash display of your document that is cached for future reference.

Take that Adobe!

(The site is in Beta mode until Feb. 13, so login with username: “stateless” and password: “systems” until then.)

[PDFMeNot]

[Via: Read Write Web]

…Facebook’s Beacon can be blocked?

Facebook Beacon

As Facebook continues to grow, it continues to need new ways of making money from each of its users.

One of those ways is Project Beacon, where Facebook builds a page for an advertiser, and then links to it from various profile pages.

How does it create those links?

By monitoring what sites you visit, and then phoning home after you visit an advertiser’s site.

As expected, many users are not exactly excited about Facebook’s ability to watch everything they do, and are looking for ways to stop the Beacon.

Luckily, it’s as easy as using a JavaScript blocking plug-in in Firefox, and blocking the specific URL that Beacon uses.

Facebook Beacon Block

The steps are as follows:

  1. Download and Install the BlockSite plugin for Firefox.
  2. After restarting Firefox select ‘Add-ons’ from the Tools menu.
  3. Click the ‘Options’ button on the BlockSite extension.
  4. Click the ‘Add’ button.
  5. Enter http://*facebook.com/beacon/* into the input box.
  6. Click ‘OK’.
  7. Click ‘OK’ again and you are good to go.

It’s good to know that there’s always someone looking out for the little guy.

[The Idea Shower – Block Facebook Beacon]

[Via: Mashable]

…The Internet should be free?

JiWire

With a little bit of clever URL hacking, free wireless Internet can be yours at a variety of hot spots including airports, hotels, bookstores, and coffee shops. You’ve got to get over the fact that you’re basically stealing from the man, and that they can track almost everything you do with your now free connection, but I guess some price has to be paid, right?

[Free Internet Access]

[Via: UNEASYsilence]