Whenever a user creates a new tab in Firefox, which usually is done by pressing CTRL T, the tab that appears is completely blank and does not provide any information whatsoever. Now this is different if you middle-click a link or bookmark because this action will load the website under the link in the new tab automatically.

A blank tab however is not useful at all. A better solution would be to open another website or service in the blank tab, something that is quick to load, is usually the right choice and does not delay the process for to long if the user wants to do something different with the tab.

A tab is usually created when the user wants to open a new url or search for something. He could do CTRL T and enter the url that he wants to visit. What if he uses a search engine most of the time that way? What if the search engine could be loaded automatically when a new tab is created?

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Tags: firefox, firefox tab, firefox-add on, firefox-extension, new tab url, tabbed-browsing
Categories: Browsing, firefox

Dial Up Internet connections are usually set to timeout after a certain period of time. The Internet Provider drops the connection if the computer that established the dial up connection has not send or received data in that time. This is not desired by the user who might be reading a longer article on one website or writing an article on his own website.

Dial Up users need to transfer data between the local computer and the Internet to keep the connection alive. This can be done manually by refreshing a website every other minute or by using dial up software like Connection Keeper that operates in the background performing the task to keep the connection alive.

Connection Keeper simulates a web browser loading an Internet page every two minutes. Two minutes is the default value which can be changed in the options. The software program can either query existing websites that have been added to the application by the user or simulate the traffic only without querying a real website.

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Tags: connection keeper, dial up, dial up connection, internet connection, keep connection alive, modem connection
Categories: Windows, software

Prevent Restore is a software for Windows that can wipe the entire free space of a hard drive to erase files that might be recoverable otherwise. It has many similarities to another file eraser that goes by the name Eraser.

Why would someone walk the extra mile and erase files that already have been deleted in Windows? The answer to that question is simple: Windows does not really delete the file, it only deletes the reference to the file which tells the system where files are located on the hard drive. It’s like loosing the address of a friend’s house. You could not point your finger on it on a map but it is still existing and calling the friend would reveal its location again.

Files can be recovered if they have not been erased properly. The age of a file plays a role in determining the chances of success. A rule of thumb is that new files have a higher chance to be recovered than files that have been deleted a while ago.

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Tags: data-recovery, delete files, erase files, eraser, file eraser, prevent restore, secure eraser
Categories: Security, Windows, software

Speed Reading is a reading technique that tries to increase the reading rate of the reader without severely affecting the comprehension. Readers at the World Championship Speed Reading Competition (yes there is such thing) are able to read between 1000 and 2000 words per minutes approximately 50% comprehension according to Wikipedia.

Speed Reading is not one method, one way to follow that will lead to a faster reading speed but rather a collection of methods like absorbing connectors or grouping words. The effectiveness of a speed reading technique depends on the relation between the reading rate and the comprehension level. Reading 1000 words a minute but only understanding 10% of the text would not be effective while a comprehension level of 50% or more could very well be.

Speed Read is a speed reading software for Windows that can be downloaded freely from the developer’s website. The speed reading software concentrates on the following four speed reading techniques:

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Tags: reading software, software, speed read, speed reading, speed reading software, Windows, zap reader
Categories: Tools, Windows

It can be hard at times to follow musicians if you are a fan of them: Where are they right now, when is their next live concert, when does their next CD come out, will they come to my town? Most people get their music business news from music magazines, band websites and music portals but it is still difficulty to find the information that you are craving for.

Enter Cloud Speakers, a music business news aggregation site that offers more than a slightly unusual layout and choice of color. Cloud Speakers displays music business news on their pages. It has a vast database of artists and labels which can be followed on page, by email or RSS news feed.

They collect news, reviews, audio and video and make it available on their website. The user can filter the four main categories, if he is only interested in reviews he can only display those. The audio category is a very appealing category on the website. Users can play the music that is listed in that category. The frontpage of Cloud Speakers is offering an mp3 player that is showing and playing the latest mp3 as well. (A similar feature is available on individual artists pages)

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Tags: artists, cloud speakers, music, music business, music discovery, music news, record labels
Categories: Entertainment, Music Industry, Online Services

Grouped Access Tools (GAT) is an advanced Windows Process Manager which can hold its grounds on many levels against the popular Process Explorer. There is definitely room for improvement especially on the visual side which Process Explorer handles professionally. Grouped Access Tools is more of a hidden gem that shows its beauty only to those who explore the program’s functions.

The main window of the Access Tools presents the running processes on the system. Information like memory usage, company and ID are presented in the interface which is automatically updated in real time. The lower pane contains an event viewer that displays events such as starting or closing processes. A click on a process displays additional information about that process such as its parent process or system path.

This is one of the areas that Process Explorer handles in a better way. The Sysinternal’s application displays all processes in a tree view with child processes beneath their parent’s processes which guarantees a better overview.

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Tags: access tools, grouped access tools, process explorer, process manager, Windows, windows processes
Categories: Windows, software

GMDesk (via Cybernet News) is an Adobe Air application that combines several of Google’s high profile applications into an application that is accessible from the desktop. The applications that are currently included are Google Mail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Reader and Picasa Web Albums. Combining those Google apps into one easily accessible desktop application makes sense and it remains a mystery why Google never introduced anything like that on their own.

Since GMDesk is making use of Adobe Air it requires that the Adobe application is installed on the computer system before it can be installed as well. The Adobe Air application basically displays all included Google apps on the desktop. It usually starts with the login screen of Google Mail unless the user picks a different starting service in the program’s options.

GMDesk can remember the username and password that has been used to log into one of the Google apps. Once logged in all other Google apps require no additional login process which means that it takes only a short time to switch applications.

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Tags: adobe air, gmail, gmdesk, Google, google apps, google desktop, google mail google reader
Categories: software