Is GDrive is around the corner?
Google announced today that in the next coming weeks it will be allowing people to upload any file type using the Google Docs website. Unfortunately this will not be a free for all (they have to make money somewhere right?). The Official Google Docs Blog reports that:
"... any file up to 250 MB. You'll have 1 GB of free storage for files you don't convert into one of the Google Docs formats (i.e. Google documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), and if you need more space, you can buy additional storage for $0.25 per GB per year."
For an average user, this will definitely be a good thing. There are alternatives, such as Dropbox (review here), which gives you more storage space for free.
Although this isn't exactly what I pictured for the GDrive, it is a step in the right direction.
New Computer? Need Apps? Enter Ninite.
If you're like me, you may have just purchased a Windows 7 machine. Once you find and buy a new computer, the "helpful" staff may suggest software you should buy to install on your new machine (and give them more commission). Before you splurge a few hundred dollars more, you should check out Ninite which lets you download several free and open source programs all at once.
The simple interface splits the software into several categories (Web Browsers, Messaging, Media, etc.). Just check off the programs that you wish to download and install and press the large green "Get Installer" button all the way at the bottom. Save the installer to your desktop and run it. It installs everything with no need for user input.
Ninite Easy PC Setup
I tried this to download three pieces of software and it worked seamlessly. This should be the first stop for anyone looking for new (free) applications for their systems.
More Free Software Please!
Premium software is good, but not at the premium price. What if there was a site that offered premium software at a price of... oh, I don't know... FREE! Look no further, Giveaway of the Day is here to give you your software fix. You're thinking there must be a catch, right? Well, there is... You only have 24 hours from when the software was posted to download and install it on a computer. The download consists of a compressed file (.zip file) that includes the installer and a readme.txt file. The readme.txt file gives detailed information on how to install and activate the product. The site promises that all files are virus/ad-ware free. The software downloaded is presented "as is" with no tech support, upgrades, and must be for personal use. If you use twitter you can follow the site here: @GiveawayotDay.
Screencap of the "Giveaway of the Day" site.
There is also a sister site for games, Game Giveaway of the Day, which seems to be updated less frequently but may also be worth a look.
The CharlieCard update that never was.
Some time ago I wrote about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) allowing people to purchase passes online. The article can be found here. In the article I wrote that you had to tap your card at a fare vending machine after 5am the following day in order to complete the transaction and use the pass. Until recently I thought that this also included MBTA Buses... unfortunately this is not the case. As it turns out, the MBTA Buses (including the fare boxes on the Green-line trains) are not connected to the internet and as such, cannot be updated.
I emailed the Carlie Card Customer Service email to find out what people can do to avoid being caught with an unactivated Carlie Card on the 1st of the month. The follow is a transcript of the emails sent.
"Hello,
I'm using the MyCharlie Account Center to add Passes to my CharlieCard. My trip in the mornings begins with a bus. My question is, if I purchase a Link Pass before the start of a new month will it update and be recorded on the card's chip the next time I'm at the Subway Station's farebox for use the next month? As an example, I purchase a Link Pass on October 28 for November, on October 29th when I tap my card at the subway station will it be synced and ready for November 1st? Also, with recurring passes, when they are purchased, when are they synced to the card's chip?Thank you very much for your time on this question. I appreciate it.
Aaron"
"Hi Aaron when you purchase a monthly pass it starts the first of that month and ends the last day October monthly pass starts October 1-31. Also if you add a pass online after the 15th of the month it will be for the following month so yes if you add a pass on October 28 it is good on November 1.
Thank You,
Marie
Charlie Card Customer Service"
It seems, from the email, that if you purchase online and tap your Charlie Card at an online fare box (at a MBTA Train Station) after the 15th and before the 1st of the new month, you'll have uninterrupted service.
Tapping your card at either of these locations will update your card.
Free Font Creator!?!
Update: This service is no longer free. Please refer to the following post for more information. http://www.novacharter.com/2010/09/free-no-more-font-capture/
I've wanted to create my own font for years... and I mean, who wouldn't want to make a font? I've looked into font creators and they can be pretty pricey, from around $100 to $300! I've looked into open source font creators but never found anything that really works. I follow @chrispirillo on twitter. There he introduced me to this FREE online font creator called Font Capture.
Font Capture is extremely easy to use. All you need is a printer, scanner, and an internet connection and you're ready to go. First, go to their website http://www.fontcapture.com to download and print out their supplied PDF file. This file is a grid like piece of paper that will be used to write in your letters and other characters (they recommend using a black marker pen). Make sure you pay special to the placement of your characters on the grid!
Next, scan the paper in as a PNG or a JPG. After a few moments, your font is processed and ready to download and install (Windows= Drag and drop into the C:\Windows\Fonts folder | Macs= Double click and click Install Font).
I was truly impressed with the results I received, even on a rushed demo, and plan to use this resource again in the future.
Quick example of Font Capture
Dropbox: Online Storage
Until the mythological Google Drive becomes a reality what can we do until then? There is a Firefox extension, Gspace, but what about something that can be accessed from anywhere? Enter Dropbox.
Dropbox is an online storage provider with several tiers of membership and pricing. There is a free Basic option that gives you 2 gigs of space (by referring people you can increase your storage to a maximum of 5 gigs). More storage space requires you to pay monthly ($9.99 per month for 50 gigs & $19.99 per month for 100 gigs).
You can access your files through either a web interface or with a program that creates a folder on your computer that can sync it with other computers you have linked to your account. A neat feature is the ability to share your files with other people; all they need to do is set up an account.
Check out their online tour for more info: here
Update: You can also follow Dropbox on twitter @Dropbox. Dropbox has submitted an iPhone app and is awaiting approval, let's hope a Palm Pre app will be soon to follow.
Dropbox Web Interface
Twitter Apps: Web
Until recently, the primary way I accessed Twitter was through the official website. Thanks to @trekkieb47, I have signed up for a service called Hootsuite. What makes this service so special? Hootsuite allows you to work with columns and tabs, making it easy to group various activities together. On twitter.com, to see @ Replies and Direct Messages, you would have to navigate away from the page you are on. Hootsuite eliminates this by allowing you to have all of these in separate columns on one page. You can create tabs for virtually anything (I have a tab for news and created a column under that with various tweets from several new agencies and a column for tech news). Creating columns are easy with the ability to type the name of the twitter accounts you want shown, dragging and dropping them into the column, having search terms displayed, among other options.
If you have multiple twitter accounts or you are a business with multiple people sending out tweets, this service is right up your ally. You can create multiple users via the settings options and add multiple accounts. Hootsuite allows you to choose the twitter account you want to tweet from or you can send the same tweet to all accounts at once. Another handy feature is “Send Later” which allows you to enter a tweet and select a time and date to send it... later. Every business likes to have statistics. Hootsuite allows you to track the links you post (Note: the statistics are only avilable for tweets using their url shortener Ow.ly).
For more information please check out their website @ http://hootsuite.com or check out their youtube video tour embedded below!
Twitter is Under Attack!
Update 08/12/09: It appears that the DoS attack was targeting 1 user, @Cyxymu. He suggests that it was Government censorship... Read more on C-Net's site. Link Here.
Update 11:55am ET: Twitter is back up for me via web and Sprint Mobile. C-Net Article alludes to a possible connection between several recent DoS Attacks and the annual Defcon hacker convention. Link Here.
Update 11:45am ET: A BNET blog basically mirror's my suspicions of a link between Twitter's DoS Attack and Facebook. Link Here.
Update 11:15am ET: Twitter's status says site is back up, but still defending against attack. As of now, I am still unable to access Twitter.
At about 8 o'clock this morning I had access to Twitter. Then around 9 I was receiving a page load error. A few minutes ago I checked Twitter's Status Blog where it said it was defending against a Denial-of-Service Attack. This acording to Wikipedia is "an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users."
Recent Twitter Blog Post
Although I do not have any confirmation, I am also having issues with Facebook. At this time I continue to receive errors and lagging when trying to post Status Updates and Links to my Wall. If there is any link to the Attack on Twitter, I will let you know and update with more information about the DoS Attack.
Good News from the MBTA, Nice for a Change.
Last week the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) announced that it would allow its passengers to add value and passes to their electronic fare system via the internet. This was originally advertised when the CharlieCard (a MIFARE-based, contact-less, smart card fare system) was originally introduced to all MBTA services (sans Commuter Rail, Ferry Boat, and The Ride) in 2006.
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- MBTA CharlieCard Page
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- The CharlieCard
I must admit that I was very skeptical of this online system, but I figured I would give it a try. You can access the service by pointing your browser here: https://charliecard.mbta.com/CharlieCardWebProgram/pages/loginIV.jsf
Once here, you can create an account rather simply by just registering your card (each CharlieCard has a serial number printed in the lower left hand side, on the front of the card) and entering your contact information. If you wish you can manage all your family's CharlieCards using one account, which is easy since you must add a nickname to each card you register. The main advantage, other than adding value, is that you can have the stored value transferred to a new card if your old one is damaged, lost, or stolen. That by itself may be enough to entice those who have a habit of frequently misplacing their belongings (like ME!).
Edit: For all you web 2.0 fans, the MBTA is now available on the Google Maps website! Just go to http://maps.google.com and under "Get Directions" choose "By Public Transit".
Use Gmail to Handle Email Links in Firefox
Have you ever clicked on an email link on a website just to have it open in another program that you never use (like Outlook Express)? This is a problem that I have faced on many occasions. Lucky for us, Firefox makes it easy to use Gmail as your default email application.
Firefox Options
To begin, open Firefox and click on Tools from the menu and click Options. Next, click the Applications tab and scroll down to find mailto under the Content Type column. To the right of mailto there is a dropdown menu with several options, we’ll click “Use Gmail”. What next? Well that’s it! Once you hit OK you’ll be ready to go.
Here are some additional tips
- Sign in to Gmail in a separate tab, you’ll need to be signed in to Gmail in order to use the email links.
- Use the middle mouse button to open the email link in a new tab.
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