Make FireFox faster with SpeedyFox

Posted on September 24, 2009
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If you’re like me and an avid FireFox user, SpeedyFox is a handy little app that can help bring back the snappiness into your browser, especially if you’ve been using FireFox for a while.

SpeedyFox can:

Boost Firefox start up up to 3 times!
Speed-up browsing history
Quicker operation with cookies

Find out more about SpeedyFox

How to launch a rock super group

Posted on September 15, 2009
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There is a new rock super group on the horizon made up of drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age & other bands) and bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).

They are calling themselves Them Crooked Vultures and have started creating a bit of stir without an album, without a record label and mainly just using the internet!

You can read more about this story at WebInkNow.com

Google Wave – Web 2.0 Email & Instant Messaging

Posted on July 23, 2009
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Google Wave is Google’s next generation email and instant messaging web 2.0 client. It hasn’t been released yet as it’s still under development but the demonstration video they have posted indicates they have a very cool product on their hands!

I’ve only watched the first 30min of this 80min demonstration video but already there is some great innovation taking place at Google with this new idea of theirs.

Imagine email that also behaves like an IM that can mix in with blog commenting and pull all sorts of communication into a single place. That’s my kinda half assed description of what Google Wave can do!

To get Google’s official description of what it can do, check out the Google Wave website.

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http://ChrisYong.net

Google Tips To Help Your Website Load Faster

Posted on July 14, 2009
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If you are a web designer, you might find this quite handy. Inside the Google Code area, Google have a section called ‘Let’s Make The Web Faster‘ full of tips on how you can optimize your site to load faster and provide a better visitor experience.

There are video articles to explain various things you can do and also software downloads to assist you.

Check out the following video to learn more.

2 Degrees – New NZ mobile network launching in August 2009

Posted on July 12, 2009
Filed Under General | Leave a Comment

If you haven’t seen the ads on NZ tv already, there is finally going to be another telecommunications provider to take on Telecom and Vodafone who promises to shake things up by providing better value, lower cost mobile plans. Telstra failed, hopefully 2 Degrees won’t!

As part of their launch promotion ‘Join the Chinwag‘, they will send you out a SIM card with $5 credit if you leave your details on the 2 Degrees website.

I am eagerly waiting for August to roll round and see what they offer as I know New Zealand is one of the most expensive mobile usage countries in the world.

Let’s hope 2 Degrees is the big white knight in shining armour they are making themselves out to be. If they are, they should certainly give Vodafone and Telecom a run for their money!

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Paint.net – The FREE Photoshop Alternative

Posted on July 7, 2009
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I stumbled upon Paint.net the other day and was highly impressed with this piece of FREE software.

Unlike Microsoft Paint, this is a different and much more powerful piece of image editing software.

You can work with layers, apply gradients, manipulate image and canvas sizing and many other of the necessary cool features that Photoshop has.

Obviously it doesn’t have the super features that Photoshop has but Paint.net is a great for the standard image and photo tweaking stuff to satisfy anyone who isn’t a professional graphics designer and it won’t cost you anything to do it.

Find out more at www.GetPaint.net

Twitter Fast Start Guide for Newbies

Posted on April 23, 2009
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Welcome to the easiest, fastest way to get started with Twitter.

What is Twitter?
Micro-blogging or think of it as internet txting, you send messages up to 140 characters.

Why use to Twitter?
To communicate or receive communication from people.

Step 1: Get Connected
- Sign up for a Twitter account.
- Enter your name and other relevant details, upload a profile pic and customise your Twitter profile look under ‘Settings’.

Step 2: Enhance Your Browser
- If you use Firefox, download the Twitbin addon for your browser, it’s FREE.
- Twitbin adds a left sidebar to Firefox so you can view Twitter while using your browser as usual.

Step 3: Get Mobile
If you have a Blackberry, install the TwitterBerry app, it’s FREE
or
If you have an iPhone or iTouch ipod, install FREE version of Twitterific
or
If you have normal mobile phone with java capability, install the Tiny Twitter app, it’s FREE
- This is so you can use Twitter away from your computer (requires data connection).
- You can also make SMS updates once you set your phone up with Twitter under ‘Devices’ in ‘Settings’.

Step 4: ‘Follow’ People
- Go to people’s Twitter profiles and click ‘follow’ ie. go to Twitter.com/ChrisYong and follow me!
- Go to WeFollow.com and find some famous people to follow.
- Go through other people’s ‘following’ and ‘followers’ list to find people to follow.

Step 5: Enjoy Reading Tweets
- Tweet = short message sent through Twitter.
- Some people tweet occasionally, some people will tweet a lot. Some tweets are personal, some tweets are informative. People can tweet about anything

Step 6: Enjoy Making Tweets
- Share with people whatever is on your mind or what you’re currently doing, if you wish to.

Using Twitter
- Standard tweet – can be seen by anyone following you.
- Reply tweet – ‘@person’ is prefixed to your tweet. That person and any of your followers that follow that person will see tweet.
- Direct message – private message to that person.
- Favourite – save someone’s tweet to read again another time.
- Retweet – forwarding someone else’s tweet on to your followers. ‘RT’ is prefixed to your tweet.

Enjoy!
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Iron Maiden: Flight 666 movie review

Posted on April 21, 2009
Filed Under Musician & Band | 1 Comment

This movie documents the first leg of Iron Maiden’s most ambitious tour ever, the ‘Somewhere Back In Time’ world tour 2008. In 45 days they play 23 sold out shows that span 13 countries in Asia, Australia and North, Central and South America.

For two whole hours, you are given an Access All Areas pass to what it’s like on the road touring with Iron Maiden as they board Ed Force One for the first time not knowing whether the plane will actually take off with 12 tonnes of gear plus 70 crew, through to playing shows for the first time ever in South America and giving metal fans the experience of a lifetime they never ever thought would happen ie. Iron Maiden playing in their ‘asshole’ country as one fan put it.

There is plenty of behind the scenes footage revealing what the band got up to before and after shows, as well as how they passed the time on days off which include playing golf, tennis and time in the studio when they weren’t confined to their hotel rooms.

You also get to hear from all the band members about what they think of their band mates. By the end of this movie, you feel like you know the band almost personally.

What I got out of the movie is how down to earth all these guys are at the end of the day despite their phenomenal success. They don’t take anything for granted and truly live to give each show they play the very best they can because their fans deserve that much from them.

This movie is an absolute must see whether you are a Maiden fan or not. The madness, the mayhem and the inspiration of a world class touring rock band is captured so at least everyone now has the chance to partially experience a day in the life of a touring rockstar!

More movie info available at www.ironmaiden.com/flight666/

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Will Smith talks about the power of thought

Posted on April 11, 2009
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The law of attraction, the power of positive thinking, the secret, visualisation, call it whatever you want, successful people know how powerful it really is to focus your thoughts on what you truly want and to go after it wholeheartedly.

Here are a couple of videos I found of Will Smith talking about this concept:
Will Smith on the Power of Positive Thinking
Will Smith on the Law of Attraction

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NIN iPhone application – Trent Reznor’s latest cutting edge idea

Posted on April 7, 2009
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Trent Reznor is one of those remarkable musicians who has fully embraced the internet and what it can be truly capable of. He let go of the traditional record label music business model years ago and since then has been doing what he can to move forward.