Month: June 2008

I personally like having very few icons on my desktop, so that I can show off a nice wallpaper image and I don’t get lost among dozens of shortcuts. But I know other people have a strange tendency to collect as many desktop icons as they can, eventually running out of space.

If you’re any of them, check out this list of virtual desktop tools and you’ll always have a few spare pixels for one more shortcut.

• VirtuaWin Portable – An open-source tool that lets you have up to 20 virtual desktops
• Shock 4Way 3D – Four virtual desktops that show up in an attractive 3D environment
• CubeDesktop – Have up to six desktops, one for each side of a 3D animated cube
• Deskspace – Another 3D virtual desktop utility for improved productivity
• Virtual Desktop Manager – Multiply your desktop by four with this Microsoft powertoy
• XDESK – Virtual desktop manager with some interesting extra tools
• Dextop – Have up to 20 virtual desktops with this easy, simple tool
• 9Desks – A handy manager that lets you have up to 9 virtual desktops
• ManageDesk – Organize your work more effectively with 4 independent desktops
• Microdesk – For those who really need loads of space: up to 99 virtual desktops!

After a while, Mac users, just like their Windows counterparts, pick up on a few keyboard shortcuts, simply because they make working with your computer much easier. I prefer using keyboard shortcuts on a Mac much more than on a PC though as they feel more natural to learn and use. Most have now become second nature to me and replaced mouse movements and clicks. In January, I told you about a guide to 200 new Leopard shortcuts, that experienced users have hopefully learned to master so they can quickly reach all the new features of Mac OS X 10.5. Another very complete guide I came across, this time from applesource, lists up all the keyboard shortcuts you should know.

The best way to start is from the basics, by looking at the keyboard shortcuts indicated next to every action in your Mac. Start by knowing how to open and close a file, edit text, access preferences and shut down, or log in or out of your Mac. Take a look around at the keyboard shortcuts in Preferences>Keyboard & Mouse. You’ll soon realize that the same keyboard shortcuts can be used in different applications to perform the same actions. The guide lists all keyboard shortcuts for Finder, essential for finding and acting upon any file in seconds. I also encourage you to learn the shortcuts relating to the Dashboard, Spotlight and the Dock. If you’re like me you probably use these functions of your Mac almost all the time. Applesource have also included keyboard tips for Front Row, Spaces and Exposé.

Keeping your Mac safe isn’t the most difficult of things. As I previously wrote, Macs are generally well protected against any sort of threat, and if you’ve followed my advice on tightening up security by configuring your firewall and making sure your screen is locked, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Those of you who still feel a little paranoid, and have time on their hands, should take a look at the Leopard security configurations guide released by Apple today. This guide is clearly aimed at experienced Mac users though as it really goes into details on Mac’s security architecture and each and every sensitive areas. Consider it like a map of the bank and how to keep it safe from robbers. Leopard offers a number of security improvements, including better Trojan horse protection, stronger runtime security, easier network security and improved secure connectivity, that this guide takes into account.

An interesting read, the security configurations guide for Leopard conscientiously takes you through each and every security issue: global system settings, accounts, system preferences, data and encryption, system swap and hibernation storage. For the ultra geeks out there there’s even a security checklist for action items at the end of the document. This can actually be very useful if you handle systems in a company, but I wouldn’t really worry about it on your home computer.

The advanced security management section will teach you all you need to know about managing authorization rights, maintaining system integrity detecting intrusions or auditing system activity.

Worth a read if you’re curious as to how your Mac handles security, to check out the improvements in Leopard and to keep your Mac safe at all times.

I used to chat a lot when I was younger, but now I’m really out of practice. However this hasn’t discouraged me from trying out a very original browser plug-in called Weblin, with which you can chat with other people who are simultaneously visiting the same website as you.

Weblin is very easy to install and configure, though it has two main requirements: one, you need to create a user account on the Weblin website (which makes sense in a chatting tool and, besides, is completely free) and two, remember to run the program before launching your browser, so that the plug-in is properly loaded. By the way, Weblin is supported by both Internet Explorer and Firefox, something you don’t find very often these days in browser plug-ins.

Once Weblin is loaded, here comes the challenge: find someone to talk to. You may as well visit your favorite sites to try your luck, though the best option is taking a look at the Topcloud on the Weblin website. The Topcloud is a kind of tag cloud that contains all the websites where you can currently find other Weblin users to talk to. In any case, by the time you’re browsing this list you’ll probably have two or three chats opened from other Weblin website visitors.

The plug-in features all the typical features in a chat tool, such as customizable avatars, private chat windows, actions (laughing, dancing and the likes), contacts list and different user status. There are also some special characteristics like the ability to send gifts to other users and also an inventory to store and trade objects.

As I said at the beginning of my post, it’s been ages without chatting and now I feel kind of weird when using chatting tools. However Weblin didn’t make me feel uncomfortable at all and provided me with a very rewarding experience. I liked the way the plug-in has been embedded into the browser’s interface and also the wide array of available tools. My only complaint, if any, is that popular websites (such as Youtube, eBay or Yahoo) are so crowded that chatting is too difficult and the browser is overloaded. Other than that, Weblin is certainly a recommended plug-in for all chat addicts.

Firefox surely has many stats with which to set a world record, but now the Mozilla developers are pursuing a higher aim: obtaining an authentic Guinness World Record with the highest number of software downloads in 24 hours.

Of course, they can’t achieve this goal on their own, so they’re kindly requesting help from all Firefox users worldwide – which is something they’re used to, being an open-source project. So if you’re willing to help Firefox to obtain this record, head over to the special Firefox World Record website they’ve set up and sign the pledge to get your copy of Firefox during the Download Day. At the moment I’m writing this post there are currently more than 578,000 pledges, but I’m sure they’re going to grow very quickly. Then, after doing your bit, you can contribute to the campaign by downloading any of the available banners and logos.

Now, when is that Download Day going to take place? Bingo: it’ll be the day when the official Firefox 3 is finally released. This means we don’t know the exact date yet, but apparently if you subscribe to the download pledge you’ll be notified by e-mail (if you leave an e-mail address, that is). Otherwise, you can always check the site on a regular basis until the great day comes… can’t wait anymore!