Super Ginormous

Category: Technology

Articles on Technology, Gadgets and more.

  • Trackback Spam

    I love Akismet, Spam Karma 2 and Bad Behavior. In fact, I probably wouldn’t allow comments at all if I didn’t have those plugins installed. Spam’s become a thing of the past, and I’ve been able to keep the discussion fairly open as of late.

    Trackback spam is getting on my nerves, though. I’ve had several links made to my site from what looks to be some sort of WordPress feed aggregation tool… The sites copy all of the content from particular posts and/or a small excerpt from the post and then link back to my site. Seems harmless, right? It would be if the sites in question were legitimate. The problem is: they’re nothing but Splogs (Spam Blogs).

    If a site trackbacks/pings a post on my site, I check it out. I monitor incoming links through MeasureMap, Google Analytics, and by watching Technorati. If you’re not reviewing who’s linking to your site, I recommend you make it a habit.

    There are WordPress plugins that deal with trackback spam, but from what I’ve seen they mainly just check to see whether or not a link to your site is present on the offending page… If it is, the link makes it through; if not, the link gets denied.

    Spammers are attempting to use trackbacks as a means to 1) drive traffic to their sites; and 2) improve their PageRank by having links appear on established sites with decent PageRank scores. That’s why it’s imperative that you delete the inbound links as quickly as possible to make sure they don’t benefit from a link on your site.

  • Critical WordPress Update

    I’ve been using WordPress for a while now, and this is the first time I’ve heard of a critical WordPress exploit… I just upgraded to 2.1.2 and I recommend you read the articles below and upgrade immediately!

    Long story short: If you downloaded WordPress 2.1.1 within the past 3-4 days, your files may include a security exploit that was added by a cracker, and you should upgrade all of your files to 2.1.2 immediately.

  • FreshBooks adds Basecamp Integration

    I was just thinking last night that it’s been a while since I last posted something about Basecamp… This June will mark our second full year of using the online management tool, and it’s incredible to think about indispensible it’s become in our day-to-day operations. (That’s a topic for another day, though.) But I digress…

    FreshBooks just announced that they’ve added Basecamp Integration into their popular online invoicing and time tracking service.

    Introducing Basecamp With Your FreshBooks

    Today, FreshBooks is pleased to annouce our integration with 37signals’ Basecamp project management service. You can now invoice your Basecamp projects using FreshBooks. The truth is, you can do a fair bit more than that. [..] This integration does *not* cover every possible workflow scenario. We have had to make a lot of tough choices in designing our integration. To make decisions we said to ourselves, “What do most people need?”

    I have been using Blinksale for what limited personal invoicing I do right now, and it’s had Basecamp integration since November ’06. But, it’s been a little while since I gave FreshBooks a spin – the addition of Basecamp support might be enough to get me to try it out again.

  • Sync Google Calendar with iPod

    If you use Outlook 2007, Google Calendar and iTunes and own an iPod – this tip might be helpful to the two of you. It’s not really anything new… but I didn’t think Outlook would share calendars that it’s subscribed to… Fortunately, it does.

    1. In Google Calendar go to Settings > Calendars. Choose a Calendar from those available to you. This will bring you to a Calendar Details screen.
    2. At the very bottom, you’ll see options for Public and Private Addresses for calendars. Right-click on the iCal button and copy the link location.
    3. Paste the link location into your browser’s address bar.
    4. Replace http:// with webcal://
    5. Hit enter.
    6. This should bring you into Outlook 2007 where you can subscribe to your Google Calendar.
    7. Your Google Calendar should now be available in Outlook!
    8. Open iTunes and plug your iPod into your computer.
    9. If your iPod supports it, your iPod settings will have a Contacts tab available to you.
    10. Under Calendar, select Sync calendars from Microsoft Outlook. If you don’t use Outlook’s calendar – choose ‘Selected calendars:’ and choose your Google Calendar(s) from the list.
    11. Hit apply… now every time you sync your iPod, you’ll pull down your calendars as well!

    This tip would probably work similarly on the Mac by using Apple’s iCal app.

    • UPDATE: If you’re looking for a solution to sync Google Calendar with Outlook 2003, there’s an app called gSyncit you might be interested in… More info here.
    • UPDATE: Google released Google Calendar Sync which will allow for bi-directional syncing between Outlook and Google Calendar and it’s not as crappy as this solution is. While it would be preferred if you could simply sync directly with Google Calendar via iTunes (much like you can do with Google Contacts)… it’s still not a feature that Apple’s made available. One can only wish it’ll be included at some point in the future.

  • Campaign 2.0

    Get ConnectedHow are 2008 Presidential Candidates using the Internet in their campaigns? That’s what I wanted to find out when I started putting together data for Campaign 2.0: 2008 Presidential Campaigns and their Use of Web 2.0.

    It all started when Don sent me a link to John Edwards’ page on Social Networking. I was astounded when I saw that his campaign had setup profiles on 20 different social networking sites. At first, I couldn’t believe that someone spent that much time getting setup on so many different networks… but then, I realized this might be really, really smart: his campaign can now be seen on twenty different, established networks.

    Reviewing the websites of candidates that have formerly announced and/or filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission was eye-opening. Most Democrats are utilizing RSS feeds, and have setup accounts on one or more social networks. Few Republicans are offering an RSS feed. Only one is using a social network. All three Libertarian candidates are using RSS feeds, and two of the three are on multiple social networks – and one has included options to Digg the site, add to Del.icio.us bookmarks or view their Technorati profile. I’m not surprised that the Democrats are using technology like they are… but I am surprised by how little the Republicans are using the web…

    This brings up a number of questions that I hope to have answered between now and November 2008:

    • Will using social networks (or Web 2.0) make a difference or will homegrown social networks be the real winner?
    • Will social networks “accept” candidates as legitimate participants in their communities? More specifically, will users “friend” candidates, comment on content submitted to the community, etc.?
    • Will candidates increase their use of existing social networks as we draw closer to the election?
    • Will Republicans use the web more?

    For now, I’ll be detailing which social networks candidates (and providing links to their profiles and/or groups on each of those networks). As additional info becomes available, I’ll be updating the site. Of course, you can help with this too… if you know of any additional information that would be helpful with this table – let me know! You can email me at chris@cdharrison.com.

  • Suitcase for Windows Released

    Well, it finally happened: Extensis released a new version of Suitcase for Windows today. I’ve been hoping for an update for quite some time, and the day I complained about it – a new version was announced.From the Manage This blog, here are some of the new features:

    Updated Suitcase Server client – When serialized properly, Suitcase for Windows is an updated client for a Suitcase Server. It can also be used in a stand alone, or single-user capacity, if desired.Microsoft Vista™ compatibility – We are now compatible with the 32-bit version of Vista, as well as Windows XP and 2000.Automatic font activation plug-ins – Through the use of plug-ins, fonts can be automatically activated when a document is opened. We provide activation plug-ins for the most common creative applications, including Adobe InDesign CS2, Illustrator CS2 and QuarkXPress 7.The Font Vault – When used in a single-user or stand alone capacity, users can take advantage of the new Font Vault. Basically, this is a secure repository in which Suitcase for Windows can store all of your fonts. This keeps all of your fonts in a single location, rather than all over your hard disk.

    Once I’ve used the new version, I’ll try to post a more thorough review.

  • Resource Availability

    I won’t go into the whole Premium Google Apps stuff… Plenty of others have covered that since last night. What I wanted to (briefly) discuss was a new, undocumented feature I encountered while using Google Calendar this morning: Guest and Resource Availability.

    Before I go on… obviously this is a feature that Outlook has had for years, and it’s especially useful when used with an Exchange Server. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before in an online calendar application.

    (I should note that I current use Google Apps with my domain… and as far as I know, this isn’t a Premier Edition only feature, but I could be wrong.)

    When creating a new event in Google Calendar, you now have the option to “Check guest and resource availability”.

    Snapshot of gCal’s Add New Calendar Event screen

    Clicking on the link, gives you the menu previewed below. (It appears right on top of the Add Event screen.) Due to space constraints, I’m only showing a small portion of the menu. The menu actually spans the full width of the available browser area when available. (Click here to see a full preview.)

    Preview of Guest and Resource Availability Menu

    It shows you a person’s availability for the day(s) you’re planning your event for. You’re able to modify the timeframe you’re looking to schedule your meeting, and you’re able to filter whether you only want to view Working Hours Only. If you want to add additional guests, you simply type their name in the Add a Person text field. If the person is in your Contact List, it’ll auto-suggest a person based on what you’ve typed:

    Adding a Person

    Once you’ve added guests, you’ll be able to see whether they are available for your event. If the person you’ve added isn’t publicly sharing their calendar events with you, it will let you know.

    Guests Have Been Added. w00t

    Once you’re done with this screen, you click Okay and go back to the Event entry screen. It auto-adds the guests you’ve entered in the ‘Find a Time’ windows into your Guest List for the event (so you can send them an invite to it).

    This is a great addition to Google Calendar… especially on the heels of the Google Apps Premier announcement. It’s one of those little details that most people can do without, but would work really well for businesses…

  • Cisco and Apple Settle

    So, the Apple v. Cisco showdown has finally been resolved. Hallelujah.

    AppleInsider – Cisco and Apple settle iPhone trademark dispute

    Cisco and Apple said Wednesday that they have resolved their dispute involving the “iPhone” trademark.

    Why do I get the impression that this is far from over? Sure, they’ve declared a cease-fire… but what’s going to stop Cisco from firing back when/if the iPhone becomes incredibly popular? Cash… hard cold cash. And stacks and stacks of it. Oh yeah…

    Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the “iPhone” trademark on their products throughout the world.

    This dillutes the iPhone brand for both sides. Sure, Apple will probably promote their iPhone as the “Apple iPhone”. And most people (I hope) are going to be able to tell the difference between a VOIP phone and a cellphone. But is the market big enough for two iPhone products? Only time will tell.

    Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark.

    Translation: “Apple gave us enough cash to have amnesia. We’re BFFs now! Wait, what were we talking about?” – Cisco

    In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications.

    Other terms of the agreement remained confidential.

    Sounds like Cisco got what it wanted… plus, loads of cash. What did Apple get out of it? A monkey off of it’s back, and freedom to continue using a name essentially thrust upon them by the public and media. Don’t get me wrong, I like ‘iPhone’… but it’s very vanilla… People were going to lynch Steve if he didn’t deliver the goods.

  • A Second Look at Outlook 2007

    Outlook 2007 Product Box ShotI wrote an “Open Letter to Microsoft” over a month ago. It was a short diatribe on Microsoft’s decision to use Word’s rendering engine for Outlook 2007 instead of Internet Explorer. Well, I had assumed that it would be quite some time before I had to worry about testing designs in Outlook 2007, but that day came much, much sooner than I had anticipated. I snagged a copy of it off of Amazon.com (product link) for $89.99.The interesting thing that I’ve discovered while using the new version, is that where it fails with rendering emails – it excels in handling contacts, calendaring, etc. The mere fact that the new version of Outlook supports the iCal standard, viewing RSS feeds, etc. makes it a pretty solid upgrade. Having said that, I don’t expect you to run out and buy a copy. How it renders email is a huge flaw, and one I have tried hard to ignore while using the product.

    CONS

    • Email rendering sucks. Standards-based email designs blow up. Old School HTML is the only way to fly if you’ve got any customers, clients, etc. that use Outlook 2007. This is the single-most important concern I have over the product, and one that I hope gets addressed in the near future.

    PROS

    • Beautiful interface. Everything is logically organized when viewing email. You can view your mail, mail folders, To-Do items, and upcoming tasks all in one window. The inclusion of Vista fonts like Segoe UI, Calibri, Cambria, etc. make everything easy to read… with ClearType enabled, everything looks beautiful.
    • iCal Support. I use Google Calendar as my primary calendaring app. The fact that I can now subscribe to them via Outlook is awesome. I also use Basecamp… and I can import individual project calendars if I choose to. Being able to pull those into a desktop app makes sense. (I only wish I could write to those calendars through Outlook – but that’s a fault of Google and Basecamp, not Microsoft.)
    • RSS Support. Anything that helps bring RSS feeds more mainstream is a win in my book. The only downside I’ve seen with this feature is that it treats new posts like emails… which doesn’t work for me. (I much prefer using FeedDemon/NewsGator Online to keep up on all the feeds I am subscribed to.)

    Aside from the most obvious defect in Outlook 2007, it’s a solid upgrade from Outlook 2003. Hopefully, Microsoft will address the rendering issue at some point – but for now, we’ll have to make due with it the best we can.

  • Do everything via IM

    Wow… so Will just told me about imified and here I am trying it out. It’s an IM-based service that works with Basecamp, Backpack, Blogger, Google Calendar, MovableType, WordPress, and more… If this works like I hope it will… man oh man… IM just went from productivity killer to productivity enhancer.