Here’s a neat tip to allow mailto links to open in Gmail (or any other application) rather than the usual default, which in most cases on Windows will be Outlook/Express.
Firefox Through a Prism
I have stated previously (here and here) that the main focus for my attention on my desktop and laptop these days is the browser as I have more and more of my key applications (email, calendar, documents etc.) in the cloud. This is all well and good but this has thrown up a number of issues namely: 15 years of working with Windows means I constantly press Alt-tab to switch applications only to find, now, that I didn’t want to do that as I wanted to remain in the browser; there is a large amount of wasted space … Read the rest
about:config
The above screenshot is from Firefox 3 and is displayed when you go to the about:config configuration page. I like to see a bit of humour in development. This one has different messages too so you can enjoy time and time again and never get tired!… Read the rest
Xobni (L) LinkedIn
There has been a new update to the Outlook companion Xobni that adds information from LinkedIn. It can now import pictures from the business networking site and also provides (brief) details on the selected individual, typically their title and company. This clearly only works where the email address that they have corresponded with you matches the one recorded in LinkedIn, nevertheless it is still a useful addition.
The Xobni blog also suggests that future updates will provide further integration between the two services when you are logged in but stops short of saying what this will provide.… Read the rest
McGuider Update
Since my original post on the McGuider sat nav software for mobile devices I have had more of a chance to put it through its paces and I have to say that the results have been extremely disappointing.
I have now used it for about four routes that I do often and in half of those the McGuider route took me down a closed road. You might think that this is a problem with the maps but these roads haven’t been passable in years – in one case for 20 plus years.
I also did a comparison between the route … Read the rest
The first 10 applications you install
There’s a couple of these surveys kicking around at the moment (here and here) to find out what are the first ten applications that you install on your mobile. Ever one to jump on the bandwagon here I present my top 10 for Nokia S60 3rd Edition:
- emoze – Free push email
- Handy Calendar – Replacement calendar with better interface
- Handy Safe – Secure password store
- Handy profile – More intelligent profiles, such as automatically switching to meeting mode when you have a diary entry marked as such
- Autolock – Automatically lock the keyboard after a set period
McGuider Navigation Software on a Nokia N73
For a while now I have been using TomTom navigation software on my Pocket PC but have always wanted to reduce the number of devices I carry and wanted to get some GPS software on my phone. So when I saw the McGuider navigation software advertised on an eXpansys emailer this week along with a £10 discount I couldn’t resist.
When it arrived came the first shock. You get an mini-SD card containing the software and NOTHING else. No nice box, no manual, no quick start or installation guide, nothing. I guess this is how you keep the costs down. … Read the rest
How Do You Solve a Problem Like My PC?
Under normal circumstances I feel pretty well equipped to sort out most problems with a PC whether they are hardware or software related, however, this latest one has got me stumped. For the last couple of days the machine has started turning itself off without any warning whatsoever – no error message, no blue screen, just no power. It is this sort of problem that is hardest to resolve – where do you start to look?
I have uninstalled anything I added recently but that doesn’t seem to be it.
I have checked the event logs but there is nothing … Read the rest
Asus EEE PC and Mobile Broadband
Got one of these? 
Then get one of these 
(but only one of these, a Huawei E220, as this is, apparently, the only one that works out of the box with the EEE).
Currently UK mobile operator 3 are doing an offer for existing subscribers where you can get a mobile broadband dongle for free and a contract for 1gb of data for only £5 per month. What a bargain! And, even better, it is wonderfully simple to setup on the EEE and even easier than on Windows. See below for instructions:
1. Insert the dongle and open the … Read the rest
Console Access with XP SP3
It seems that in Windows XP SP 3 the command MSTSC /CONSOLE, that allowed you to connect to the console session, has been removed and replaced with MSTSC /ADMIN. The same also applies to Vista SP1 and Windows 2008.
The reasons for this are outlined in the article below from the Microsoft Terminal Services team blog. I am repeating the details here to save you having to spend hours working out why you aren’t seeing what you might expect.
Thanks to Andy at Plus Development for the tip.… Read the rest