Do you use Firefox as your internet browser? If not, you should be, it’s easily the best browser out there. I wanted to take a moment and provide some tips and tricks that you can use with Firefox to make browsing easier.

1. Having trouble reading the text on the page? Hold ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel down to increase the size of the font on in the current window.

2. Want to open a new tab? First you have to make sure that you have the tab bar visible. You can do this by going to Tools -> Options, then click on Tabs, and check the “Always show the tab bar” checkbox. Now anytime you want to open a new tab, you can double click on the tab bar and a new tab will open.

3. If you want to close a tab, click your mouse wheel on the tab and it’s closed.

4. To open multiple homepages when you launch Firefox, go to Tools -> Options, then click on the main tab, and in the homepage bar, simply type all the pages you want to open separated by the | character (shift + backslash)

5. You can also set keywords for your bookmarks so you don’t have to go searching through them every time. Go to Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks, then right click on any bookmark and select properties and you’ll see a new dialog box. Near the bottom there will be a text box that says keyword: All you do is enter the keyword you want associated with the bookmark and hit OK. Now anytime you want to go to that bookmark, all you do is type the keyword into the address bar and hit enter, and you’ll be taken to your bookmarked location.

So there you have it, just a few tips and tricks to make your internet browsing with Firefox quicker and easier.

If you don’t have Firefox, you can get it by clicking this link

Does your computer run like it used to?  Maybe it’s struggling to even start up?  You can prevent this from happening in the future as long as you run your anti spyware and anti virus software frequently.  There is no set amount of times you should run these programs, but I feel that your anti spyware programs should be run at least once a week if you’re on the computer all the time, and once every 2 weeks if you only use the computer a couple of days out of the week.

Your anti virus on the other hand should be automatically running in the background, which is known as “resident” or “resident protection”. Even though the program is running on its own I still think it’s a good idea to run this at least once a month manually.

The key to both of these programs is that they are up to date.  Making sure your definitions are the most recent versions for both your anti virus and anti spyware programs is very important.  New viruses come out faster than the companies can write ways to stop them and if you’re not up to date, you’ll be on the fast track to a hard drive that been eaten by things like Sasser, and Trojans.  No not the one’s with Helen, although similar in the sense that they both carry things in them, these Trojans carry mean files that will attack your PC.

Keeping up to date is not very tough, you just have to make sure you are vigil and keep on top of it.  I opened both my anti spyware program only to find that I was over 100 days behind.  Yikes! I hit update as fast as I could because I don’t know what I would do if my computer fell victim to spyware and viruses.

Luckily my anti virus software automatically updates itself, but even this can’t be trusted, as there are viruses that will turn off your anti virus software’s ability to auto-update, and you’ll never know.  So it’s a good idea to update both anti virus and anti spyware programs within the same day.
So let this be a reminder to update your software regularly, and scan your PC at least once a week for spyware, and once a month for viruses to keep it running like new.

How often do you update and run your virus and spyware programs?

Well after a short move and long time without internet I am back.  Let me tell you, moving 2 miles doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be up and running anytime soon.  Trying to snake a wire around my new apartment so that it reaches my computer was a pain.  Yet not as big a pain as changing my address.

After all these years we still haven’t found a way of integrating our address into some accessible database that can be changed for all entities linking to it.  I went to 8 different websites to update their information so they had the proper address, and I’m sure I’m missing some.  Why can’t we establish some sort of central database of addresses that all companies are linked to, that way when someone changes their address, all the companies receive an update notice of the change, and adjust their records accordingly.

This goes along the lines of integrating technology into our lives on a more personal level.  With the notion of RFID on the horizon (to be explained later)  we are nowhere near the world seen in Minority Report or even The Matrix.  I hear about companies trying to target ads to users’ cell phones, PDAs, even video capable mp3 players using some sort of targeting algorithm based on the location of the user and the location of the store doing the advertising.  And while this sounds pretty pushy, I’d rather see ads for a store I am close to, or one that I like, than be shown ads relating to geriatric products, or pet supplies.

But why are we focusing on advertising when there are other issues that could be put in place before this to make the targeting that much easier.  Allowing people to have a one stop place to change their address once would make life a little less hectic than it already is.  Imagine logging in to the website, changing your address, and in a flash, your GPS now knows your new starting address.  This could work with separate profiles as well, such as business and personal address.  Got a new job? Then sign into the database and change your work address, and all related publications, trade journals, or anything else relating to your job would be sent to the new work address.

Think about how easy it would be to update your benefits info for your job if you move.  One click, you’re done, and they’re records indicate the new place where you live.  Does this interest anyone?

I’ve said it before but we need to start integrating certain technologies into our lives now, as it will make future integrations that much easier.

Any thoughts?

Do you buy a new cell phone every time a new model hits the market? Or how about your car, do you buy the new model every year? The answer is most likely no, it would be insanely expensive and you wouldn’t have any time to get used to the features of the older model before you have to learn how to use the new model.  Some times upgrading can be something that you would want to do, for example if the airline wants to upgrade your plane tickets to first class for free, or upgrading your anti-virus definitions to the latest versions.

And yet, upgrading can be one of the best or worse things you do to your computer.   Take for example Apple’s OS X Leopard.  This software touts to be the best Mac OS X to date, yet for some, upgrading caused nothing but headaches.  The infamous blue screen of death (BSOD)  showed up on several Mac users after they installed their new software.  Numerous other problems popped up during the installation of this new operating system as well.  A quick scan of any Mac user populated forum will surely have some complaints in it.  Now to be fair, the virus world has yet to infect Mac users, unlike Microsoft and its every virus / bug ridden Windows operating system.

Speaking of Windows, this brings up Windows Vista, Microsoft’s new operating system.  I don’t really know where to start with this one, Vista is garbage.  The new OS was supposed to be fast and easy to use, and yet almost everyone has had problems even installing the software on their computers.  Incompatibility with certain software packages, bugs galore, and errors that tell you that the system that reports errors has errors, make Windows Vista one of the worst Windows releases since Windows ME, and I think we all remember that one.

The problem with both of these operating systems is that upgrading to them is supposed to benefit the user, and yet all they have done is cause heartache and trips to the computer repair shop for help getting past their install problems.

So the next time you’re thinking of upgrading, make sure you do a little research on any issues people are having with whatever it is you are upgrading to, and also make sure you don’t believe everything the commercial or sales rep tells you.

Any thoughts? I’d love to hear from some Mac and Windows users who have or haven’t had any problems with either Mac OS X Leopard or Windows Vista.

Advances in technology move at a tremendous speed, and yet where are the gadgets and tools that would make life easier.  Fully integrated into our lifestyles to help make everyday mundane tasks a thing of the past.  Only recently have companies like LG and Apple begun to create products that make things easier.  Cell phones are just one of the gadgets that are being slightly innovative in their design and functionality, yet they are still lacking in other areas.

The iPhone and Voyager are 2 examples of where technology should be headed.  Each has the ability to surf the web, a touch screen, large amounts of memory to store music, as well as decent battery life.  The Voyager by LG took touch screen cell phones one step further than the iPhone by having a flip open screen for use with text messaging, essentially one-upping Apple’s touch screen keyboard which can sometimes be hard to use.

Yet it still feels like something is missing.  With all the capabilities of each cell phone, they still rely on the internet for some services, such as faxing or email.  Why not create an all encompassing service that can send an email using the cell carrier’s own outbound email server, this way people don’t have to log into 4 different emails online just to send a letter.  And as far as music capable cell phones, why can’t I use any file for music?  Why am I limited to the size of a file for my phone to use as a ring tone.  If the phone can already play music using a media player, and it comes out of the same speakers as my ringer, then why can’t I use the same music file for both?

If the companies were truly going to innovate the cell phone, they would have it tie in to our daily lives, informing us that we are running low on milk based on information sent by an internet connected refrigerator,  or that the mail has been delivered when the postman closes an internet connected mailbox.

Now these are just some examples that would require the entire plot of land the house rested on to be connected to the internet.  Yet this isn’t a far stretch of what we can accomplish.  Technology has advanced at an exponential rate over the past few years and we’re only being limited by what we can imagine.  Innovators seem to have gone into hiding, and the best we can come up with is taking several useful features and cramming them together into one gadget.  But that gadget has no communication with any other multifunction gadget we might have in our collection.  What we need is for everything to talk to each other, like having our car remote letting us know via text message that someone is trying to break into our car, or keeping track of whats going on at the house via webcam viewed on the front screen of a cell phone.

All of these ideas aren’t just hopes and dreams, people have internet controlled security cameras surveying their house interiors yet they have to log into the server through an internet browser to view what’s going on.  Some car alarms come with a view screen that show when a door is being opened or have an alarm that will go off if the car is being stolen.

Some of the problems that exist right now are limitations on the range certain electronics can transmit signals.  Yet this can be solved by expanding technology that is already in place.  Bluetooth is a form of radio transmitter that can connect to many electronic devices.  Now radio stations use large amounts of wattage to transmit as far as they do but why can’t we shrink that down or use a frequency that will travel very far but require very little wattage.   Higher frequencies usually mean farther traveling distance, like how red light travels farther than any other light in the spectrum, and thus used for lights to warn aircraft of high rise buildings.  The reason for using red lights is because red light travels farther, and it can be seen sooner by the pilot.

So what happened to people trying to make new things, instead of just reusing everyone else’s ideas and mixing them together.  Improving on old ideas is the first step towards a much more integrated, innovative life for all of us, and very few people are doing this on a consumer level.  Only recently have we seen the fruits of engineers’ labor in the forms of electronic devices such and the LG Voyager or Apple’s iPhone.

What do you think, why have so many people stopped innovating and have now gone the way of just cramming features into thing?  What is holding everyone back from creating new gadgets that really change the way we live, and the way we think?

The moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, the top 2 gifts for my 5 tech gifts for the holidays list. These are the best of the best my friends, the gifts that no one should be without. So without further ado, here they are.

#4 Is the Pleo Dinosaur. This little guy has sensors all over the place and will react to you when you pet him, tug his tail, or scratch his chin. The Pleo Dinosaur will walk around on his own and explore his surroundings, or he will look for attention from you if you scratch him and interact with him often. This is a great gift for anyone who is interest in robotics, AI, or just a plain old cool tech toy. You can order your Pleo Dinosaur on Tuesday December 18th so be ready, these are going to sell out very fast.

This is definitely a step in the right direction for AI. The Pleo Dinosaur learns as he interact and can even express simple emotions. This will be one of those toys that people will be talking about for years to come. Ugobe has done an excellent job in creating a lifelike creature that can react to touch and respond to its environment.

So if you’re really into robotics, or just want a companion the won’t make a mess around the house, the Pleo Dinosaur is what you want to get.

And finally, the #5 tech gift for the holidays, the Nintendo Wii. This is still one of the hardest tech gifts to get. The Nintendo Wii is one of the most innovative game consoles ever created. With party style and family oriented games, a sleek design and motion sensing controllers, the Nintendo Wii is above all the other game consoles out there. People of all ages can enjoy the Nintendo Wii and everything it has to offer. This is also the best game console to own if you have a lot of parties, because most of the games offer multi-player for up to 4 people.

This system is very hard to find, so you might have to shop around a bit but I’ve provided the best place to search with the best price I’ve found.

So there they are, my final 2 tech gifts for the holidays, the Pleo Dinosaur and the Nintendo Wii.

So to recap, the 5 tech gifts for the holidays are:

1. Canon PowerShot SD850
2. Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote
3. Palmsize RC Helicopter
4. Pleo Dinosaur
5. Nintendo Wii

Happy Holidays to everyone and keep checking back because you never know what going to be on the site next.

To continue the list of tech gifts for the holidays, I present you with 2 more ideal tech items that make even the most tech savvy person drool.

The #2 item on my top 5 list of tech items is the Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote. This sweet all-in-one remote has a color touch LCD screen, rechargeable battery, and hooks up to your computer via USB cable. This baby is fully programmable to turn on all your media devices, dim your lights, and even activate certain remote controlled fireplaces. All of this is done through an intuitive computer program that comes with the remote. You just enter your device models and the remote control does the rest. As someone who used to do home theater installs, I highly recommend the Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote for any media centric person.

This is a staple item for anyone that has multiple pieces of home theater equipment that they need to turn on to enjoy their favorite show or movie.

Next up we have one of the hottest tech toys for 2007.

#3 is the Palmsize RC Helicopter. This little guy has some impressive aerial stunts it can perform, as well as a decent flying time per battery charge. I work at a company that allows people to play with toys throughout the day and I see several grown men playing with this as well as a few women.

The Palmsize RC Helicopter makes a great gift for anyone who is interested in flight, geek gifts, or just a plain toy fanatic. And while you’re at it, you can check out all the other interesting things that ThinkGeek.com has to offer.

They have some of the most interesting tech toys around and they’re definitely on my top list of places to buy new things from.

And there you have it folks, only 2 more gifts remain on my 5 tech gifts for the holidays list. Check back soon to catch the final 2 tech gifts of the 5 tech gifts for the holidays list. If you’re not a holiday person or just aren’t in the spirit, check out some of my other posts.

It’s that time again, a time for eggnog, sugar cookies, and of course a time for everyone to start sweating over what to get people for the holidays. Well don’t worry, I’ve got your back. This will be the first of a 5 part series of the top 5 gifts to buy for that special tech person in your life. So keep checking the site so you don’t miss a single gift idea.

First up we have a something that no techie should be without these days, a digital camera. The Canon PowerShot SD850 delivers a sharp 8 mega- pixel picture, and has all the extra features like preset camera modes and shot timer, along with everything else one would expect to come with a digital camera. The research has been done for you already, so no searching around for the perfect digital camera at the right price, this is a great digital camera at a reasonable price. So why not buy that special tech person something that they can use to take photos of your family members acting all weird during the holidays.

Come back soon to see the rest of the list, also keep an eye on your RSS feeds so you don’t miss a single post. If you don’t have the RSS feed, you should subscribe to it so you don’t miss anything that goes up on the site.