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Quick Diigo Bookmarking for Chrome

After reading an article about accelerating bookmarking to Delicious in Chrome, I got the idea to do something similar for Diigo. I like Diigo a lot better and it actually bookmarks to Delicious for me as a backup. To use this script:

  1. Download and install AutoHotKey
  2. Download the script here: ChromeToDiigo.ahk
  3. Run the script just like any other application

Now, when you want to bookmark a page to Diigo:

  1. Select the text you want as the description (or not)
  2. Hit Ctrl+Shift+D or Ctrl+Shift+B 
  3. Add tags and any modifications you see fit
  4. Click the “Add New Bookmark” button

Notes

This script overrides Ctrl+Shift+D and Ctrl+Shift+B, so you cannot use this at the same time as the above-mentioned Delicious bookmarking script. There is not a reason to run both at the same time, anyway as Diigo will send your bookmarks to Delicious for you.

However, you can always edit the script code to change the key sequences.

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MySpace Mail Integrates with Google Gears

Apparently, MySpace now interfaces with Google Gears to enable “super fast search and sorting” for your inbox. Yes, I really did just copy that from the graphic.

What does this mean? I’m not sure. Everyone seems to hate MySpace anyway. 

I actually like MySpace. Probably because I’m an artist and everyone is already familiar with it. Most people within the social media and early adopter community are “so over” MySpace. They think FaceBook is the bees’ knees. 

Even still, I don’t forsee ever using MySpace to search for old messages. If you want me to care about your message, I would assume you would just email me. 

Back to the subject at hand, once you fire up MySpace and connect it to Google Gears, it will begin indexing your messages:

 

I think it’s pretty cool that MySpace is actually still making updates to the service. I really wish they wouldn’t have added Apps like FaceBook, but that’s a whole different discussion entirely. This feature does seem, to me, to make MySpace just a bit more respectable in my eyes.

Holla at me on MySpace at http://myspace.com/microrahsheen

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The Eagle Eye is Watching Whether You Like it Or Not

There is no such thing as privacy anymore.

Go back and read that again….I’ll wait….

Now that you grasp that, don’t you feel a little better? Maybe like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders? Breathe.

Now, you don’t have to go around being so damn secretive all the time. You no longer have to try and hide things. You don’t have to stress out so much about Them finding out about that thing you did. You don’t have to keep wondering if They will ever get around to asking you about that thing you swore you would never speak of again.

They Already Know

That shouldn’t scare you. If they cared, they would have taken action by now, right? Here you are, beating yourself up and stressing over this and they don’t even care. Wow, don’t you feel silly. Whatever privacy you think you have is simply the illusion They have manifested before you so that you never really catch on to the truth. You, however, know the truth now. 

You’re probably reading this on a computer or cell phone. You’re connected. You’re plugged in. The very system that allows you to enjoy the convenience of information at your fingertips at all times is the same one They are using to track you’re every move.

They have your social security number, your birth records, shots, dental, medical, and financial records. They know what kind of beer you like, sexual preference, favorite TV shows and movies. They even know which hand you use to do that thing you thought you were doing in private.

The Red Pill or The Blue Pill

It always comes down to those damn pills, doesn’t it? 

The first choice is freedom. Do as you please with the knowledge that someone somewhere probably knows you did it, whether you wanted them to or not. It’s simply the path that technology and hyper-connectivity has placed us on. Keep updating Twitter everytime you eat a mango. Take grainy photos of yourself in the bathroom and post them on MySpace. Keep that relationship status updated on Facebook and for God’s sake, make sure you keep favoriting those racy photos over on Flickr.

If They are going to watch you anyway, you may as well have fun.

The second choice is isolation. Disconnect your internet connection, cancel your cell phone, close the blinds and lock your door. If anyone comes, send them away. Don’t talk to anybody, they could leak information about you. Cut all lines running to your home and for God’s sake do NOT leave the house. 

You never know who is watching

This Post is Stupid. My Privacy is Intact. I’m Careful!

Really? My mistake then.

Sorry to bother you.

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Ever Been Burned? Start Using Protection

The Internet is sometimes a dangerous place. We do a lot of things online for the shear convenience of it. The average person probably at least accesses their bank accounts, credit reports, and email online. If you’re into social media and social networking, you may have at least 10 different sights that you access multiple times a day. Most of these services require a username and a password to get into.

How do you remember passwords?

Many of us use the same password for every site we access. This is obviously the most insecure way to handle your business online. Most times, that one password we picked isn’t even a secure one.

Some of us think we have a fool-proof system where you have a few different passwords:

  • A low level password for stuff that you don’t really care about
  • A mid-level password for stuff that’s moderately important
  • And a high-level password for bank accounts and such

Guess what? That method sucks too.

Why? Because if you are memorizing passwords, the likelihood that you pick a very secure one is very low. People don’t really do too well in memorizing random sequences that would make secure passwords. You probably have some mnemonic and that is the fatal flaw.

How do we get around this?

Some people allow their web browser to store all of their logins and passwords. Whenever you hit a login screen, everything is already filled in. You just click a button.

Other people turn to third-party software programs to handle this memorization for them. Most of these programs even offer the ability to create a secure password for you. So, all you have to do when you come to a login screen is…well, click a button.

Great, Problem Solved!

Not really. I sometimes switch browsers. I may even switch computers. I run three different operating systems in my house.

  • Saving a password in the browser is only useful for that one particular browser on that particular computer
  • Using a software program means that software must be installed everywhere I go, it must run on every OS I use, it must run on every browser I use, and it must somehow sync easily across computers and operating systems
  • If something happens and I’m stuck using a computer that is not mine, I’m screwed because I probably don’t know my secure passwords by heart

PassPack To The Rescue

After checking out RoboForm, Sxipper, and MashedLife, I chose PassPack.

  • RoboForm bogged down FireFox, even when not in use. Apparently, IE is the only natively supported browser and you need an adapter to use RoboForm with FireFox. This would explain all the suckage.
  • Sxipper, a very pretty FFx extension,  caused more than excessive memory usage.
  • MashedLife appears to be a simple knock off of PassPack, as you can tell in their TOS, which they haven’t even bothered to update even after these accusations. (details here at TC)

I chose PassPack for a few reasons:

  • While your passwords are stored remotely, they are never transmitted in the clear.
  • I can login securely to most websites with a single click of a bookmarklet
  • If PassPack doesn’t know how to login to a given website, I can teach it how in 3 clicks
  • The interface is pleasing to the eye
  • I can use PassPack on just about any browser on any OS
  • It handles multiple logins for the same domain elegantly (Google Accounts, for instance)

Another reason for my choice was the quick responses I got from the PassPack team when I ran into issues and had general questions.

There are many other benefits to using PassPack, including anti-phishing protection, desktop interfaces, and various glowing recommendations from Cyndy over at Profy. but you don’t have to take my word for it. Go check out these examples.

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FriendFeed Beta Moved the Sidebar: Community in an Uproar (Better Beta FriendFeed v0.2 Released)

FriendFeed users are outraged today that they were not notified there would be a change in the layout of the popular aggregation site before it was put into place. The sidebar was moved from the right side to the left side and made slightly smaller.

FriendFeed should have tested the design first, maybe on a Beta site of some kind using a select group of users who could provide intelligent feedback. The early-adopter community would have been a perfect fit for something like this and it is still unknown as to why the FriendFeed developers chose not to go this route.

Wait…this just in: The changes were actually made on the Beta site a http://beta.friendfeed.com. We are still not sure what all the fuss is about, http://friendfeed.com is still intact and running the same boring layout that it has been using all along.

In other news, a new version of the Better Beta FriendFeed GreaseMonkey script has been released to accommodate the new design. If you miss your tabs with the latest upgrade, you can download the new version  of the script here:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/32513

Let me know if you have any issues….with the script.

Here are details on the FriendFeed Beta Design Update

To complain..uh…provide feedback on the new design visit the FriendFeed Beta Feedback Room.

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5 Ways to Use Ubiquity for Getting Things Done

Ubiquity is a new Firefox add-on that attempts to fix problems with the usability of the web. Developers and users alike can extend the web as they see fit. It allows you to control the web using regular language.

With search, you type what you want to find. With Ubiquity, you type what you want to do.

Here are a few ways that this new Firefox add-on can help you get things done and boost your productivity.

Schedule an Appointment

You can easily add an event to your Google Calendar using the add-to-calendar command. Simply describe your task in plain english:

add-to-calendar lunch with Louis and Scoble on Thursday

Check Your Calendar

Make sure you’re available for upcoming events with the check-calendar:

check-calendar thursday

Fire Off an Email

Sometimes I keep Gmail open in case I need to send an email real quick, but that’s no good for staying focused and on task. Ubiquity gives us the email command to make the process easier. Send a quick message by specifying a message and a contact from Gmail:

email Rahsheen is an awesome musician. Check him out. to Diddy

You can also select text and images from the page you’re on and do something like:

email this to Kyle

Add a Task to Remember The Milk

Being somewhat of a Remember The Milk fanatic, the first thing I looked for was a way to add tasks to my list. Google led me to this command:

rtm Finish mixing new song

Send a Message on Twitter

It’s possible that some people use Twitter to accomplish things besides broadcasting when they create a new blog post. For those people, you can use Ubiquity to send a tweet like this:

twitter I just ate a mango

Tying it All Together

Visit Mozilla Labs for an Introduction to Ubiquity. I recommend watching the video first. It doesn’t really make sense until you see it in action.

All of the commands above are included with Ubiquity except for the Remember The Milk command, which you can find in the Ubiquity Wiki. You’ll also find a plethora of other commands for your perusal.

Installing new commands is as simple as visiting a web page once you have the add-on installed.

Are you already using Ubiquity to increase your productivity? Tell me about it.