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Software

Three Great Uses For Dropbox

Dropbox is one of my favorite little pieces of software. It’s practically invisible, silently keeping your dropbox folder synchronized on all the computers you have it installed on (Windows, Macintosh, or Linux). I can’t recommend it highly enough. Because Dropbox is so easy to use, it’s easy to forget that it’s also very powerful. Here are two […]

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Software

Will Ubiquity for Firefox Change the Way We Use the Web?

Mozilla Labs, the R&D department for the group that puts out the amazing Firefox, just released a preview for a new browser technology they call Ubiquity. It’s a little rough at the moment, but shows a lot of promise. I’m a little skeptical that the average user will really understand its power, however, though I’d […]

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Software

Prerequisites if You’re Creating a Desktop or Web Application

If you’re developing a web-based or desktop application and hope to have it takeoff with any amount of success, there is a different prerequisite you must meet for each scenario: If you’re creating a web application, it absolutely needs to work well in Firefox If you’re developing a desktop app, you need to make a […]

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Software

My Favorite Firefox Extensions

One of my friends recently asked me what I’m using for extensions in Firefox 2, then suggested I share my list with the world. So, that’s exactly what I’m doing here. I’ll split them up by category so you can find the ones that apply to you. Improving the Firefox Interface Even though Firefox is […]

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Software

Why Software Sucks

I’m in the middle of an absolutely awesome Technometria podcast with David Platt, author of the book Why Software Sucks. The episode is titled, appropriately enough, Why Software Sucks, the Podcast. It’s very much worth checking out. David has got some really good examples of what’s wrong with software today. His book blog (Suckbusters) covers […]

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Software

Thinking About Software and Lock-in

I was just thinking about my recent switch from Bloglines to Google Reader. It was easy – really easy. Export an OPML file of my RSS feeds from one, import it into the other. I made the transition in less than a minute. So, what does this mean for Bloglines? Should Ask make it painful […]

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Software

PeopleSoft: Worst Software. Ever.

I needed to hop onto my UND PeopleSoft account a few minutes ago to see how much money I owe the university this semester, and it only served to remind me that it is the single worst example of web-based software I have ever seen. Ever. I can feel my stress level rise and my […]

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Software

Microsoft Watch – The Beginning of the End?

Just five short years ago, almost everyone considered Microsoft to be the menacing 500 lb gorilla of the industry. It had monopoly power over the computer desktop and web browser markets and, as a result, was in the middle of a huge antitrust case against the United States Department of Justice. Because there were few […]