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diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-add-new.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-add-new.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..f3a6a74 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-add-new.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-lab.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-lab.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..13a5d1f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-lab.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-logo.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-logo.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e738e10 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink-logo.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..90a5cca --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/blink.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +[BlinkList][1] is another popular player in the social bookmarking scene. Started in June of last year, BlinkList has already gained quite a following. Indeed, if imitation is any indicator of popularity than BlinkList must be doing well since they had their entire [design ripped off][2] by a site calling itself wirefan. For shame wirefan, for shame.
Never mind the imitators, let's have a look at BlinkList.
Signup is painless and once you verify your account via a link BlinkList will send to your email address, you're ready to go. During the signup process BlinkList served up the usual bookmarklet for my browser toolbar, but unfortunately it didn't work in Safari. Switching to Firefox solved the problem. Your mileage may vary.
BlinkList allows you to import links from a browser, del.icio.us or Furl. Once you've got things set up and all your bookmarks imported, you can share them with other users via RSS, friendslists or email.
BlinkList has some nice options for those that want to display link or tags on their blog. BlinkList will give you Javascript widgets to show both links and tags, just cut-and-paste the provided code into your site, MySpace page or where ever you like.
BlinkList has a star ratings system like ma.gnolia, and BlinkList also allows you to mark links or tags as favorites. Favorites then show up at the top of your profile page so you can get to them quickly.
The standout feature for me though was BlinkList's ability to take any highlighted text on the screen and auto fill a bookmark's description field with the text. This is really nice for quickly getting snippets of descriptive text into your bookmarks.
BlinkList has a very intuitive interface and a nice clean design that makes it simple and pleasant to use. And as a sidenote I always like to see a company with a sense of humor, the folks behind BlinkList have a Ozzy the Labradoodle as their offical PR rep.
####The Low Down
**Pros**
* Can import a number of formats
* Has bookmark thumbnails
* autofill a description field
**Cons**
* No backend API
<p>Previously Reviewed: <br /><a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/delicious_is_th.html" title="Monkeybite's review of del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_1.html" title="Monkeybite's review of ma.gnolia">ma.gnolia</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_2.html" title="Monkeybite's review of wink">Wink</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_3.html" title="Monkeybite's review of StumbleUpon">StumbleUpon</a></p>
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_4.html" title="Monkeybite's review of furl">Furl</a><br />
[1]: http://www.blinklist.com "BlinkList.com"
[2]: http://blog.mindvalley.com/2006/10/20/copyright-in-web20-blatant-code-theft-of-a-web-20-site/ "Wirefan steals BlinkList Design"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/install-ubuntu.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/install-ubuntu.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c4766fe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/install-ubuntu.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +About six months ago a [couple of prominent][1] [mac users announced][2] they were leaving the platform and switching to [Ubuntu Linux][3]. Ever since then I've been curious about this Ubuntu Linux. I'm okay with OS X, but I do love a new toy and Ubuntu looks like a great new toy.
With a new version of Ubuntu announced recently I thought it was high time I installed Ubuntu and gave it a hands on trial.
My options are as follows, I could install Ubuntu under Parallels on a new MacBook or I could install the PPC version of Ubuntu natively on an old G3 iBook.
I would prefer to run Ubuntu without the virtualization of Parallels just so I know that any problems I might have are not connected to the virtual environment. But at the same time, a PPC G3 processor is pretty outdated and I don't know how Ubuntu performs on PPC chips, let alone ancient ones like my iBook.
If you have experience with either set up and can offer any tips or recommendations let me know in the comments section below. And *please* let's not let this degrade into an OS superiority contest. I like OS X, I like Windows and I want to like Ubuntu. Every operating system has its merits and weaknesses and none is better than the other, they're just different mmmkay?
[1]: http://diveintomark.org/archives/2006/06/02/when-the-bough-breaks "Mark Pilgrim switches to Ubuntu"
[2]: http://www.boingboing.net/2006/06/29/mark_pilgrims_list_o.html "Corey Doctorow switching to Ubuntu"
[3]: http://www.ubuntu.com/ "Ubuntu: Linux for Human Beings"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9fa64d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes7.02.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes7.02.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b141bb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2006/10.30.06/Wed/itunes7.02.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +After mentioning it in the morning reboot, I [downloaded and installed iTunes 7.0.2][1]. The update promises "stability and performance improvements" as well as support for the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle, due to be release tomorrow.
I've never actually had any stability issues with iTunes, but I can say that the update does indeed address the performance issues that appeared with iTunes 7.0. Since upgrading to 7.0, iTunes had been almost unusable for me on a MacBook Core Duo. But the new update returns iTunes to its former snappy self.
Before upgrading importing new music was one of those tasks that I would start and then head off for a cup of coffee while iTunes effectively locked up my computer until it was complete. The 7.0.2 update vastly improves importing times. Just to test it out I threw a large import of five new albums at once (I've been avoiding iTunes) and it handled it quite nicely. The gapless playback processing that used to hold things up, slipped by without me noticing its existence. I was able to create new playlists and interact with the UI while the songs imported, something that was largely impossible with earlier 7.0.x releases.
I highly recommend the upgrade for all iTunes 7.0 users based on the speed improvement alone. That said, I have no way to test the Windows version and I believe that the Windows version was even worse than what we Mac users have been putting up with. If you install the new version on windows, let us know how your experience goes.
I'm happy with the new update, but having reviewed the Linux jukebox software, Amarok yesterday, I suddenly find iTunes somewhat lacking. Where is my integration with Wikipedia? Where is my nice tabbed interface? Are there any kindly Cocoa programmers out there trying to port Amarok to OS X (yes I know I can install Amarok via Fink, but a native port, would be so much nicer)? Apple needs a competitor in the software jukebox world, if for no other reason than to drive them to improve iTunes.
As for the shuffle, it looks nice, but personally I think I'd loose it by the end of the day. It reminds me a bit of the scene in Zoolander when Ben Stiller answers an impossibly, ridiculously small cellphone.
[1]: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ "Download iTunes"
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Last.fm's bread and butter feature is it's collaborative filtering which is analogous to Amazon's recommendations and that remains unchanged. Instead today's update focuses on auxiliary features, an improved Flash music player, concert listings, free downloads, a "Taste-o-meter" and slightly redesigned music pages.
The most immediately noticeable change is the new Flash music player embedded in nearly music every page. The new music player means you can listen to Last.fm either through the browser or through the Last.fm client. To set your preference head to your user profile and adjust the setting to the playback method of your choice.
The ability to listen through the browser is nice, but the biggest feature in today's announcement is undoubtedly the addition of concert and event listings. The breadth of listings is subpar at the moment (apparently no one is playing in Los Angeles this week), but Last.fm has promised to add more listings and of course you can always add your own events. In addition to your own listings, you can view what events your friends are attending and Last.fm will recommend events based on your profile.
Last.fm offers free downloads for bands/labels that will allow it. Unfortunately finding tracks you want requires quite a bit of digging at the moment. Last.fm claims they're trying to come up with a better system, but until they do, the downloads feature is almost more work than it's worth.
The new "Taste-o-meter" is an extension of the collaborative filtering mechanism Last.fm employs. The taste-o-meter tells you at a glance whether you have any common musical ground with other listeners. Whenever you visit another listeners profile page, the taste-o-meter appears in the top left corner so you can see at a glance what music you have in common.
Judging by user comments on the site, the new artist pages aren't very popular. A number of people dismiss them as simply "ugly." As with the rest of the site, how you feel about the redesigned artist pages may be somewhat determined by how you feel about gradients.
Regardless of how the interface design strikes you, Last.fm's changes bring some welcome new features and should make users happy.
[*This post was written by Scott Gilbertson of [Monkey Bites][2] the Wired News blog covering daily developments in software and web services.*]
[1]: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59522,00.html "Wired News: Last.fm: Music to Listeners' Ears"
[2]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/ "Monkey Bites"
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And it might be the most useful site of the bunch. OnlyWire is really just a bookmarklet. Drag it to your toolbar like any other and when you're on a site you want to save, hit the bookmark.
But if OnlyWire doesn't save my page why would i want to to do that you ask? Because this is the one ring to, well, nevermind. When you click OnlyWire's bookmarklet your page and whatever descriptive info you fill in will be submitted to up to seventeen bookmarking sites.
Yes, this is for those that want it all. Just provide your sign in name and password for all your social bookmark sites and OnlyWire will submit the info to all of them. You can simultaneously maintain bookmarks on seventeen sites. And if that's not enough you can send OnlyWire a note asking them to add your favorite site.
Note that if I were to review two social bookmarking sites a day, I might be done by the holidays, but I'm cutting it off here. If your favorite site was omitted from out reviews, don't feel slighted, just plug it in the comments section.
And we'll have a complete wrap up for you in the very near future.
<p>Previously Reviewed: <br /><a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/delicious_is_th.html" title="Monkeybite's review of del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_1.html" title="Monkeybite's review of ma.gnolia">ma.gnolia</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_2.html" title="Monkeybite's review of wink">Wink</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_3.html" title="Monkeybite's review of StumbleUpon">StumbleUpon</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_4.html" title="Monkeybite's review of furl">Furl</a><br /><br />
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/the_social_book_5.html" title="Monkeybite's review of BlinkList">BlinkList</a><br /></p>
[1]: http://onlywire.com/ "OnlyWire.com"
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* [Apple has updated iTunes][1]. According to Apple, "iTunes 7.0.2 adds support for the [Second Generation iPod shuffle][2] and addresses a variety of stability and performance issues found in iTunes 7 and 7.0.1." The update is 25.7 MB and can be [downloaded from the Apple website][3].
* Microsoft Corp. announced yesterday that [Microsoft Office Live will be coming out of beta][4] on Nov. 15. Office Live is a set of Internet-based services for small business owners. [via [ZDNet][5]]
* [Last.fm][6], the popular music-centric social network, will apparently be [upgrading its services tomorrow][8]. New features include a new flash player, an events system, free MP3 downloads and revamped profile pages. [via [Mashable][7]]
* Scrybe, an online organizer and calendar application, launched its beta release last night. [via [TechCrunch][10]]
* Photo sharing site [Zooomr has increased user's monthly photo upload limits][11]. Free accounts now get 100 MB per month and pro accounts 4 GB per month, which is nearly double the offerings of rival Flickr. [also via [TechCrunch][12]]
[1]: http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/ "Apple iTunes"
[2]: http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ "iPod Shuffle"
[3]: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ "Download iTunes"
[4]: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/oct06/10-312007OfficeLivePR.mspx "Microsoft Announces Office Live"
[5]: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=72 "ZDNet"
[6]: http://www.last.fm/ "Last.fm"
[7]: http://mashable.com/2006/10/31/lastfm-to-announce-free-mp3s-events-and-more/ "Mashable on Last.fm"
[8]: http://www.last.fm/updates/ "Last.fm upgrade"
[9]: http://iscrybe.com/main/index.php "Scrybe.com"
[10]: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/10/31/scrybe-syncing-calendar-has-launched-in-beta/ "TechCrunch on Scrybe"
[11]: http://blog.zooomr.com/2006/11/01/trickr-or-treatr-pro-accounts-upgraded-to-4gbmo-free-accounts-to-100mmo/ "Zooomr upgrades bandwidth limits"
[12]: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/11/01/zooomr-doubles-flickrs-monthly-photo-upload/ "TechCrunch on Zooomr"
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In fact Scrybe offers so much that it would take some time to run through everything, so instead of that I'll offer this official video that the creators of Scrybe released earlier today.
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mr1YE_xS_n8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mr1YE_xS_n8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
I should note that the entire interface is done in Flash which may put some people off, but the ability to work offline and sync your changes the next time you're online probably necessitates Flash. And for the old-fashioned folks like me, the ability to print out foldable copies of calendars and lists is fantastic, but for me the real drool-worthy feature is the Thought pages which allow you to browse the internet a create a clipbook of images, text and sites.
I will confess to being somewhat ignorant of alternative offerings and should probably say that I'm not a heavy user of calendar apps and organizational tools (I still favor the offerings of Monte Blanc and Moleskine when it comes to this stuff). But, that said, if Scrybe is really capable of everything shown in the above video, it will likely prove a very popular offering.
[1]: http://iscrybe.com/main/index.php "Scrybe.com"
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