Google Alerts beta

It's still in beta, but it will search Google for you, and send the results via email on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to keep you up to date on something even when you forget to do it yourself.

Check out Google Alerts

Blogger Stats FREE

Everyone who blogs with Google's Blogger blog publishing service must check this out.

"We’re very excited about the most recent creation from Blogger in Draft, Blogger Stats. Blogger stats makes it easier than ever to get all sorts of real-time traffic data for your blog, right from the comfort of your Blogger dashboard.

Since Stats are part of Blogger, you don't have to sign up for another service, or embed any code in a gadget."

ALSO SEE: Google Analytics for Enterprise-class web analytics.

Panther is Breaking

Apple® Mac OS X 10.3 Panther is breaking...

First introduced in October 2003 it has lasted
almost seven years as a viable operating system.

The Internet browsers supported are no longer
something, blah, blah, advanced features
on the Internet, jibberish, blah, blah, blah...



All those who are currently using 10.3 Panther
are strongly advised to upgrade to the newer
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger at a minimum, to be able
to use all these new fangled Internet things...

Check out Mac OS X 10.4: System requirements

Google Email Uploader

Currently this free open source application  is only available for Google Apps-hosted Gmail accounts and not standard Gmail accounts, but what it does is amazing.

"When you launch Google Email Uploader, it displays any Mail, Eudora, or Thunderbird mailboxes it finds in their default locations. You can also manually point the program to messages—in Mail mailboxes, mbox files, or maildir folders—stored elsewhere."

READ: Google Email Uploader gets your old e-mail into Gmail
By Dan Frakes, Macworld.com

Gmail gets Merge in Contacts

Gmail Contacts is quickly becoming a highly portable,
enterprise level, contact management system!

"Managing a big address book can be a challenge, so it's no surprise that the top request for Google contacts is a fast, easy way to merge duplicate contacts. You've been able to merge contacts one-by-one for a while, but now we've added a single button that merges all your duplicate contacts at once. To clean up your contact list in one fell swoop, just click the "Find duplicates" button in the contact manager, review the merge suggestions (and uncheck any suggestions you don't want merged), and hit the "Merge" button.

If you've been considering getting all your contacts into Gmail or syncing your Gmail contacts to your phone, now's the time to do it. As we've written about previously, you can sync your contacts to a wide variety of devices (including Android, iPhone, Blackberry, SyncML, etc). So if you were dreading spending hours getting your contacts in order, now you can do it with a couple clicks."

READ: One button to merge all duplicate contacts
by Dominik Marcinski, Software Engineer
posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 2:54 PM
on The Official Gmail Blog

Google Chrome for Mac!

Google has released it's Google Chrome web browser
for Mac OS X 10.5 or later (Intel only).

Fast start-up
Google Chrome launches in a snap.

Fast loading
Google Chrome loads web pages quickly.

Fast search
Search the web right from the address bar.

Learn about Google Chrome »

I'll be testing this as soon as I can...

ShareTool extends Bonjour over 'net

"Yazsoft’s ShareTool lets you securely share, over the Internet, all the services on a particular computer, as well as all the services that computer can reach on its local network.

...printing, screen sharing, iTunes Sharing, and iPhoto Sharing, as well as third-party services from sources as varied as Skype and BusyCal—if software advertises its services using Bonjour, ShareTool can make them available over the Internet."

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard

READ: ShareTool extends Bonjour over the 'net
by Glenn Fleishman, Macworld.com

Quake Live for Mac August 18!

"Quake Live is expanding to Mac and Linux on August 18.

The game, which is a Web-based re-creation of the 1999 classic Quake III Arena, went into public beta for Windows in February, with promises of coming to the Mac and Linux in due time. Executive producer Marty Stratton said in May that internal testing on those versions had begun, and that support for the Mac was a top priority.

Firefox will be the de facto browser choice for Mac users looking to unload some plasma cannon blasts next week: the only other supported browser is Internet Explorer 7 or 8. Hardware specs aren't yet available, but the PC specs recommend a 2GHz or better Intel processor and an Nvidia NVIDIA GeForce 7 Series, ATI Radeon X1800 series, or better, so you can read between the lines.

Quake Live is free for all players, though you need to register an account to play. But when that’s all that stands between you and some rocket launcher action, it's hardly even worth noting.

Quake Live is free for all players, though you need to register an account to play. But when that’s all that stands between you and some rocket launcher action, it's hardly even worth noting."

READ: Quake Live for Mac hits the Web on August 18
by Dan Moren, Macworld.com

Apple iDisk app for iPhone

"Apple has released its long-awaited MobileMe iDisk application for the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s available for free download from the App Store.

MobileMe iDisk enables iPhone and iPod touch OS 3.x users with MobileMe accounts to access the contents of their iDisk — the online storage component of Apple’s MobileMe subscription-based online service."

READ: Apple releases iDisk app for iPhone
by Peter Cohen, Macworld.com

Remote Control LogMeIn for iPhone

"With the $29.99 LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPod touch, you can check your email, access files, troubleshoot and use programs on the fly, just as if you were sitting in front your Mac or PC."

LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPod touch is a fast and simple way to connect to your LogMeIn Pro² and LogMeIn Free Mac OS 10.4 Tiger, Mac OS 10.5 Leopard, Windows and Linux computers.

Online Storage Sites are Closing!

What happens to the data when an online storage site closes?

"Online storage sites, the toast of the Internet circa 2006, are shutting down in droves, putting the data and images of their users in jeopardy.

Online storage services that have announced closings in the past ten months include big names in tech: AOL (Xdrive and AOL Pictures), Hewlett-Packard (Upline), Sony (Image Station), and Yahoo (Briefcase). Plenty of lesser-known online storage firms also have kicked the bucket, including Digital Railroad and Streamload MediaMax, which turned into The Linkup.

Cloud Computing Loses Some Steam

The failures of popular online storage services are giving cloud computing a black eye. For years Internet companies invited people to store photos and data online, promoting the services as smart alternatives to storing data on a local PC or backup drive. AOL once stated in its Xdrive service's marketing literature: "You'll never have to worry that a computer crash or virus will destroy all your files because they will always be safe 'n' sound up on Xdrive." Xdrive officially closed in mid-January."

READ: What happens to the data when an online storage site closes?
by Tom Spring, PC World

Protect Your Data

Here are some suggestions to help you plan a smart backup strategy that includes online and offline options:

-- Find the Right Online Backup Service
-- Macworld's Storage News and Reviews

Gmail Voice & Video Chat

READ: Say hello to Gmail voice and video chat
by Justin Uberti, Software Engineer
on Google's Official Blog

Improve Your Email With Firefox

Blank Canvas Signature automatically inserts HTML signatures into your Gmail messages based on which address you are sending from. Supports up to four signatures per email account and works for Compose Message and Reply/Forward. Supports Firefox 3 for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and later.

WiseStamp Email Signatures customizes your signature, inserts your IM & Social services (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter...etc). Use multiple Business and Private email signatures, inserts HTML to signatures, works with Gmail, Google Apps, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and AOL. Since this is a Firefox plug in it can be used wherever you can paste text, not just emails. Supports Firefox 2 & Firefox 3. SEE EXAMPLE BELOW:

KANDUCO Enterprises
Kane: Digital Lifestyle Consultant
mobile: XXX.XXX.XXXX

visit us on the web at: www.kanduco.com
_____________________________________

Google Talk: kanduco AIM: kanduco

LinkedinBlogger

_____________________________________

D O T E A S Y - "Join the web hosting revolution!"
http://www.doteasy.com

YouTube Robot for Windows™

What is this post doing on an Apple blog?

Playing well with others.

"download and watch youtube video on computer
ipod, iphone, psp, zune, mobile phone."

YouTube Robot $34.95 Shareware at YouTubeRobot.com
Important: YouTube Robot is intended for use as a personal archiving tool only. Please respect the rights of the copyright holders of any material you get.

Of course you can use Apple Safari for Mac and Windows
to download from YouTube.com for free.

Use the FREE VLC video player, Mac and Windows to view.

Design & Publish your Website - FREE

Using Apple's iWeb and Plyxim’s Easy iWeb Publisher 3.0, for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and higher, you can design, create and publish your web site for free.

Jason Snell of Macworld has an excellent article explaining just how easy it is.

And Doteasy.com has FREE hosting too. Just refer to kanduco.com for a FREE 1GB hosting upgrade!
(The 1GB additional storage upgrade is limited to one (1) per Doteasy account. Each Doteasy account will only be awarded the 1GB free storage upgrade once.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apple: helping to keep the Free in Freedom!

Create Your Own iWeb Templates

11mystics.com has an article showing you how to create
your own iWeb templates without having to buy expensive software, using FREE applications for Mac OS X, such as TacoHTML, TextMate and MassReplacIt.

Of course you can also buy one of their many professionally designed templates if you'd rather. They are well worth the price.

Gmail Security Advisory

When using any non-secure network
it is highly advisable to enable
the HTTPS setting in Gmail.

Settings>Browser Connection>Always use https

For more information go to Google Support.

Sync Address Book & Google Contacts

Apple's Address Book in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard can be synced with Google Contacts directly from the Address Book's General Preferences by selecting "Synchronize with Google".

For users of previous iterations of Mac OS X you can export your Google Contacts as a vCard and then import them to your Apple Address Book to keep it up to date. Or you could download the freeware software ABGmerge to perform a pseudo-sync using AppleScript technologies.

Having your Apple Address Book synchronized with Google means never being without all your contacts regardless of where in the world you are, or what operating system you are using, as long as you have access to the internet.

Could your Digital Lifestyle be any easier than this?

Google vs AOL/AIM vs Yahoo

I've Been Waiting For This For Over 10 Years.

iGoogle allows you to interface with the web using multiple tabs, on the cleanest, ad free pages, saving you more time than you might ever have imagined.

You might even wonder how you got along without it.

Simple to set up and change whenever you want.
Use your current Gmail account, or get one, then log into iGoogle using your Gmail email address and password to begin setting up your new Homepage.

Gmail also provides you with Documents (text documents, presentations, spreadsheets, forms), Photos, Reader, and much more. Google Documents allows for people to collaborate on the same files.

The feature set of Google Calendar has the ability to invite guests via email and keeps track of who has accepted, declined, and any comments they have made. And you can choose whether guests can see other guests, and invite others. There are also handy reminders in the form of pop-ups and/or email.

Google Photos automatically collects all of the pictures you upload to Blogger on Picasa Web Albums. Google gives you up to 1 (one) GB of space for photos, and you can purchase additional storage space that will be shared between mail and photos. All the photo albums, up to 500 pictures each, can be kept private, "Unlisted", allowing you to select the individual people you want to share them with, or made public to show the world. The Picasa Web Albums Uploader for Mac OS X 10.4 makes uploading photos from iPhoto, and email so easy. And you can now use your mobile phone to see any picture you've posted to Picasa Web Albums. You can even post comments on your friends' latest photos.

With Google's RSS Reader if you find yourself repeatedly visiting a Blog or website to check for updates, or if you just come across a page you want to keep track of, you can easily subscribe to it using the subscribe bookmark.

And no, Gmail is NOT unlimited, but it is 7.2GB and rising, and you can send attachments up to 20 MB in size!

"In The Beginning" I used Netscape.net,

and it was good.

Then my @netscape.net account was transferred to AOL, becoming an @aim.com email account, and that was OK, I guess, but I was not happy because all my email was "lost" in the transfer, as well as my contacts. Thank you AOL.

AOL's free email service has had unlimited storage since 2006, but it only allows for attachments up to 16MB in size. And of course, advertising SUCKS! However if you send email to another AOL or AIM email address you can unsend it, and it does allow you to use POP3 and IMAP to read and send mail.
Also, AOL's Xdrive service gives you up to 5GB of free online storage, enabling you to transfer files up to 2GB using Apple© Safari, and others. Xdrive Desktop application is currently only available for Windows. Simply sign up for a NEW AOL or AIM email or ID.
Read the Terms Of Service and Privacy Policy.
WARNING: we have not tested this service, so read this Xdrive Wiki, as it contains serious reasons for you NOT to use your existing AOL/AIM account.

AOL Xdrive UPDATE- November 6, 2008:
"On January 12, 2009, AOL will permanently close the Xdrive Online Storage Service."

Yahoo's free email service has had unlimited email since 2007, but it does not allow you to use POP3 and IMAP to read and send mail, and just can't compete with Gmail's fine interface implementation or the personalization of iGoogle homepages.
It's feature set does include a calendar, notepad and contacts list, but doesn't come close to Gmail's broad and highly advanced feature set. It says right at the bottom of Yahoo's email page:
"NOTICE: we collect personal information on this site"
All those "Yahoo Personals" SPAM are a waste of time and space.
And of course, again, advertising SUCKS!

Most Advanced With No Ads
vs
Unlimited SPAM and Advertising


YOU DECIDE...

Google Tests the New iGoogle

Announced in April, the new version of iGoogle that brings social applications is tested in a small number of randomly selected Google accounts.

The new iGoogle places the tabs on the left-hand side of the page and you can expand the tabs to see the list of gadgets and status information, like the number of unread Gmail messages. There's a new chat feature borrowed from Gmail that lets you chat with your contacts while visiting iGoogle - that means iGoogle gets a sense of presence because you'll know when your contacts are online. Since the chat feature will be enabled by default, it's obvious that Google will be able to add options for sharing items and discussing posts with the contacts that are online.

iGoogle also adds a list of updates from your contacts similar to Facebook's newsfeed: you can see stories shared by your contacts in Google Reader, recent photos uploaded to Picasa Web Albums, Google Talk status messages, shared iGoogle themes and gadgets.



Another change is that gadgets have an expanded interface, called canvas view. Gadgets authors will take advantage of this to display more information and make their gadgets more interactive, while your feeds can be read in a Google Reader-like interface. In the future, iGoogle will support OpenSocial applications and the transformation to a social site will be complete.

Google announced that the canvas view will be rolled out to a small percentage of users this month and to more users in July, while the OpenSocial applications "will not work in production until later this summer".

Update (Oct. 16): The new iGoogle has been launched.

You can sign up for the developers sandbox at google.com/ig/sandbox.

READ: Google Tests the New iGoogle
by Google Operating System Blog