Archive for July, 2010
Add Chrome Like Text Search Functionality to Firefox (Add-on)
Finding text on a webpage is something that can be helpful in a number of situations. In the web browser Mozilla Firefox you can search for text on a webpage by using the “Ctrl+F” key combination. This pops up a mini-window at the page’s bottom from where you can search for a word or phrase. You can use the “Highlight All” option to highlight your search item wherever it is on the webpage.
Suppose you want to view the context each search item is used in. You would have to jump from one highlighted search item to another. This can be a problem especially if the results are many and spread out far over the webpage.
A solution to this is presented by “Find All.”
Find All is a browser add-on for Firefox. With the add-on installed, the “Highlight All” option changes to “Find All.” This “Find All” option lists all the search results in an easily navigable view which helps you compare the results.
This view also eliminates any special formatting and displays the results in simple text, making the comparison much easier.
You can access the add-on’s options to modify the font size in which the results are displayed.
The options also let you change the highlighting color, choose to alternate the row background color, and display the “Highlight All” option along with the “Find All” option.
For people who use Firefox’s search feature a lot, “Find All” will prove itself to be a very useful tool. Get “Find All” Firefox Add-on.
Maintain Your Passwords Online With KeePass
The average internet user has accounts on a number of websites. Apart from email and social networking accounts, you end up creating accounts on other websites as well. Most people use the same username and password combination across all websites; however this is an unwise practice because if one account gets compromised, the others are automatically at risk.
Smart internet users keep different passwords on the sites they use. But as the number of accounts increases, it becomes harder to maintain all the passwords. That is where KeyPass comes into play.
KeyPass is a freeware program sized at 1.5 MB and compatible with Windows operating systems. After installing the program, this is what it will look like on first run:
The second row from the top has various buttons on it. Click on the first button to set a master password. This password will need to be entered to access the information you save in KeyPass.
In conjunction to a password, you can use a file as the master password but this is optional.
After you click on the OK button and enter the master password another time, you will see newly created categories in the left pane.
You can highlight a category and use the fourth button in the second row to add a password entry in that category.
While entering a new password entry, you can add numerous details. These details include the title of the password file, and the combination of username and password. You can even add a URL, notes, and an expiration date with the password entry.
You will then see the password in KeyPass’s interface.
To select a password, simply double click on the password’s dotted view. This action will copy the password to clipboard for exactly 10 seconds.
While the password is in the clipboard, you can paste it in on the website where you need to use it.
KeyPass functions in such a way that all you need to remember is the master password. You can quickly create a new account on a site with a password which you save in KeyPass. From then on, all you have to do is copy the password from the program’s interface – no need to remember it yourself.
Needless to say, this simple procedure will appeal to many internet users. Get KeyPass from http://keepass.info/
Online Project Management Made Easy With ProWorkflow
If you own a creative or tech service business, you know how difficult it can be to manage projects, staff and your clients. You have to keep your team organised, manage and assign tasks to staff, distribute information, keep clients up to date on progress and ensure quotes and invoices get sent out on time. The most important aspect of this is that you need a communication channel where your team and your clients can collaborate on projects and tasks.
Many online workers rely on their email account and perhaps a spreadsheet to keep track of their projects and communicate with the other members of the team. However, as soon as you start managing more than a handful of projects and clients or have to work whilst on the move then emails and spreadsheets aren’t going to cut it. You will inevitably start looking for some form of robust project management software.
ProWorkflow is an online project management software tool which allows you to manage all of your projects from a central location. ProWorkflow is currently helping many thousands of customers globally to optimize their business processes, manage staff resources, track projects, tasks and time and keep on top of it all!
Let’s see the features of ProWorkflow.com in full detail:
Features of ProWorkflow.com
When you first login to ProWorkflow, you will see the following dashboard:
The dashboard consists of 4 main expandable sections – Projects, Tasks, Time and Invoicing. Then there is a navigation sidebar which contains many more options to manage your projects, create or assign tasks and perform other activities.
The “Search” section, placed at the right top of the screen lets you search for projects, tasks, companies, contacts and notes. This is handy, when you quickly want to know the details about a particular project, task or client.
The “Recent Items” column lists all the recent activity of your account. It shows the projects and tasks you were recently working on so you can save valuable time by jumping straight to the item you need.
The Projects Section
The projects section allows you to create and manage your projects. You can access the Projects section from your dashboard or from the sidebar.
Clicking “New Project” opens a new browser pop up window where you can add all the details regarding your project. This includes adding a title, client, specifying a category, choosing priority, adding deadlines and more. There is a WYSiWYG editor which lets you add a description to your project.
In addition you can add more staff to your project and choose a project manager. Staff added to your projects will automatically get an email notification that they have been assigned to upcoming project or task.
When you have finished adding all the details, you can start adding tasks from the “Project Details” page. You can also enclose a variable in the task name to help better identify tasks.
Adding time to tasks is easy. Just click the time link next to any task to add time, either manually or through a start/stop time tracker.
The recorded time is attached to the task and added to the total time spent for the project. In addition it’s added to the user’s weekly timesheet. There are plenty of time summary reports you can access later if needed.
One of the great time saving features is the ‘Edit All Tasks’ screen where you can bulk edit your project’s tasks. Use this screen to assign tasks to staff, add start and due dates, allocated times and a task description:
I particularly liked that most information on the “Project Details” page could be edited by inline editing – double clicking where the fields show green:
Send Messages to Your Team Members
The “Message” section lets you send quick messages to all or some of your Team members. To send a message, click “Add” under the Message panel and this will open a WYSIWYG editor where you can type the message and send it to selected staff.
The messages sent can be set as private or public and there is an option to send an email as well as just have the message appear on screen. The messaging in ProWorkflow is a great way to collaborate on a project as all project members are on the same page, literally! Conversations are stored and archived with the project so there’s no more hunting around or missing emails.
Upload Files and Documents to Share with your Team Members
The “Files” section lets you create folders and upload files from your computer. You can upload images, documents or any other file which you want to share with other members working on the same project. Files can also be uploaded to individual tasks.
The File sharing feature is useful for two reasons. First, your uploaded files can be organized in folders and sub-folders so you can quickly share a folder with any team member and let him view or download any files that he may need. Second, all the uploaded files are kept safe in your ProWorkflow account and you don’t have to use third party websites for uploading your files.
Project Timeline
The Project timeline lets you list all the projects and tasks which are assigned to a particular day of the work calendar. The timeline is similar to a gantt chart and can be a great help with planning workflow. You can also use the timeline to see the workload for a particular staff member, project or client.
The project timeline is a very easy way to know how much work is pending, how much progress has been made and what tasks may be due or needing work done on a particular day.
Create and Manage Invoices
You can create invoices from ProWorkflow’s “Invoicing” section and manage the billing. An Invoice can be made from a quote, from a project’s tracked time, a date range of time tracked or manually. Here is how the invoice panel of ProWorkflow appears:
We’ve only scratched the surface of what this powerful application is capable of. To find out more and try for yourself, sign up for a ProWorkflow account here or get the free 14 day trial account here
Why Use ProWorkflow for Project Management?
Although there are a lot of web based project management applications, here are a few reasons why you should choose ProWorkflow for managing your projects:
1. You can have unlimited projects, tasks, clients and contractors!
2. ProWorkflow is highly configurable, the look and feel of the application can be tailored to match your brand and a range of settings allow you to optimize ProWorkflow to suit your business. Administrators also have granular control of user permissions for both staff and clients.
3. ProWorkflow extends beyond its web application with iCal integration, a free iPhone app and desktop Time Tracker. They also offer a range of invoicing integrations as well as a fully featured API for custom development.
4. Projects, tasks, invoices and quotes can be easily created using templates.
5. There is a dedicated help center with video guides to help you get started with ProWorkflow and learn more.
The monthly pricing of ProWorkflow is as per industry standards and they have 3 different plans to choose from. You can view the complete pricing plans and feature comparisions at this page. ProWorkflow is a well established solution – in this competitive space it’s good to know that there is a company that has been around for almost ten years.
The 5 (Really) Cool Windows Tools You Might Need
There are so many software available out there that can make your windows PC performs better, getting by free and good ones is not that easy. That is why I am sharing 5 great freeware tools for you to make your lives easier than ever. Read each entry in the list and see which tool suits your needs best.
You are welcome if you want to share more software that our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at smashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter as well.
Soluto
Soluto is a freeware program for Windows operating systems. Although no system requirements are specified on the website’s page, I tested the program on a Vista 32 bit machine and it ran flawlessly.
Smart Defrag
Smart Defrag is a tiny Windows compatible utility sized at only 1.8 MB. When you run the program, you can view all your hard drive partitions. Click on the partition you feel is responding slowly, and perform an analysis to see if any files require defragmentation.
USB Write Protect
A flash drive virus works by writing itself onto your flash drive. If you could somehow temporarily disable the writing permissions on your drive, your flash drive would be more secure. At the same time, you will be unable to accidentally delete or modify the flash drive’s contents. USB Write Protect is tiny Windows utility sized at only 11 KB. You download the archive, extract it, and run the executable in it.
FontFrenzy
To clean up these redundant fonts, you could employ any one of countless font managers available on the web. My primary choice, however, would be FontFrenzy – a font manager with some extra font cleaning features. FontFrenzy is a freeware sized at only 490 KB and compatible with Windows. When you load it up, the program shows all fonts installed on your computer.
Bvckup
Bvckup is a program currently in its beta that works with Windows operating systems. The program has a number of interface and functionality features which set it apart from applications that perform the same auto-syncing tasks.
Expand Your Primary Drive To Get More Space With GParted
Is your “C” drive getting a little smaller for the programs you want to install? Would you like to expand your primary drive to get more space? What you need is a good partitioning program. GParted is what you need.
This nifty freeware will suit many computer users. GParted’s simple user interface makes partitioning a breeze. You select the drive from the top right corner of the program.
You can use the program to assign the hard disk space changes, conduct a final review, and click on the “Apply.” The sliders with each drive let you use your mouse to adjust the hard disk space. The changes you make start taking effect only after you click on the Apply button.
Note: Do not attempt partitioning if you are experiencing power outages – the computer turning off in the middle of the process can cause some serious hard disk problems.
GParted is primarily a program for Linux computers. But Windows 32-bit users can make use of the program as well. Linux users can check their distro’s repositories to install. Windows users can boot from an Ubuntu live CD, if they have one, and find GParted under “System” followed by “Administration.” Other Windows users can download the GParted Live CD, burn it to a disk, and boot the system from it.
The program will be a great help to anybody looking for a good hard drive partitioning program. Check out GParted.
SlideshowBox (Amazing Photo Slideshows Using HTML & Pure JavaScript) Giveaway
SlideshowBox is running a contest, where winners will get 5 Slideshow Box Premium HTML licenses (worth $99 each). Well, you guys know what SlideshowBox is. Lets say it once again for n00bs.
SlideshowBox is an easy to use application that enables you to create amazing Flash and HTML (JavaScript) photo slideshow galleries.
SlideshowBox comprises 24 high-quality slideshow templates that allow you to create custom photo slideshows without the pains of coding. Many new templates will be added in the near future, including more pure JavaScript slideshows.
SlideshowBox enables you to create professional photo slideshows starting from dozens of stylish templates, and no coding. SlideshowBox will output Flash AS3.0 and JavaScript galleries using standard XML files as sources, though neither AS3.0 nor JavaScript coding is required for you to use their templates.
The HTML (JavaScript) version of SlideshowBox makes all the Flash templates available to non-Flash developers without the need for Adobe Flash, through their online configuration panel. Because these slideshows consist in configurable SWF files, Flash Player is needed for them to work. Also on the HTML version, there are 5 full JavaScript slideshows which are compatible with iPad and iPhone. See all available templates.
This contest will run from July 29, 2010 to August 6, 2010 and we will select the winners randomly by running MySQL query. Result can be announced any day before August 10, 2010 so keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed to get the latest updates. To participate in the contest and win free license of SlideshowBox, All you have to do is just :
1. Just leave a comment.
2. Use valid email ID in the email box.
3. Not necessary, but you can subscribe to our rss feed and follow us on twitter as well. (To track this contest and for future updates)
4. And thats it!
So what are you waiting for now? Let’s participate in the contest and good luck!
How Programmer Reacts On Different Situations (Cartoon Strip)
The classic definition of a programmer actually rarely exists anymore. Being a programmer can be a difficult job trying to figure out why the code you have developed isn’t working and if everything is going good according to the specs then he’s feeling himself a happiest guy around. It’s not unusual for them to face dynamically new situations so often while performing their job. But they are use to with it. However excitement, enthusiasm, love, horror, frustration and other emotions are the vital part of their professional personality.
Below is a cartoon sequence to find out how programmer reacts on different situations. Let’s enjoy and relate it with you if you gets these reactions too while programming.
Via Programmer’s life (cartoon)
Mugtug Offers Online Image Editing & Drawing Tool At One Place
If you have been using your computer for some time, you already have separate applications installed for image editing and drawing. But if you are using somebody else’s computer, you might not have the administrative privileges required to install new programs. In this case online apps come quite in handy. Rather than looking for separate web apps for image editing and drawing, you should pay a visit to “Mugtug.”
Mugtug is a free to use web service that offers two web apps – an online image editor and an online drawing tool, both HTML5-based.
The site also has a small community which users can log in to share the work they got done through Mugtug.
The online image editor is called “Darkroom” and offers a number of impressive features.
You can upload an image to the editor from your computer, a URL, or through your Picasa or Flickr accounts. Once uploaded you could use one of the basic features from the top pane. These features include rotate, mirror, crop, and red eye removal.
Further options can be found in the left pane. Here you can set the colors, set the brightness and exposure levels, and modify the contrast and saturation levels.
You can also add effects to the pictures. Previews of each effect can be seen by placing your mouse pointer over the effect.
When done editing, you can save or share the picture using the button on the top left. You can do a final resizing of the picture and choose to save the picture, share it via URL, or publish on your Picasa or Flickr account.
The drawing app offered by Mugtug is called “Sketchpad.”
This tool offers standard drawing options along with advanced features of pattern, gradient, and swatch. You can also create your own colors using the color chooser set in the top right. When done drawing, you can use the button in the top right to save your drawing in PNG image format.
Mugtug successfully merges these tools in a user friendly interface. The next time you need to draw or edit a photo, remember to visit Mugtug.
Sally Park Lets You Find Your Car Any Time With Your iPhone
More than once I have had trouble finding my parked car. I am sure you have too. Whether we park our car in the huge parking lot of a superstore, or in the assigned area outside a rock concert, or at the airport’s parking, remembering where exactly we parked our car can be quite a challenge.
Some people’s memory is great at this and they keep mental notes of nearby landmarks or hints, like signboards or parking rows. Other people get near enough to their car and sound off their car alarm using a remote; they then follow the sound to their car. But for iPhone 3GS and iPad users, by far the most convenient way to find our car is by using Sally Park.
Sally Park is an application for iPhone 3GS and iPad; to run properly it requires iPhone OS 3.1 or later. Sally Park is a multilingual and can be used in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Essentially Sally Park is a GPS application adapted to facilitate people who are in the abovementioned situation.
So how does the application exactly work?
A user installs Sally Park on their iDevice. Then whenever they park in a not-too-familiar area and there is a chance they will face troubles finding their car, they take out their iDevice, open the application, and record the current location through GPS technology.
On their way back to the car, users can get the iDevice out and use Sally Park’s GPS and compass to guide them back to their car. This guidance includes a neat to-scale map which indicates our current location and that of the car; our distance to our car is also shown. Notes and pictures of nearby objects can also be added to location to facilitate finding our car.
Sally Park is available from the App Store for $1.99 only. Click here to visit its link.
Top 17 Websites To Easily Generate CSS Grid Layouts
Website developers often have to employ CSS grids to complete their designs. Coding the CSS grids from the beginning can be quite a hassle. To facilitate their creation, online CSS grid layout builders can be used.
Below you will find a list of 17 great online CSS grid builders that will surely help any web developers. See which online tool will suit your needs best.
You are welcome if you want to share more useful CSS grid layout generator tools which our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter.
1. Zurb CSS Grid Builder
This website has all the necessary tools required to create a good CSS grid layout. You enter your grid layout specifications such as number of columns and gutter width; after that you click on a button to obtain the corresponding CSS code. Visit Zurb CSS Grid Builder.
2. Tiny Fluid Grid
The more recent type of grids are fluid grids which can adjust their shape to match the site visitor’s screen resolution. This grid-transformation feature helps the site visitor view the maximum possible site content without having to scroll sideways. Tiny Fluid Grid is an online service that helps create such grids. The controls are quite standard: you enter the grid specifications and download an archive file that contains the CSS code. Check out Tiny Fluid Grid.
3. Pagecolumn Grid Layout Generator
Along with the standard grid specifications like width and columns, you can use this online service to add colors to your grid as well. The site gives you an HTML code along with the CSS code for your grid. Visit Pagecolumn Grid Layout Generator.
4. DesignByGrid Grid Generator
This is another site that provides with the HTML plus CSS code for your Grid. Visit DesignByGrid Grid Generator.
5. Blueprint Grid CSS Generator
This site will give you a PNG image of your grid in addition to the CSS code. Visit Blueprint Grid CSS Generator.
6. netProtozo Grid Generator
Another simple to use grid generator, this online tool will also provide a downloadable PNG image in addition to the CSS code for your grid. Check out netProtozo Grid Generator.
7. Grid Designer
Grid Designer will provide you with HTML and CSS codes for whatever grid you enter the specifications of. Try out Grid Designer.
8. Grid System Generator
This online tool will produce CSS and XHTML codes for your grids. Visit Grid System Generator.
9. YUI Grid Builder
Not only can you enter column numbers in this online grid creator, but also set header and footer content. Visit YUI Grid Builder.
10. Variable Grid System
This site will let you create fixed as well as fluid grid layouts. Check out Variable Grid System.
11. YAML Grid Builder
With this online tool, you will have a substantial number of grid parameters you can modify to suit your needs. Check out YAML Grid Builder.
12. Pagcolumn’s Layout Generators
This is another online service by Pagecolumn. With this you can have a broader view and start designing a grid by choosing the overall layout. Check out Pagcolumn’s Layout Generators @ http://www.pagecolumn.com/
13. Fisheye
This site will help you easily get the CSS code for grids. Visit Fisheye.
14. CSS Layout Generator
With CSS Layout Generator you can obtain the XHTML and CSS codes for your generated grids. Check out CSS Layout Generator.
15. Firdamtic
This site is an easy way to create 2-column or 3-column layouts. Check out Firdamtic.
16. CSS Portal’s CSS Layout Generator
With this online tool you can specify the background color in addition to other grid parameters. Check out CSS Portal’s CSS Layout Generator.
17. CSS Source Ordered Variable Border 1-3 Columned Page Maker
This online tool has a lot of variable parameters that can be adjusted to create your desired 1-3 columned grids. Check out CSS Source Ordered Variable Border 1-3 Columned Page Maker.
