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Site News
Google Chrome Tips Launched!
| Google recently announced that the beta of its new Google Chrome browser is now available, so I added a new "Google Chrome Tips" section to JimsTips.com. It is also directly accessible by either GoogleChromeTips.com or GoogleBrowserTips.com. I'll be adding some tips and reviews as I dig into this new and interesting Web browser.
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iPod Touch Tips (iPTTips.com) Launches
After purchasing an iPod Touch (IPT), I quickly discovered that its capabilities far surpassed being just a media player with its Multitouch interface, WiFi, Web browsing, and basic PIM applications. And with existing "unofficial" and forthcoming "official" applications, the IPT could easily be destined to become the killer next-generation PDA. So, in keeping with tradition, I registered IPTtips.com to provide Tips, reviews, and information about the iPod Touch.
I'm really excited about the iPod Touch, particularly because Apple has plans release a Software Development Kit (SDK) so we should soon see additional applications. There is also an "unofficial" group of dedicated and skilled developers who are also creating applications that really boost its capabilities.
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PDA's: Back to Basics Check out my new Palm Z22 PDA articles! First, is an article where I explain how I am trying to simplify my PDA use by moving to a Palm Z22. Next, I review Palm's Air Case for the Z22. Finally, I review the good bad, and simple of the Z22 PDA.
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
Google has really gone to great lengths to try to increase the viewing space in its Google Chrome browser such as moving the tabs into the window's Title bar, etc. One thing that appears to be missing, though, is the Status bar at the bottom. So how do you see what URL you are hovering over? How do you know what URL is loading? The status bar is there on the lower right of the page, however it's just not always there. Hover over any link, or load a page, and you will see the Status bar slid in.
When you move off of a link or when the page finished loading, the Status bar slides away when not needed. Slick! |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
| Unlike in Firefox and Internet Explorer, Google Chrome has no dropdown integrated in the back and forward buttons, so how do you view your recent browsing history? Simple! Just click and hold either button, and if there is history, a dropdown menu will appear. You can alternately right-click on either arrow with the same effect.
To view your full browsing history, select the "Show full history" selection from the same menu, select "History" from the "Customize and control Google Chrome" button (the "wrench" icon), or simply press <crtl><H> and a full browsing history page will open in a new tab.
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
| Enter about:memory into the Omni bar (the address bar) and Google Chrome will display a nice summary of your memory useage and all Google Chrome-related processes. As a bonus, the summary section also displays the memory usage information for all other open browsers giving you a nice comparison!
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Here is a list of other "about:" commands that provide interesting information and do some interesting things:
about:cache
about:crash
about:dns
about:hang
about:histograms
about:internets
about:memory
about:network
about:plugins
about:stats
about:version
Most of these can also be easily bookmarked by clicking the Star in the Omni bar. |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
| Google provides many keyboard shortcuts to move around and work with Google Chrome. For a complete list, you can always jump over to the Google Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts page. In the mean time, read on to see a list of the keyboard shortcuts....
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
Currently, Google Chrome will only import Bookmarks from an installed version of Firefox. I use Firefox Portable exclusively, but unfortunately, Google Chrome does not recognize it as an import source. So, if you are a Firefox Portable user, here's a quick and dirty method of getting all of your existing Firefox bookmarks into Google Chrome....
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
| This is a really subtle one, but Google Chrome improves nicely on the "find" function for finding text within an open page. As in other browsers, pressing <ctrl><f> brings up a find box, however its overall functionality is just a bit different. Read on to see the differences.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 28 August 2008 |
 Having quick and easy access to information is one of the strong points of the iPhone and the iPod Touch. With their online capabilities, the Internet is at your fingertips, and just about any piece of information is just a few taps away. One group of applications that provides news information is the "RSS Reader" category. These programs provide news feeds in a (typically) organized and concise manner, allowing you to catch up news from your favorite sites wherever you are. But what if you are not online? What if an iPhone user is on a subway or in an area that has marginal or no coverage. What about an iPod Touch user who is not within range of a WiFi connection? Providing offline access to RSS feeds is a worthy endeavor, and AppStore has a dozen or so RSS readers that may fit your needs, however they all currently miss the mark in providing a complete offline reading experience. Read on to find out why....
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 |
 I'm always looking for decent cases for the devices I carry, and I have found another case for the iPod Touch that I just love. The Belkin Silicone Skin Case is a molded case made of silicone rubber that stretches to fit snugly around the iPod Touch. It provides cut-outs for the screen, top power button, brightness sensor, Universal Connector, and headphones. There is also a recessed portion over the front Home button giving it a great look and nice tactile feel. The case nicely protects the chrome back from scratches, and it provides the iPod Touch with a great grip. It only adds just a fraction of an inch to the overall size, so your iPod Touch remains slim and sleek.
This case is simple, yet elegant in design, but like similar "skin" cases it does not provide any protection for the screen, so a modest screen protector is included. (I personally use some left-over Palm PDA screen protectors, though the supplied protector will work just fine.) This setup makes the iPodtTouch very "front-pocketeble", and I am much more likely to regularly carry it with me because of the small size and confidence in the protection. After all, what's the point of having a device that contains your favorite content if it is too bulky to take with you? Currently, this is my case of choice. |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 |
Text entry on the iPod Touch's on-screen keyboard is surprisingly easy, but sometimes, it can be tedious to enter numbers, symbols, or special characters. But did you know that there are a few "shortcuts" that you can use to make this kind of entry quicker and easier? Read on for some tips on "shifting" letters, inserting numbers, symbols, and International characters, and making a quick entry correction.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Monday, 03 March 2008 |
 Arguably, one of the greatest current contributions to the Internet is Wikipedia, a solid encyclopedic resource for general knowledge of topics spanning literally millions of articles. Though the accuracy of some of its articles is questionable, overall, Wikipedia does an excellent job of presenting generally reliable content. A point of note that any researcher, student, or general Internet user should know, is that because of its susceptibility to error and vandalism, Wikipedia, should not be used as a difinitive research resource, it should be considered a great starting point for researching a topic.)
Like searching on Google, Wikipedia is fast and intuitive to use. On the iPod Touch, the Safari Web browser renders Wikipedia pages very well. But accessing Wikipedia from the iPod Touch has one major drawback: you must be online. Recently, however, there have been several sfforts to provide Wikipedia content in an offline format. This article covers two such offerings:
Wikipedia.appWiki2Touch (My Pick!)
I review what I like about them, what I dislike, and which I like best, so read on for a full review of these two applications.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Monday, 03 March 2008 |
Web Clips on your iPod Touch's Home Page are very handy, but if you accidentally delete one, how do you get it back? Well, you can't. When you create a Web Clip, consider also creating a corresponding Bookmark in Safari. This way, should you ever accidentally delete your Web Clip, you will have an easy way to get it back. Bookmarks can also be optionally synced through iTunes providing additional backup.
To create a Bookmark from a Web Clip, simply launch your Web Clip, tap the "+" button and select "Add Bookmark".
To create a Web Clip from a Bookmark, launch Safari, select the Bookmark, let the page load, and then tap the "+" button and select "Save to Home page".
An added benefit of maintaining Web Clips as Bookmarks is that you now have access to Web Clip pages right from within Safari instead of having to exit Safari to the Home page and selecting the Web Clip. I like to store these Web Clip Bookmarks in a "Web Clips" folder in my Bookmarks, but you can organize them however you want.
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Written by Jim Barr
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Monday, 03 March 2008 |
Here's a simple, yet not always intuitive tip. Have you ever been using Safari while lying down in bed or on a couch? You get comfortable, and as you tilt your iPod Touch, does the screen auto-rotate the wrong way? You then go through the delecate balancing act of finding that "sweet spot" just before it rotates, then you cock your head uncomfortably, just to view Safari in widescreen mode? Well, the solution is so simple, if you follow Apple's intuitive UD design. Because the iPod Touch only rotates 90° in either direction, once it is rotated, it will not rotate further. So when rotating yout iPod Touch, simply rotate it in direction you are lying. For example, if you lye down on your right side, rotate it clockwise. If you turn over to your left side, rotate it counter-clockwise.
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Written by Jim Barr
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Monday, 03 March 2008 |
 Like any PDA or pocket-sized electronic device, the iPod Touch is prone to scratches and dings, so on eof the first accessories you should consider is a case to protect it. Cases come in all sizes and shapes, so what is best for you is a very personal and subjective decision. I found the Griffin Elan Convertible case at my local Circuit City, and I find it to be a solid choice for the money. Read on for a full review.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
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The Google Maps application included in the "January Update" apps has a very nice offline feature: Routing. While connected to WiFi, Tap the "Directions" button, and enter the starting location and then the ending location of your desired route. Maps will then download the route data and store it for offline use. All route-point information including zoomed-in maps immediately surrounding each route point is downloaded. Once completed (ie: the progress "spinner" stops) you can shut off WiFi, and the route information will be retained to use offline. Read on for more details on how to use this useful feature.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
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Apple announced that in February 2008, they would release a Software Development Kit (SDK) enabling third-party developers to create applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Many people are placing a lot of hope into this tool. As of this writing, it appears that its release will be delayed until March, 2008. Read on to see my take on what the SDK may or may not bring.... |
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Written by Jim Barr
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
Apple released a firmware update (v1.1.3) providing some system tweaks and bug fixes, but it also came with a controversial upgrade that included 5 additional applications and some enhanced system functionality. What made it so controversial was that Apple charged $20 for the applications and enhanced functions. Some of the applications are simple, and some are full-featured, but they all add excellent functionality. I think they give us a great taste of what is to come. Read on to see the details of these new applications....
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Written by Jim Barr
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Monday, 25 February 2008 |
| I'm going to get this topic out of the way early on, as it is a topic that is taboo in many circles, but important, none the less. I am not going to explain here how to Jailbreak your iPhone/iPod Touch--a Google search can lead you where you need to go for those details. I am going to explain what Jailbreaking is, the reasons behind Jailbreaking, some cautions, why I Jailbroke my iPod Touch, and what you can do with a Jailbroken iPod Touch. So read on to see my experience with Jailbreaking my iPod Touch... |
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The Complete Collections | "Complete Collections" are consolidated Tips pages. |  | Click above to view "Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection" that includes my original review, and all the Tips.
|  | | Click above to view "Moxi Tips - The Complete Collection" that includes my original review, and all the Tips. |
Top Site
| GmailTips.com is proud to have been listed as one of PC Magazine's "99 Undiscovered Web Sites" in their "Top Web Sites of 2006" article. PC Magazine describes these 99 sites as
"...sites that are flying under the radar, but are useful, funny, or interesting enough to merit entrée into the Web's public consciousness." |
ReplayTV to DVD Howto
ReplayTV 5xxx owners: From transfered recording to DVD in under an hour!
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