I’m the proud owner of a Samsung i-637 Jack, which has Windows Mobile as it’s OS. Opera Mobile is available for a variety of phones and thankfully, Windows Mobile is supported. I’m not a big fan of the default browser on my Samsung (Internet Explorer) for a number of reasons. For one, it’s ridiculously slow. In terms of functionality, there’s just not much there. Besides the bare bones like bookmarks, history, zooming, and typing, Internet Explorer lacks everything else. I then upgraded to the Skyfire Mobile Browser, which was a bit of an improvement, but I wasn’t impressed. That’s when I turned to Opera. I used Opera Mini on my previous phone, a Palm. The current version of the Opera Mobile browser surpasses IE mobile, Skyfire, and Opera Mini in terms of the skin and functionality. Gotta love a problem with great graphics right?

1. Speed Dial: If you’ve had any experience with the Opera browser or Google Chromium, you’ll know about Speed Dial. It’s pretty much a page with a graphic of some kind (usually a logo) and a link. That way, you don’t need to access your bookmarks or type in the URL manually. Speed Dial is a nice feature to have, especially on a mobile device where you’re probably just accessing a few sites many times over and over.
2. Quick Search: Most browsers nowadays have quick search bars linked to many search engines. Opera has a quick search bar right next to the address bar, allowing users to search Google quickly and efficiently.
3. Zoom Capabilities: On phones that don’t have a lot of screen real estate, the zoom feature is a must. If you’re not visiting a mobile website, the page will shrink to fit your screen, rendering text unreadable. Zooming in is the only way to solve the problem.
4. Easy Menu Navigation: When you’re just browsing, the menu will be hidden, but one press from a softkey will bring up options to go back to the Speed Dial, to bring up favorites and bookmarks, access history and saved pages, change your settings, find text on a page, and get help with operating Opera Mobile.

A look at Opera Mobile

It’s my browser of choice! Opera Mobile 10. Forget Internet Explorer and it’s limited functionality. I use Opera Mobile for all my Google searches and to access Foursquare!

• View your mobile screen on your desktop.
• Control your mobile using your keyboard and mouse.
• Copy/cut/paste text between your mobile and desktop.
• Capture your mobile screen and export to video, jpg, or copy to your clipboard.
• Browse your files and connect via Activesync or use an IP connection.

It’s simple to use and works pretty well. So far, I’ve used it to take screenshots on my Samsung i637 Jack, record video, and browse files. It works like a charm. At first I couldn’t get the hang of making calls with the computer, but then I figured it out. Connecting is a piece of cake and operating the cell phone with my computer keyboard and mouse is simple. MyMobiler also has several functions and keyboard shortcuts. It gives you the ability to zoom in or out to look at your cell phone screen, press your mobile function keys (i.e volume, softkeys, talk, end, etc.), make a key sound when typing, and rotate your mobile screen.

MyMobiler on Samsung i637

Not too much else to say about MyMobiler. It just WORKS! Whether you need to take screenshots or record video of your cell phone screen, MyMobiler is the tool to get. Install it on your computer and your mobile smartphone and tap away. I love being able to make phone calls using my computer. When I connect my Samsung to my computer to charge, I can make phone calls and even put it on speakerphone without having to touch my cell phone.

Two other features worth mentioning: the file browser and typing with the keyboard. If your smartphone comes with Microsoft Word or OneNote mobile installed, you can open it up using your computer and type directly into the phone and even save the copies. That means you can bypass the file transfer to the phone and type directly into it. How cool is that?

You can download MyMobiler here. For the Samsung i637 version I’m using, click here to download the installer.

 Download MyMobiler

1. Power: This is a neat feature to have. You can essentially turn your phone off without powering down your device. The phone will be disconnected, wifi turned off, and bluetooth turned off, but you still have access to contacts and vital information. This is also known as the “airplane mode”. It’s useful for the long plane rides or even times when you just don’t want to be disturbed, even by the vibrating phone.
2. Task Manager: Gotta love this feature. If you’ve ever used a Windows OS before, then you’ll know what the Task Manager is all about. When things go awry or you have a runaway program, just close it from the Task Manager.
3. Wifi: As with most phones that have wifi built in, you have the option of turning it on or off. With Windows Mobile, you can customize logins and connect to pretty much any network that is within range. Turning wifi on will run your battery dry, but it also means that you don’t need to tap into your phone’s data plan if you have access to an access point. If you turn on wifi and you’re near an AT&T wifi spot, you’ll automagically connect without login because your phone is AT&T! Perfect for Starbucks.
4. Bluetooth: Bluetooth capabilities is a must. If you don’t like to be corded to your computer, you can transfer files back and forth via bluetooth. I use it mainly for documents and pictures. Instead of taking out the storage card or connecting to the computer via USB, I just receive and transer files via bluetooth. It’s convenient and pretty fast. You also have to option of turning this off to preserve your precious batteries.
5. Home Screen: The default home screen for the i637 is intuitive and flexible. You can customize it however you want, but I love that you can access all the important information on the phone with just a few clicks. The time, missed calls, contacts, text messages, emails from all accounts configured, calendar and appointments, media player, and even simple settings.
6. ActiveSync: This bit of software essentially connects to your computer or server and synchronizes your important information like contacts, calendar events, emails, and tasks. With a data plan, you don’t even need to connect to your computer. With Windows Mobile, you can easily transfer and copy files to your computer’s Window OS. Cool beans! I currently sync using Google sync.
7. Windows Marketplace: It’s kind of like the Apps store on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Developed Windows Mobile applications that are available for your phone are displayed. You can download them via the marketplace and then use them on your phone. One downside is that there aren’t that many apps available. These applications can be free, but more often than not, they are quite pricey for some of the highly functional applications.

Since I have a paid unlimited data plan with AT&T, I try out as many apps as I possibly can. Here are a couple that I really like and recommend:

Microsoft My Phone: Brought to you by Microsoft, Myphone allows you to synchronize almost everything with you Windows Live account. It’s a simple download and registration process. Then you’ll be able to read all your texts and emails, access pictures, find contacts, view the calendar, view favorites and documents that are on your phone all from your computer. It’ll sync automatically too, so you don’t have to worry about actually running the program. Perfect for backing up your phone.

Perhaps the most exciting features are the premium features. These are only to be activated for a short duration and in case of emergency: when you lose your phone. With these premium features, which last 7 days, you can ring your phone loudly for 60 seconds, locate your phone on a map so you can find it, lock your phone to prevent unauthorized access, and erase your phone, including the contents of your storage card. Do you see how that is ascending in order? Looks like the premium features will cost you $4.99 but you get a free trial, so I suggest you not using it until you need it.

Evernote: If you’re familiar with any Evernote program, then you know what it’s all about. Essentially you take notes and it synchronizes to a server. You’ll be able to view it online, from the Evernote desktop program, or from your mobile device. With the phone, you can take a text note, a snapshot, an audio note, or upload a file. Pretty useful if you’re on the run but need to remember something.Google Maps: We should all be familiar with this by now. It’s Google Maps for Windows Mobile! Whether you need directions, trying to locate yourself on the map, or searching for a venue, Google Maps is your go to application. When you’re searching for venues, you’ll be able to see contact information, store information, menus, and reviews. Using your phone’s GPS, Google Maps fixed your position and overlays your movements on the map in real time. It’s easy, intuitive and just works! A must-have application for times when you’re on the go.MyMobiler: We’ll do a whole post on this neat little application, but for now, all you need to know is that it enables you to control your phone via your computer. Everything from calling contacts to composing and sending out emails. Keep your eyes peeled for a follow-up post regarding MyMobiler!

Opera Mobile: Same goes with the Opera Mobile browser! It’s a fine piece of software and it is capable of more than I can write about in this blog post. I’ll follow up with an Opera browser and Opera Mobile post. Opera is currently my mobile browser of choice instead of the packaged Internet Explorer that comes with my Samsung.Have a cool Windows Mobile application to share? Leave it in the comments below!

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http://www.youtube.com/user/googlechrome

Google didn’t lie about the speed. The program itself loads really quickly and pages load miraculously fast. Even with all the tweaks I made to Firefox, Google flat out beats Firefox. That’s why I’ve uninstalled Mozilla Firefox and all my browsing needs have been replaced by Google Chrome. Chrome is an awesome browser. I’ve been using it for a long time now and always the developer’s version. I mainly went with the developer’s version because the extensions were being tested. I’m currently using 5.0.396.0 beta. Part of what makes Google great is the simplicity and the various extensions available for mainstream consumption. The only drawback of Chrome, that I feel, is the consumption of resources. Each open tab is a new process and each installed extension is also a new process. Sometimes Chrome will crash and it doesn’t play too nicely with flash if you have a lot of extensions or tabs open.

Enough said about how much I live for Google products and Google Chrome. Let’s have a look at a couple of extensions that I’ve either installed and uninstalled or still have installed. Let me give you the low down:

1 . Alwitt’s Facebook Enhancer: If you use Facebook, you need this extension. The design might be a little bit lacking, but everything else is sound. Some main features:

- fixed top menu bar that stays fixed even when scrolling
- fixed left filter bar
- bigger profile pictures that pop up a full sized image on hover
- pop up bigger image on mouseover
- highlights today’s birthdays
- bottom menu bar is slightly transparent

  Find the chrome extension here and their Facebook page here.

2 . Delicious Tools: Use delicious to share and manage links? You might find this extension useful. Features:

- ability to save bookmarks
- view your delicious bookmarks and inbox
- customizable keyboard shortcuts

Find the chrome extension here.

3 . Gmail checker:* An effective and efficient Gmail notification tool that sits on the browser toolbar and notifies you of new arriving mail. Features:

- number of unread mail is displayed prominently
- link for Gmail inbox (keeps you signed in)
- shows sender, subject, time, and snippet of your emails
- ability to delete, archive, or mark as read from extension

4 . Google voice: An extension made by Google that allows Google voice users to make calls, listen to voicemail, and get notified. Features:

- make calls, send SMS, preview voicemail and inbox
- turns numbers on websites into callable numbers

Find the chrome extension here.

5 . Stickr: Getting involved with Stickr? Make sure you install the Stickr extension before you start looking at and posting Stickrs.
6 . Stumbleupon: I use Stumbleupon to discover tons of interesting, new, and unique sites. All of this in a social setting, of course. Features:

- stumble from the toolbar with topic filters included
- rate sites up or down and comment on them
- share through other social networks
- access your own favorites

Find the chrome extension here.

7 . Web Developer: If you’re a web developer, then this extension will be invaluable. It’s an official port of the web developer extension from Firefox.

Find the chrome extension here.

8 . Cooliris:** Turns your browser into a 3D wall for viewing images, the web, and almost anything imaginable. Features:

- 3D browsing and mouse flick controls
- search from popular image search engines and YouTube
- comes with video viewing from popular sites including Hulu

Find the chrome extension here and website here.

9 . Turn off the lights:*** Fades the entire page except for the video you’re watching. If you’ve ever used the "dim lights" function on Hulu or in the Divx player, it’s the exact same thing. Simple and functional.
Find the chrome extension here.

10 . Session manager:**** Manage your current browser tabs and reload it whenever you need it. Features:

- create startup pages for daily routines
- group and rename tabs to start up later
- save pages you’ll come back to when researching or shopping.

Find the chrome extension here.

11 . Speed dial: Replace the Chrome new tabs and start tab with a customized version. Features:

- customizable background and speed dials
- fully editable titles and URL

Find the chrome extension here.

The starred extensions have special notes. I’ve listed the reasons below.

*Gmail Checker: I can’t seem to find the download page for this extension anymore. Instead, it looks like it may have been replaced by newer, yet not as functional version.

**Cooliris: Perhaps it wasn’t perfected yet, but the Cooliris extension was a little buddy in my Chrome and would crash all the tabs I had open.

***Turn off the lights: It’s a neat little extension, but I didn’t find too much use for it besides the occasional YouTube video.

****Session Manager: I used this extension for a long while, but then I discovered that it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. I don’t really need a session manager because I don’t save pages for long. I really used it more for start pages and Speed Dial has taken its spot.

Hope you find these useful and if you any extensions that you’re really fond of, make sure to leave a comment. Cheers and happy chroming!

1 . Time-band

2 . Google Mail

3 . Coke bottle design

4 . DSLR Design

Concept cars time!

Concept planes!

Concept boats!

   TO BE CONTINUED…

Artifacts from the Future (FOUND brought to you by Wired.com):

1 . VoteStation (Predicted year 2012)

2 .  Barf Bag (Predicted year 2047)

3 . Tastetester (2009)

4 . Bumper Sticker (2012)

5 . Antivirus (2022)

6 . Space Elevator (2032)

7 . Diaper (2024)

8 . Mood Ring (2009)

9 . Contact Lens (2020)

10 . Diet Cola (2019)

11 . Speeding Ticket (2054)

12 . Medicine Cabinet (2013)

13 . Birthday (2079)

14 . Responsibeer (2012)

15 . Windshield (2013)

Find more interesting future concepts by clicking here.

TO BE CONTINUED…

1) Free Fonts: Check out these awesome fonts. It’s a great list. However, you do have to register at a couple of these sites before you are allowed to download them. They’re definitely worth checking out though.

2) Free Icon Sets: Another great post from Smashing Magazine. It’s a list of free icon sets. Not just one icon or two icons. FULL SETS! If you can’t tell, I’m really excited. Some of the sets have hundreds of icons. Enjoy! I know I will.

Image via CrunchBase

As some of you may know, I’m a heavy Google Chrome user. It is my default browser, ever since I left Internet Explorer in the dust a long time ago. Here is my browser progression. Went from IE to Firefox, then found Flock and started using that heavily. Along the same time, I also experimented a bit with Avant and Maxthon, as well as Safari. When Google Chrome came out, I started using it mainly because I got fed up with the Firefox load times. Even though I tweaked with the configuration, I couldn’t rely on it’s speed. Although I still have it on my computer, I haven’t touched it in a long time.

I had my doubts about Chrome when I first started. That was mainly because it was barely customizable and too simplistic for my needs. Then I realized that in a browser, simplicity may be the best way to go. Without all my add-ons, I felt lost at first, but I readily adapted to it. If you’ve switched to chrome, you’ll know what I mean. Sure, there are a few bugs here and there, but it works and is still under development. I’ve recently switched over to the developers build and started using some of the awesome extensions. Let me tell you right now, they are well worth it. You can find all of the extensions at Chromeextensions.org. Once you switch, you’ll never want to go back. Some sites are still not suited for Chrome, but that’s one out of many. When worst comes to worst, you can always switch back to your original browser.

Here are three extensions I found that I’ve been using most often:

1) Alwitt’s Facebook Enhancer: If you use Facebook (which I am betting that you do), you’ll want to grab chrome and install this extension. It has made navigating Facebook a lot less troublesome and increases your efficiency. Below is a picture of what you should expect to find. My favorite feature is pop-up images when you roll over them.

2) YouTube Playback 1.1: I’m also a heavy YouTube user. YouTube meets my everyday entertainment needs. This simple extension allows you to pause and play any YouTube video you have from another tab. That means you can have a video playing, open a new tab for some other business and still have the audio blaring. When you need to pause the YouTube video, just hit the pause button located conveniently in any of your open tabs. Works like a charm. Props.

3) Gmail Checker: Use Gmail? You might want to check this extension out. It places an icon on your Chrome toolbar which notifies you when you have new mail. When you click the icon, it’ll give you a drop down list of your new unread mail: sender, subject, and brief summary. It’s really useful. Want to read your unread mail? Just click on it and it’ll open a new tab with the message you selected. Awesome!

That’s it for now. If you have any other Chrome extensions that are your favorites, why not share them in the comments below?

Now that you’ve seen the video and know what it’s about, head over to the Blog Action Day website, register your blog and help spread the word. It’s important, and together, we can. I’m proud to announce that this blog will be posting an article on climate change.

10 BAD foods you should avoid:

1) Deep Fried Twinkies: Imagine a Twinkie. Then imagine it being immersed in a bubbling vat of oil and grease. Lovely picture right? Sure it might be delicious but ugh FAT! Each Twinkie has 150 calories, 12% saturated fat, 7% cholesterol, and 9% sodium. Scary? YES. Just plain old bad for you. I must admit it sure looks yummy!

2) Soda: I used to drink a whole ton of soda, mainly PEPSI. Go PEPSI! However, I haven’t had soda in about 3-4 months and I feel a whole lot better. If you’re addicted to soda, try going to rehab for it and you’ll feel awesome. Try to have water handy and add some lemon to it. When you get the urge, drink that water! Or tea. Tea is awesome too. That’s how I broke my habit. Thanks to tea and water. Here are some facts: an average can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, and about 30 to 55 mg of caffeine. Keep your kids off of that sweet soda water!

3) Potato chips and French fries: Pretty popular stuff and they are in fast food spots all over the world. Why are they so bad for you? First off, they are greasy as hell and they contain acrylamide, which is a neurotoxin and cancer causing. Yuck right? I love fries and I will have them once in a while, because they’re tasty. Sadly, they’re bad for you.

4) Doughnuts! They are dang tasty and awesome with coffee. A pretty popular treat and breakfast food item, they aren’t good for you! It’s all sugar and flour and loaded with trans fats. How tasty is that? It’s a heart attack treat.

5) Coffee cake and baked goods: Baked goods have tons of trans fat, additives, corn syrup, and artificial flavors. Yum?

6) Luncheon meats, bacon, and other “mystery meats”: Why are they called mystery meats? Because you don’t really know what is in them do you? Tons of sodium nitrite, which is a carcinogenic. People who consumed lots of hot dogs and sausages have a 67% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Not good.

7) Canned Soup: Not only are they loaded with preservatives, but they have a very high level of sodium, MSG, and trans fats. Read the labels folks, and you’ll be surprised. There are some awesome soups out there, so shop wise. Or better yet, make your own soup!

8 ) Cheese: Sure cheese is tasty, used in a lot of cooking, and has calcium, which strengthens the bones. However, it aint all that great for your arteries. Be careful of how much cheese you consume. High consumption is a no-no. I’d stick with moderate consumption of low and reduced fat varieties of cheese.

9) Butter: In moderation, butter is awesome. It’s pretty tasty. However if you overdo it, it can lead to many health problems, including clogged arteries. Mhhmmm. Moderation, moderation, moderation.

10) Fast Food: AVOID, AVOID, AVOID. What do they offer? Processed meats and burgers high in sodium, French fries, and soda. They are all listed up above aren’t they as foods to avoid.

10 FOODS that you should eat:

1) Grape Tomatoes: They are perfect for salads, dipping, or snacks. They have fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C. They’re delicious!

2) Broccoli: Has vitamin C and carotenoids. It’s also delicious. Yum.

3) Wild Salmon: Lots of Omega-3. What’s it do? It helps reduce risks of heart attacks. Wild salmon has less contamination than farmed salmon so it’s better for you.

4) Citrus Fruits: Vitamin C and fiber. They’re tasty! Try and stay away from drinking too much juice or fruits. Plenty of sugar and too much sugar turns to…fat.

5) Spinach and Kale: Leafy delicious greens with tons of vitamin A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and iron.

6) Prunes: They top the list for the amount of Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. Tasty little buggers they are.

7) Strawberries: They are delectable, arguably a woman’s favorite friend, and is delicious on deserts and almost anything. Mhhmmmm. They also make the list of high antioxidants.

8 ) Flaxseed: They’re awesome. Benefits: constipation relief, clearing acne, smooths skin, and builds muscle while burning fat. Go get some!

9) Onions: They’re in almost every dish I make and they are always delicious. They can help reduce the risk of tumors developing in the colon.

10) Shellfish (Clams and Mussels): Full of vitamin B12 to support nerve and brain function. High in iron, magnesium, and potassium. I loooove shellfish.

Riskiest foods: You are at risk of getting sick when you eat products with these ingredients in it. Why? Due to improper preparation. Yup, that’s it right there.

Here is the list: leafy greens, eggs, tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts and berries.

So just be careful!