Browser – aIRpLaY

TweetDeck for Chrome – A quick review

iGbenga — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

TweetDeck happens to be one of the most popular twitter clients especially for power users who tweet from their computers. It all started as an Adobe Air app for Windows before it blew up into Mac and Linux and mobile platforms with versions for Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android. The only version I haven’t tested in the list is the Mac version and I doubt there’s any major difference in user experience from the Windows and Linux versions.

The first thing you notice about the application is the trademark grey interface with neatly organized columns, and two buttons on either top corners of the window. One lets you manage settings and the other lets you sign out or read stuff like privacy policy and terms of service…*yawns*. The settings column, once activated, lets you see current trends and also lets you manage accounts and columns.

TweetDeck for Chrome running on Window 7 64-bit

The entry box which is located in-between the buttons at the top of the window is my favorite entry box ever! With the way it handles usernames and hash tags, by rounding them in little grey boxes to make them stand out is a very welcome addition that makes tweeting more organized.

The TweetDeck application for Chrome is really sleek and unobtrusive; afterall it’s just a tab in your browser. It is also pleasing in memory management. I’d rather run an extra tab in my browser than run a full application. The only feature I miss here is the ability to see a conversation history. On other platforms, you see a “in reply to…” link that leads you to the tweet of the person mentioned. This is very useful when tracking interesting tweets that are not retweeted within each other.

All in all, if you’re a TweetDeck user and you haven’t tried the Chrome version, you should give it a try. It just might be your new favorite.

Getting the most out of your browser – Firefox edition

iGbenga — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Image courtesy of zdnet.com

To many, the browser is the most preferred application on their PC. It’s the first thing they launch as soon as the computer boots up completely. Even if it’s just looking up Facebook, reading news feeds or even doing research, how do you make the most out of your browsing experience?
With Mozilla’s Firefox being one of the most preferred browsers in the world today, here are some tips to get you browsing like a pro:

1. Use ‘Ctrl+W‘ to close tabs faster.
This is a general shortcut for all browsers but it has to be mentioned here. It is a lot easier to use this shortcut sometimes than trying to hunt down the little ‘x’ button.

2. Install just the add-ons you need.
It’s easy to get carried away by the large amount of add-ons at the mozilla repository but don’t be distracted. The more add-ons you have, the slower your browser becomes, hence the uglier the browsing experience. You don’t want this. So install only the ones you know you need to improve your browsing experience.

3. Use your search engines efficiently.
By default, the search bar is set to use the Google search engine. You can use the drop down arrow to see alternatives and use them when required. Wikipedia for example allows you to search the entire Wikipedia database. This is very useful considering some people do a google search first , and then click on the Wiki link.

There are many more tips to help you improve how well you maximise your browser and have fun while doing it. Try implementing any of these if you aren’t doing so already and you’ll notice the difference.

Please look out for a post on recommended add-ons in the near future. Thanks for reading!

If you have any tips for us, please include them in the comments. Thanks

Shining Chrome

iGbenga — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:38:00 +0000

So you have been using Windows for years now, your friend has a Ubuntu laptop and that quiet chick in your class just got a Macbook Pro so you have pretty much run your fingers through the hairs of a Snow Leopard. But tell me, are you ready for the Chrome OS?

Google’s open source operating system designed for netbooks is still in the works and a lot of people who have experienced the Android are looking forward to it.

Chrome OS is an open source linux based operating system. Designed mainly for netbooks, it is a browser based OS. It is safe to say that it is a glimpse into what Cloud computing will be like.

The Chrome OS is really lightweight because the operating system is pretty much a browser! All of the applications you are going to be running are on the internet. Services like gmail, google docs, etc will allow you to do your work on the internet and save it on there.

Some apps will require that you pay before you can use them. Honestly, you didn’t expect everything to be free, did you? The good thing about the Chrome OS is that it is super lightweight and will not require a lot of hardware to run properly. It is targeted toward those who spend most of their time on the internet, and if you think about it, that’s a lot of people. And, the numbers are growing daily. So, how well your apps run depend on the speed of your internet connection.

This sounds really like a good thing but what happens if I do all my work on the internet and save it there? Then it’s no longer mine. Where is my privacy? I’d rather have all my stuff saved to my PC’s harddrive. I’ve had enough publicity with facebook already. Let’s hope there’s an option to save locally.

I have a good feeling about the Chrome OS, I know it’s going to be huge. Let’s just hope it comes with a host of options for us to be able to manipulate it how we want.