Digsby (for Social Networking)…

 

“Full Description

A multiprotocol Im Client that lets you manage all your IM, email, and social network accounts from one easy-to-use application. For IM, it brings all your buddies into one merged contact list with support for AIM, MSN, Facebook Chat, Yahoo, ICQ, GTalk, and Jabber. For email, it offers notifications of new emails with message previews, as well as, the ability to perform actions such as "Mark as Read" and "Delete" right from the notification with support for Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL/AIM Mail, POP, and IMAP. For social networks, it provides a newsfeed of events on the network and the ability to set status with support for Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.”

That's Digsby, technically speaking.

 

The Pro’s

You can access your msn, your Facebook, your twitter, all your email accounts and you can even use it for Facebook chat and all you have to do is sign in once for access to everything.

You can set up notifications for anything, if Facebook is updated you’ll know, same goes for twitter and any other site you’ve got it connected to, including your email.

You can post right to your Facebook or twitter without having to open up your browser.

It updates often, usually feeding off suggestions from its users via twitter.

 

The Con’s

Few and far between, the only negative thing’s I can say about Digsby is that when you’re installing it, it tries to push a lot of add-ons your way. This may be how they keep it free but be sure you cancel installing these when installing Digsby.

Apart from that it can sometimes get a little sluggish, but that is more when you’re running too many other programs.

Apart from this, Digsby is one the greatest pieces of free software if you like everything you use bundled into one neat little package, we’re just waiting for a Mac and Linux release.

Get Digsby Here

Download Your Favourite TV Shows Automatically…

 

Want to find your favourite TV shows, download them and have them available to watch all without without the hassle of hunting down each individual torrent? A particularly daunting task if its high season and you have a lot of viewing to do. Here you can learn how to automate BitTorrent downloads so this search for torrents can end.

The method I’m suggesting is free, open source torrent episode downloader, Ted. Ted is the most user-friendly, simplest solution I've seen for downloading television on a schedule, and since it finds the torrents and downloads it for you followed by opening it in your favourite BitTorrent client, there could not be less hassle.

Note: FullofContent does NOT condone piracy. Downloading and distributing copyrighted material is illegal, so proceed at your own risk. Of course, if you decide to go on, you could check out a few top Vuze plug-ins, my favourite being SafePeer, or you could try setting up anonymous Azeueus/Vuze. No guarantees either of these methods will keep the RIAA or Eircom from knocking in  your doors and taking your routers away.

Subscribing to pre-loaded shows

• Download and install Ted (torrent episode downloader).

 

• Before you start adding shows to track, you need to configure Ted, which it will prompt you to do when you first run it. Configure to your liking, but be sure to keep "Try to open it in your default BitTorrent client" checked.

 

• Once Ted is running, it's time to add your shows, which you can do by clicking the "Add Show" button. Setting up popular shows is simple, just choose one of the many shows already listed and TED will do the rest.

 

• If you're current with the show, you don't want to download every episode that pops up - you just want Ted to download the latest and greatest. You can easily do this by clicking the "Get Latest" button, which automatically loads the show's current season and episode. If you want everything you see in that feed, click the "Download all from feed" checkbox.

 

• Finally, click save and you're good to go. Whenever Ted detects a new episode, it will automatically fire up your default BitTorrent client and download away.

Again I can’t condone Piracy as it is illegal and any actions you do in the privacy of your own home are your responsibility so remember, Downloading Copyrighted material is illegal and can lead to serious trouble.

BitTorrent for Beginners…

Ok lets put it straight out there, there are a lot of people who download, if not everyone that frequently uses a computer. A lot of people are already using torrents, others used LimeWire which is no longer available or maybe you have no idea what a Torrent is, well this is where you learn. But before we get down to the file sharing lets make one thing clear…

What is BitTorrent…

BitTorrent is an internet peer-to-peer file sharing protocol that works in a sort of decentralized fashion. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that as you download portions of your files from the the person who originally shared the file, you are also getting portions from fellow downloaders to maximize data exchange. It’s much more efficient than everybody downloading from a single server.

 

The Legality of BitTorrent (and file sharing in general)…

BitTorrent itself is a protocol, so it falls to individual trackers as to what’s legal and what’s not.  If a copyright violation occurs, it is the tracker that is primarily held responsible, and subsequently its users. You probably should avoid blindly downloading copyrighted works on public trackers, since your IP address can be easily tracked.

There are many legal uses for BitTorrent, however—for instance, most community-driven Linux distributions offer torrents for their ISOs. Phish fans often record live shows (so long as they comply with Phish’s policy on music trading) and share them online, as do many artists themselves.

There are plenty of legal trackers out there, as well as torrent aggregators that compile links to legal downloads hosted on other trackers. Here’s a couple of examples:

• Jamendo is a free music tracker that distributes Creative Commons-licensed albums, and artists can contribute their own album if it’s licensed in the same way. 
• Linux Tracker provides downloads to Linux distributions, both popular and low-key, and serves as a great alternative for downloading ISO files. 
• Clear Bits offers “open licensed digital media” downloads for free, charging content providers instead.  And, as always, Google can be a powerful ally in finding legal torrents.

NB: Piracy is an illegal action and can lead to serious consequences for those who partake in it. What you do with BitTorrent in your own times is your own responsibility. Sharing Copyrighted material is against the law.

I could go into all the nitty gritty points of BitTorrent and how everything works from Trackers, to seeders to leechers and the public/private torrent debate. But instead I’ll just shorten it all down.

• Trackers – trackers are servers which assist in directing file-sharers in the direction of the specific downloads they want. Trackers route little pieces of data, or packets, to downloaders and assist them in connecting to their fellow peers.

 

• Seeders – Once you’ve finished downloading you become known as a “seeder” as you continue to upload the date you just downloaded to other users. In the file-sharing community this is considered a positive thing as you are in turn helping those who helped you and others.

 

• Leechers – If you disable uploading and only download, you are considered to be a leecher, this is a negative term coined for those who do not share – apart from the questionable ethical points of such people, you may find yourself blocked form certain trackers. Good practice is seeding as much as you leech.

 

• Public or Private? – there are both public and private trackers, private trackers require in my opinion are better as they have a stronger community and certain perks, but public can be just as good if you find what you’re looking for.

 

• BitTorrent Clients – Now there are many ways to go about downloading and many different clients in which you may download with but I recommend uTorrent (for Windows) and Transmission (for Mac OS and Linux).They are both novice and resource-friendly but don’t skip out on some of the more useful options for advanced users. – also press T whilst in Utorrent and you can play a game of Tetris whilst you wait.

 

Step by Step Downloading…

1. Firstly, download your selected Bittorrent client.

2. Go to your Tracker (examples include Demonoid, Isohunt, V0rtex etc.…)

3. Pick your files and click on download…

4. You’ll see your torrent client (downloader) open and you’ll get a choice of which files you wish to download. Here you can choose where the torrent will download to, whether or not you want to add it to the top of your queue of torrents, and you can unmark individual files from being downloaded. When ready, click OK.

In the main uTorrent window you’ll see your queue.  From here you can manage your torrents:

• The Pause button will pause downloading, but keep its connections open.
• The Stop button will stop downloading and close its connections.
• The Play button will start downloads once they’ve been paused or stopped.
• The red X button will give you a prompt to delete your torrent (and files, if you choose).
• The Up arrow will raise your torrent’s priority amongst all of the currently active torrents.
• The Down arrow will lower its priority in the queue.

Getting started is easy, the world of torrentz is huge but its definitely something to try out. Just remember, Piracy is illegal, and should you partake in it the consequences of your actions can be more than you expect…

For more information on torrents, legal battles, the best in Torrenting news, and more go to http://torrentfreak.com/

Disclaimer: I do not condone piracy in any form. This article is simply for informational purposes only.

Movember…

Sponsor me for Movember?  http://ie.movember.com/mospace/1257968/

Ok so I’m writing this side post to highlight the month that is Movember. A month that highlights something very important, men’s health.

The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember. 


Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st  clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.  Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days. 

More Info and a full history can be found here.. http://ie.movember.com/about/

Anyway in short, I’m looking for your support, to raise as much money for this good cause as possible, and every little helps, so Donate to me or my team here, http://ie.movember.com/mospace/1257968/ … You can find the Donate button in the top right hand corner, or if you feel more comfortable with it, just hand the money to me and help out a worthy cause that needs more attention.

Greg Synnott – Growing a Mo.

Don’t be Left Wondering Why a Website Won’t Load…

 

 

Ever wonder why that page just won’t load? Is it  your computer, or the has the internet just lost it all together, maybe its a 404 of maybe you just took a wrong turn at 4chan.

By default the Firefox error page just tells you the page you are attempting to view is not available, but TryAgain displays actual useful information like is the site down for just you or for the world.

This extension simply swaps out the default error message  and instead displays useful information that it garners from Down For Everyone or Just Me? and Uptime Auditor.

It provides some other tools too; you can jump to the Google Cache of the site or even the WayBack archive if you really need to get a peek at the site. TryAgain also automatically reloads the page at intervals to establish contact without your intervention, making technology make you even lazier than before. Imagine.

TryAgain is a free app and works wherever Firefox does, so install it, test it out, it might come in handy, you don’t know. I certainly don’t know if the page you’re searching for is genuinely just lost to the internetz.

ch ch ch ch ch check it out: TryAgain

Finding Creative Commons Licensed Media…

Finding Creative Commons works on the web can be a tasking well eh… task. Not anymore with CC Search – scanning over 9 popular media providers aiming to find the exact CC Licensed media you’re looking for.
Search CC licensed content including works licensed works  for commercial use and other media to be modified or built upon. CC Search runs searches into Blip.TV, Flickr, Fotopedia, Google, Jamendo, Open Clip Art Library, SpinXpress, and Wikimedia Commons. Meaning there is now shortfall of video, audio, or images for you.
Visit the website itself and see for yourself what licensed works are available for your next project. Not sure? Check it out for yourself.
CC Search [Creative Commons via MakeUseOf]

Email Values–Clarity…

 

Clarity is key in communicating, particularly in a time when what you want to say can be limited to 140 characters or less.

But one place I find this miscommunication has no excuse is the common every day email. You know those emails you read once, repeat read, and after several attempt’s you’re still completely clueless as to what the sender is trying to say? Annoying right?

Well if you recognise a terrible email, this doesn’t mean  you’re guilt free of sending them.

In order to be understood, particularly online, you need clarity, and even though email is a particularly quick form of communication, this does not give you rights to be quick with what you say. Its simple, when you write your email; read  it, spellcheck it, and re read it so you don’t end walking away post clicking send looking the fool.

Here are a few ideas to start you off..

When you’re composing your email, be up front and clear with what you are trying to say. The reader shouldn’t have to get out a dictionary or thesaurus to understand what you are trying to say, don’t muddle your email with unnecessary language. It does nothing but frustrate everyone.

Remember, clarity is  better than cleverness, you may fancy yourself a masterful wordsmith like a Mr Stephen Fry in my previous post but like he states, what is the English language if it is not enjoyed.

Don't let your words get in the way of your message

Next time you're composing an email, give some attention to clarity. Can you understand what the email is about by the subject line? Are you burying your message? If not, good for you! If you're not a saint (I'm not), re-evaluate your email miscommunications.

More posts on the subject of Email will follow.

Don’t Mind Your Language, in the words of Stephen Fry… Literally

A fantastic animated typography voiced by the one, the only, Stephen Fry…

Learning the rules of any language is important, even more so if that language holds great impact on your career, such as journalism. Without a proper grasp of the English language for example it can be pretty difficult to communicate effectively.

But, if you find yourself hung up on perfecting the English language you may find yourself impeding your own creativity and development of said language in general.

Matt Rogers has taken a piece of audio recorded by the one, and only Stephen Fry, where he argues that the enjoyment of language is more important than pedantic accuracy. Without this freedom nothing new may be created, and the development of language is hindered.

Personally I can never see myself accepting the place of “text” language into my vernacular but I would like to say I’m trying. We should all still aim to write well and communicate clearly, but the point of this video and Stephen Fry’s full essay is to prove that we should choose our battles of language wisely. and not get hung up every minute detail.

Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language [Matthew Rogers on Vimeo]

and for Stephen Fry's' full essay on the topic, go here…

Don't Mind Your Language

How to Prevent Yourself from Being Drunk and on Facebook…

Finding an image that’s both appropriate and amusing to coincide with this post is difficult if not impossible, so I decided to leave it at that. If you care to type Drunk and on Facebook into Google, you’ll understand.

If you’ve found that you get drunk and use technology for inappropriate things, like messaging your ex, insulting your employer, insulting anyone, or even just posting something really, really embarrassing, then it’s just too bad I post this after the weekend.

The Social Media Sobriety Test comes from a security company known as Web root, and  its a plugin for Firefox with the tagline “Nothing good happens online after 1 a.m.”

It’s simple, download the plugin, customize the setting for a bunch of sites, not just Facebook, but everything MySpace from Tumblr too, Gmail and Hotmail also.

Set the hours you think you’ll more than likely be intoxicated and within reach of your computer and if you sign into any of the set sites, you’ll be tested to gain access.

Now when testing this I was sober and I failed it, but typing the alphabet backwards can be as difficult as saying it backwards.

Judging from the never-ending supply of Internet drunken hilarity,  or even just websites such as Texts from Last Night I would dub a plugin like this a necessity for anyone who blacks out their online antics.

Unfortunately this plugin is only available for Firefox at the moment, and isn’t available on mobile devices, so if you are drunk and online without this plugin, have some common sense.

NB: Links are highlighted Orange

“If it Won’t Fit on a Post-It, it Won’t Fit in Your day.”

 

“Because my day is a limited size, I figure it makes sense to limit the size of my to-do list.”

Post-its can be used to do some pretty amazing things, like above but many of us forget the every day use of a post-it, a simple small way to help you simplify and prioritise what needs to be done.

Its a simple practice really, when you get up in the morning, take up a post it and work out what’s the most important thing you need to do that day. Yes we all have never ending lists, but prioritise and work it around your schedule if you can.

Separate the post into four squares leaving the top left for the “Big task” of the day and then use the other three for things you would like to accomplish, whether they be unimportant or of lesser priority.

But never, Never, add to the post it note, that is today’s list, if it isn’t urgent to add, just do it tomorrow. If for every task you complete you add two more you will be get nothing done and in every sense of the word be going backwards.

The idea is counterintuitive, you get more done by making your to-do list shorter.

This isn't necessarily a replacement for the endless to-do list many of us have, but it's the little sheet that helps us tackle the major stuff we have to get done day-to-day.

You might find this works for you, I’m going to see how successful it is for me, and if I fail I might just get creative like in the photo above.

This idea is brought to you by Mark Forster, For more information: Click Here

Write a Book in a Month – NaNoWriMo…

 

 

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and it falls upon us this November, meaning this post is two days late but also an interesting test on anyone that thinks they can meet a deadline.

The Goal? Writing one 50,000 word novel from scratch in a months time. Possible? Well plenty of people have done it before.

It’s not about quality, it’s not about writing that publishable novel, it’s more about throwing everything out the window and focusing on a single output. Complete abandon.

Why do it? The reasons are endless! Its a chance to take part in something so uniquely crazy it almost seems impossible. If for nothing else, bragging right over that writer who took 10 years to produce a book, when you took 30 days.

How do you participate? Just sign up online, its that simple, but to be added to the official list of winners your minimum 50,00 word novel must be online by midnight November 30th.

“Why 50,000 words? And how do you define "novel"?

• Novel-Writing Guidelines

Our experiences over the past nine years show that 50,000 is a difficult but doable goal, even for people with full-time jobs and children. The length makes it a short novel. We don't use the word "novella" because it doesn't seem to impress people the way "novel" does.

We define a novel as "a lengthy work of fiction." Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you're writing falls under the heading of "novel." In short: If you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel too.”

For the entire list of rules, just head over to the NaNoWriMo Website and start writing, right now, who knows, your novel could be the next Lord of the Rings, or it could amount to nothing. Either way, you wrote a novel if you reach the end of it.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

This is your chance to get in on 30 days and nights of literary abandon!

Read Articles Based on the Time you have…

You have 15 minutes to wait for your train not 25, you have a half hour on that train not 35 minutes. But you want something to occupy your time, that you won’t be forced to put down without finishing?

Longreads, an aggregator of great long-form writing that offers keyword search and a time/word count filter for your time-pressed reading.

To set yourself up properly you’ll want to be following Longreads on Twitter or via their RSS feed (and ideally you’ll have something Wi-fi or 3G access) you can find articles on anything in 15, 30, 45 or hour plus segments. Pulling from magazines, newspapers, longer blogs, and others web spaces, you can find fantastic links when you search.

Longreads is the perfect solution to short term reading but if you can find the time to get in the hour plus pieces, lucky for you.

Longreads